TED演讲:我们为什么要排气(1)

 　　Flatulence, or passing gas, is a normal daily phenomenon. 胀气，或者放屁，是正常的日常现象。

　　Most individuals, yes, that includes you,  大多数人，是的，这包括你，

　　will make anywhere from 500-1500 milliliters of gas and can pass gas ten to twenty times a day. 每天将会产生500-1500毫升的气体并且每天会放十次到二十次的屁。

　　But where does this bodily gas come from? 但是身体里的气体从哪里产生的呢？

　　A small proportion may come from ingesting air during sleep, or at other times,  小部分的气体可能来自于在睡眠或其他时间吞入的空气，

　　but the majority of gas is produced by bacteria in our intestines² as they digest parts of food which we cannot. 但是大部分的气体，是由我们肠道里的细菌产生的，因为他们可以消化部分我们无法消化的食物。

　　Our intestine¹ is home to trillions of bacteria living in a symbiotic³ relationship with us. 我们的肠道里住着上亿万的细菌,它们和我们是共生的关系。

　　We provide them with a safe place to stay and food to eat. 我们为他们提供了安全的居住环境和吃的东西。

　　In exchange, they help us extract energy from our food, make vitamins for us, like vitamin B and K, boost our immune system,  作为交换，他们帮助我们从食物中提取能量，为我们制造维他命，例如维生素B和维生素K，增强我们的免疫系统，

　　and play an important role in gastrointestinal barrier function, motility and the development of various organ systems. 并在肠屏障功能，胃肠运动及各器官系统的发展中发挥重要作用。

　　Clearly, it's in our best interest to keep these bacteria happy. 如此可见，我们最好让这些细菌快乐的生活下去。

　　Gut⁴ bacteria get their nutrition primarily from undigested food, 肠道细菌主要从未消化的食物里取得营养，

　　such as carbohydrates⁵ and proteins, which come to the large intestine. 像到大肠里的碳水化合物和蛋白质，

　　They ferment⁶ this undigested food to produce a wide range of compounds, such as short-chain fatty acids and, of course, gases. 他们将未消化的食物发酵从而产生一系列的化合物，例如：短链脂肪酸，当然，还有气体。

　　Hydrogen and carbon dioxide are the most common gaseous⁷ products of bacterial⁸ fermentation, and are odorless. 氢和二氧化碳是最常见的细菌发酵的气体产物，并且他们是无味的。

　　Some people also produce methane⁹ due to specific microbes present in their gut. 由于有些人肠胃里有某种特定的微生物，他们还会产生甲烷。

1 intestine   

adj.内部的；国内的；n.肠

参考例句：

• This vitamin is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine.这种维生素通过小肠壁被吸收。
• The service productivity is the function,including external efficiency,intestine efficiency and capacity efficiency.服务业的生产率是一个包含有外部效率、内部效率和能力效率的函数。

2 intestines   

n.肠( intestine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perhaps the most serious problems occur in the stomach and intestines. 最严重的问题或许出现在胃和肠里。 来自辞典例句
• The traps of carnivorous plants function a little like the stomachs and small intestines of animals. 食肉植物的捕蝇器起着动物的胃和小肠的作用。 来自辞典例句

3 symbiotic   

adj.共栖的，共生的

参考例句：

• Racing has always had a symbiotic relationship with betting.赛马总是与赌博相挂钩。
• Engineering completely new symbiotic relationship is obviously not an imminent possibility.筹划完全新的共生关系显然是可能性不大。

4 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

5 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

6 ferment   

vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱

参考例句：

• Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久，就会发酵。
• The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。

7 gaseous   

adj.气体的，气态的

参考例句：

• Air whether in the gaseous or liquid state is a fluid.空气，无论是气态的或是液态的，都是一种流体。
• Freon exists both in liquid and gaseous states.氟利昂有液态和气态两种形态。

8 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

9 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。