尼日利亚的“双子城”有大量的多胞胎

Nigeria's 'Twin Town' Has High Number of Multiple Births

At a dusty playground in southwest Nigeria, school children line up to return to their classrooms. Many of their faces have exact matches within the group. That is because an unusually large number of children in this part of Nigeria are identical twins.

Sights like this can be seen everywhere in Igbo Ora. A sign even welcomes visitors to the “twins capital of the world.”

Twins are common in the Yoruba ethnic¹ group found in this part of the country. A 1970s study by a British doctor found that about 50 sets of twins were born out of every 1,000 births in the country’s southwest. That is one of the highest rates of twin births in the world.

In Yoruba culture, twins are so common that they are traditionally given specific names. They are called either Taiwo or Kehinde -- depending on whether they were born first or second.

But even for Yoruba people, Igbo Ora is considered to be exceptional². Among the nearly 100 school children who gathered at the end of their break, 18 were twins.

“There are so many twins because of the okra leaf that we eat,” said 15-year-old Kehinde Oyedepo, who is a twin.

Many in the town believe this is the reason for the high twin birth rate. The leaves are used to make a hot meal that is popular in Igbo Ora.

Others have pointed³ to the popularity⁴ of Amala - a local food made from yams. One theory is that yams activate⁵ the production of a chemical agent that stimulates⁷ egg production in women.

Ekujumi Olarenwaju is a doctor based in the Nigerian capital of Lagos, about 160 kilometers from Igbo Ora. Olarenwaju believes the cause must be something else, because the same kind of yam is eaten in many parts of the world -- without the same results.

He suggested the cause may be because the genes⁸ that often lead to twins have become highly concentrated in this area.

But the women who sell okra leaves at a town market are quick to disagree with the doctor. They say how locals eat the leaves is critical. For example, a stew⁹ made from the okra leaves should be eaten immediately and never stored.

Oyenike Bamimore said she was living proof that diet helped explain the high number of twin births. She said, “because I eat okra leaves a lot, I gave birth to eight sets of twins.”

I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

specific - adj. special or particular

identical - adj. exactly the same

twin - n. either one of two babies that are born at the same time to the same mother

concentrated - adj. existing or happening together in one place : not spread out

stew - n. a dish of vegetables and usually meat cooked in hot liquid for a long time

diet - n. the food that a person or animal usually eats

stimulate⁶ - v. to make (something) more active

okra -n. a tall plant whose pods are eaten as a vegetable and are used in soups and stews¹⁰

yam - n. a long, thick root of a tropical plant that has rough brown skin and usually white or yellow flesh and that is eaten as a vegetable

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 exceptional   

adj.优越的，杰出的，例外的，独特的，异常的

参考例句：

• He is a man of exceptional talent.他是位具有非凡才能的人。
• He showed exceptional musical ability.他显示出特殊的音乐才能。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

5 activate   

vt.使活动起来，使开始起作用

参考例句：

• We must activate the youth to study.我们要激励青年去学习。
• These push buttons can activate the elevator.这些按钮能启动电梯。

6 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

7 stimulates   

v.刺激( stimulate的第三人称单数 )；激励；使兴奋；起兴奋作用，起刺激作用，起促进作用

参考例句：

• Exercise stimulates the body. 运动促进身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Alcohol stimulates the action of the heart. 酒刺激心脏的活动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

9 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

10 stews   

n.炖煮的菜肴( stew的名词复数 )；烦恼，焦虑v.炖( stew的第三人称单数 )；煨；思考；担忧

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews. 玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most stews contain meat and vegetables. 炖的食物大多是肉类和蔬菜。 来自辞典例句