科学能改善你的性生活吗？：英语精读讲义

With work, studying or a stressful schedule,

忙于工作、学习，或是日程压力重重时，

it can be hard to find the time or energy for that extra edge in the bedroom. 講解

你可能很难挤出时间或精力，为床上生活再添一点情趣。

But could science have a solution to our sexual woes? 表達脈絡

但科学能解决我们的性困扰吗？

It just might.

说不定真能。

Sexual desire in both men and women is controlled by your hormones.

无论男女，性欲都受体内激素控制。

When something triggers you to be turned on, 短語動詞

当某种刺激让你产生性兴奋时，

the brain and nervous system send signals to your pelvis,

大脑和神经系统会向骨盆区域发出信号，

causing blood vessels to dilate. 語法

使血管扩张。

You experience an increased heart rate while your brain releases norepinephrine,

你的心率会加快，同时大脑会释放去甲肾上腺素、

dopamine, and other pleasurable neurotransmitters,

多巴胺和其他带来愉悦感的神经递质，

which make it clear to your body that you're having a good time. 語法

让身体清楚地知道：你正享受其中。

And humans have long tried to enhance this biological response throughout history.

纵观历史，人类一直都在尝试增强这种生理反应。

Unfortunately, there's no real scientific evidence

遗憾的是，并没有真正的科学证据

to the pop culture myth that oysters,

能支持流行文化中的这种迷信说法：牡蛎、

chocolate, or other so-called aphrodisiacs 用詞

巧克力或其他所谓的催情食物

will make you horny.

会让你欲火焚身。

And while Viagra may prolong an erection, 語法

尽管伟哥或许能延长勃起时间，

contrary to popular belief, 表達脈絡

但与大众普遍的认知相反，

it actually doesn't make you more aroused.

它其实不会让你更加性兴奋。

It works solely to inhibit an enzyme,

它的作用只是抑制一种酶，

so blood flow to the penis is increased

从而增加流向阴茎的血液，

and only acts on the peripheral nervous system. 用詞

并且只作用于周围神经系统。

So, popping the blue pill won't increase libido, 文化背景

所以，吞下这颗蓝色小药丸并不会增强性欲，

nor will an erection occur without initial stimulation. 語法

如果一开始没有性刺激，也不会出现勃起。

Not to mention, it has no effect on women. 表達脈絡

更不用说，它对女性毫无作用。

But it turns out that scientists may have mistakenly stumbled upon a new sex secret. 講解

不过，科学家似乎在无意间发现了一个新的性爱秘诀。

In an effort to create sunless tanning agents, 短語搭配

为了研发无需日晒的美黑剂，

scientists were researching melanocortin, 語法

科学家对黑皮质素展开了研究，

a specific protein in the brain which can control skin pigmentation.

这是一种位于大脑中、能控制皮肤色素沉着的特定蛋白质。

Except, when 10 mg of the synthetic version called Melanotan II

然而，当10毫克名为Melanotan II的合成版本

were injected in a male,

被注射进一名男性体内后，

an immediate and unstimulated erection lasting 8 full hours 語法

他在毫无刺激的情况下立刻勃起，而且整整持续了8小时，

occurred along with nausea and vomiting. 短語搭配

同时还伴有恶心和呕吐。

At 2.5 mg, the erection lasted 2 to 3 hours with minimal nausea.

剂量为2.5毫克时，勃起持续2到3小时，恶心症状也很轻微。

But after bringing the dose down to 1.25 mg, 短語動詞

但把剂量降到1.25毫克后，

the males were aroused and had consistent erections without any nausea.

男性会感到性兴奋，也能稳定勃起，而且完全不会恶心。

Surprisingly, this drug is now being effectively administered as a nasal spray. 用詞

令人意外的是，如今这种药物已能以鼻喷剂的形式有效给药。

Sniff a stiff, anyone? 習語

吸一下就硬，谁想试试？

On top of which, the drug works on females too. 表達脈絡

更厉害的是，这种药对女性也有效。

When female rats were injected along with other hormones

给雌性大鼠同时注射这种药物和其他激素，

such as beta-estradiol 3-benzoate and progesterone,

比如β-雌二醇-3-苯甲酸酯和黄体酮后，

they increased hops, darts, and ear wiggling in front of their male counterparts.

它们在雄性大鼠面前跳跃、冲刺和抖动耳朵的次数都会增加。

These are all actions designed to cause sexual arousal

这些动作都是为了引发性兴奋，

and invite male rats for sex.

并邀请雄性大鼠交配。

But before you run out to find this seemingly miraculous love elixir, 表達脈絡

不过，在你急着出门寻找这种看似神奇的爱情灵药之前，

just know that it hasn't been approved or regulated anywhere in the world yet. 語法

先要知道，它目前尚未在全球任何地方获批或受到监管。

However, its derivative called bremelanotide is currently undergoing human clinical trials 短語搭配

不过，它的一种衍生物bremelanotide目前正在进行人体临床试验，

as a potential treatment for a myriad of sexual disorders 短語搭配

有望用于治疗多种性功能障碍，

such as female sexual arousal disorder.

例如女性性唤起障碍。

And since the main mode of action occurs directly in the central nervous system, 講解

由于它的主要作用机制直接发生在中枢神经系统中，

it works on both sexes.

因此对男女都有效。

So, eat your avocados, oysters, and chocolate for sustenance,

所以，牛油果、牡蛎和巧克力还是留着补充营养吧，

and let science handle the sex. 語法

性生活就交给科学来搞定。

Special thanks to audible.com 短語搭配

特别感谢audible.com

for supporting this episode

对本期节目的支持，

and giving you a free audiobook of your choice 短語搭配

并为你提供一本任选的免费有声书，

at audible.com/asap.

领取地址是audible.com/asap。

Audible is the leading provider of audiobooks 短語搭配

Audible是领先的有声书服务提供商，

with over 150,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature.

拥有超过15万部可下载作品，涵盖各类文学。

We recommend the book Being Mortal:

我们推荐《最好的告别：

Medicine and What Matters in the End,

关于衰老与死亡，你必须知道的常识》，

which tackles how medicine can not only improve life, 語法

这本书探讨了医学如何不仅改善生命，

but the process of its ending.

也能改善生命走向终点的过程。

You can download this audiobook or another of your choice for free

你可以免费下载这本有声书，也可以任选其他一本，

at audible.com/asap.

网址是audible.com/asap。

And with a subscription, you get one free book a month.

订阅后，你每个月都能免费获得一本书。

Special thanks to Audible for making these videos possible.

特别感谢Audible的支持，让这些视频得以制作。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

记得订阅，观看我们每周更新的更多科学视频。