色情成瘾的科学（工作场所安全）：英语精读讲义

Sexual tastes vary from person to person, 短語搭配

性偏好因人而异，

but with the current pornography epidemic,

但面对当前这场“色情内容泛滥”，

as some call it, 語氣意圖

正如一些人所称，

one has to wonder how exactly this may affect our desires and perception of sexuality. 表達脈絡

我们不禁要问，这究竟会如何影响我们的欲望和对性的认知。

Moreover,

此外，

how does it affect our sex lives?

它又会如何影响我们的性生活？

Pornography constitutes about 25% of all search engine requests 用詞

色情内容约占所有搜索引擎查询的25%

and is the fourth most common reason people give for going on the internet.

也是人们上网的第四大常见原因。

And while it may seem to simply facilitate an instinctual sexual response 表達脈絡

它看似只是促成了一种本能的性反应

linked to millions of years of evolution,

而这种反应与数百万年的进化有关，

the truth is pornography has dynamically changed over time,

但事实上，色情内容一直在随时代不断变化，

ultimately molding our tastes and desires. 習語

最终塑造着我们的偏好和欲望。

The not-so-shocking truth is that pornography has profound consequences for the brain 短語搭配

一个并不令人意外的事实是，色情内容会对大脑产生深远影响

and acts in many ways like a drug. 表達脈絡

而且在许多方面都像毒品一样起作用。

With prolonged exposure,

长期接触后，

your tolerance is increased and many often find themselves addicted. 語法

你的耐受性会增强，很多人最终会发现自己已经成瘾。

Though it's not a physical substance,

尽管它不是一种实体物质，

it leads to the same general loss of control, 短語搭配

却同样会让人失去控制，

the compulsiveness to seek out the activity despite negative consequences, 短語動詞

即使会造成负面后果，仍会强迫性地寻求这种活动，

and withdrawal when it goes away,

一旦停止还会出现戒断反应，

much like that of gambling or running, 語法

这与赌博或跑步成瘾的情况很相似，

for example.

这里只是举例。

The issue is that continued exposure can cause long-term 表達脈絡

问题在于，持续接触可能导致大脑发生长期的

or even lifelong neuroplastic change in the brain.

甚至终生的神经可塑性改变。

Dopamine is released as a reward whenever we accomplish something,

每当我们完成某件事时，大脑都会释放多巴胺作为奖励，

whether it be eating to sustain life 語法

无论是为了维持生命而进食

or sexual activity to produce future life.

还是为了孕育下一代而进行性活动。

And this dopamine consolidates neural connections

而释放出的多巴胺会巩固神经连接

in order to drive us to perform the same activity in the future. 短語搭配

以促使我们今后重复同样的活动。

In other words, 表達脈絡

换句话说，

it alters and forms the brain cells

它会改变并重塑脑细胞

to motivate certain actions.

从而驱动某些行为。

It rewires your brain. 習語

它会重塑你的大脑回路。

The National Institutes of Health measure drug addictiveness 語法

美国国立卫生研究院衡量药物成瘾性的方法

by testing rats.

是用大鼠进行实验。

The rat is trained to press a button in order to get a drug,

研究人员训练大鼠按下按钮来获取药物，

and the harder it works

而它为此付出的努力越大，

indicates how addictive the substance is.

就说明这种物质越容易让人上瘾。

It turns out that the more addictive a drug is, 表達脈絡

结果表明，药物的成瘾性越强，

the more dopamine we see released.

释放的多巴胺就越多。

And while there is unfortunately no rat porn that we can give to them,

遗憾的是，我们没有能给大鼠看的色情片，

we do know that dopamine is also released during sexual excitement, 語法

但我们知道，性兴奋时也会释放多巴胺，

which pornography plays right into. 短語動詞

而色情内容恰好利用了这一点。

The more time you spend doing it, the more dopamine gets released, 語法

你花在这上面的时间越多，释放的多巴胺就越多，

which reinforces the behavior and makes you not only desire it in the future, 語法

这会强化这种行为，让你以后不仅想要它，

but require it.

更会觉得非它不可。

And as you begin to imagine these images away from the computer

当你离开电脑后开始想象这些画面时，

or while having sex, they become reinforced.

或在做爱时想到它们，这些画面就会得到进一步强化。

Furthermore,

此外，

each orgasm releases even more dopamine,

每次性高潮都会释放更多的多巴胺，

which consolidates the connections made during the session.

从而巩固在这一过程中形成的神经连接。

It's a feedback loop that becomes harder to escape. 用詞

这就形成了一个越来越难以摆脱的反馈循环。

And just like a drug,

就像毒品一样，

your tolerance for visual stimulation has now compounded,

你对视觉刺激的耐受性已经越来越高，

making it more difficult to be turned on by reality. 短語動詞

因此更难对现实中的性刺激产生兴奋。

Pornography addiction can often lead to finding your mate less attractive.

色情内容成瘾常常会让你觉得伴侣没那么有吸引力。

The good news is,

好消息是，

it doesn't have to be permanent. 語法

这种情况不一定会永久持续。

Usually,

通常，

when people understand the mechanism and realize it's affecting their relationships,

当人们理解其中的机制，并意识到它正在影响自己的亲密关系时，

they can stop.

他们就能停下来。

The brain is often described as a use-it-or-lose-it system 習語

大脑常被形容为一个“用进废退”的系统，

because the neural connections you stimulate grow stronger

因为你经常刺激的神经连接会变得更强

and desire to be activated,

并渴望被激活，

while the ones you ignore become weakened.

而被你忽略的连接则会逐渐弱化。

Much like your muscles,

这很像你的肌肉，

which if sitting still all day,

如果它们整天一动不动，

itch for activity, 習語

就会渴望活动，

but after prolonged non-use,

但长期不用之后，

they become complacent.

它们便会习惯于不活动。

Luckily,

幸运的是，

because of this use-it-or-lose-it brain,

正因为大脑具有这种“用进废退”的特性，

the same neuroplastic system that proliferates these habits

这个让上述习惯不断强化的神经可塑性系统

can also be used to acquire healthier ones.

也可以用来养成更健康的习惯。

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有什么迫切想得到答案的问题吗？

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