英语听力文摘 English Digest 202、鼻孔与玫瑰

　　Nostrils² and Roses
鼻子在供氧过程中起着非常重要的作用，鼻子是外界氧气进入人体内部的重要通道，同时它还负责呼出体内的二氧化碳。我们可以将鼻子看作一个整体器官，但是因为鼻子的大部分功能都是在立体系统中完成的，所以我们需要两个鼻孔。
众所周知，我们有左右两个肺脏，但可能很少人知道，每一侧肺脏都是由其同侧相应的鼻孔控制的。
因此如果一个鼻孔堵塞，两侧的肺就会产生竞争，让人觉得难受、呼吸不畅。不仅如此，专关家认为两个鼻孔还能使呼吸运动更有效，进而推进整个机体的新陈代谢。用两个鼻孔透气使得每一个鼻孔可以轮换稍事休息，如果只用一个鼻孔透气，3小时就会感到疲劳。
两个鼻孔的生理结构有助于睡眠。在8小时以上的睡眠中如果保持一种睡姿不变，由于重力作用与站姿时相比发生了变化，一侧的鼻孔通常会闭塞。
因此，我们用两个鼻孔透气可以睡得更放松。由于睡眠中人对氧气的需求量减少，即使一个鼻孔暂时不通，只有另一个呼吸也不会造成呼吸不畅。
今天我们就一起听听两个鼻孔的重要性吧。

　　Take a Look in the mirror and ask yourself this: why do I have two nostrils. Two eyes, sure. Two ears, ok. But why two nostrils? Wouldn’t one, big nostril¹ do just as well?
Actually, no. First, one giant nostril would look really weird³. And second, although they may look identical, each nostril actually smells a bit differently. For most people, nostrils take turns swelling⁴ and shrinking, meaning that at any given moment the rate at which a nostril inhales⁶ is not equal.
Let’s say you’re taking a walk and stop to sniff⁷ a rose. Your swollen⁸ nostril inhales the tiny, microscopic⁹ particles released by the rose at a relatively¹⁰ slower pace than the normal nostril, which inhales at a normal clip. This is important since chemicals that enter your nose and create smell, including rose particles, come in two basic types: those that dissolve slowly and those that dissolve more quickly.
In order for slow-dissolving rose chemicals to really work they have to enter the nose at a leisurely¹¹ pace and kind of settle down. If they’re rushed in on a fast stream of air too many pass right through the nose and don’t contribute to that unique, rosy¹² smell. The rose chemicals that dissolve quickly, meanwhile, like to charge in and spread out fast in order to really pack a punch. Since they inhale⁵ at different speeds, your nostrils allow both kinds of rose chemicals to do their thing.
So a rose may be a rose, but in order to really smell one you need two nostrils. One big one just won’t do.

1 nostril   

n.鼻孔

参考例句：

• The Indian princess wore a diamond in her right nostril.印弟安公主在右鼻孔中戴了一颗钻石。
• All South American monkeys have flat noses with widely spaced nostril.所有南美洲的猴子都有平鼻子和宽大的鼻孔。

2 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

3 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

4 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

5 inhale   

v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟)

参考例句：

• Don't inhale dust into your lung.别把灰尘吸进肺里。
• They are pleased to not inhale second hand smoke.他们很高兴他们再也不会吸到二手烟了。

6 inhales   

v.吸入( inhale的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Long, slow, full breaths with exhales at least as long as the inhales. 深长、缓慢、充分的呼吸，呼气至少要同吸气一样长。 来自互联网
• An impressive pile forms. Heywood bends down and inhales deeply, smelling the aroma. Rapture. 一小排香烟。海沃德低下头使劲地闻着香烟的气味，高兴不已。 来自互联网

7 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

8 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

9 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

11 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

12 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。