如果你停止喝水会怎样？：英语精读讲义

Every living organism we know of requires water to survive. 短語搭配

我们已知的每一种生物都需要水才能生存。

It's part of the reason we look so feverishly for water on other planets across the universe 講解

这也是我们如此迫切地在宇宙中其他星球上寻找水的部分原因，

and consume it consistently every day here on Earth.

也是我们每天在地球上持续摄入水的原因。

So,

那么，

what would happen to your body if you stopped drinking water? 語法

如果你停止喝水，身体会发生什么？

Of course,

当然，

when we say water, 表達脈絡

我们这里所说的“水”，

we're including all fluids

包括所有液体，

which simply contain water like juices,

只要其中含有水分，比如说果汁、

pop, or tea. 用詞

汽水或茶。

Much like the desire to breathe in oxygen, 語法

就像我们会本能地想吸入氧气一样，

thirst is a survival instinct.

口渴也是一种生存本能。

H2O is the most abundant molecule in the human body,

H2O 是人体内含量最丰富的分子，

making up on average 65% of an adult. 短語動詞

平均占成年人体重的 65%。

As a universal solvent, 用詞

作为一种万能溶剂，

it carries nutrients and hormones through the body,

它将营养物质和激素输送到全身，

regulates body temperature,

调节体温，

cushions our joints,

为关节提供缓冲，

and even lubricates our eyes.

甚至还能润滑眼睛。

You produce around 1.5 L of urine every day

你每天大约会排出 1.5 升尿液，

with another liter lost from breathing, 語法

另外 1 升水分则会通过呼吸、

sweating, and pooping. 用詞

出汗和排便流失。

So,

因此，

it's essential that the body replaces this liquid. 語法

身体补回这些水分至关重要。

The thirst center of the brain is located in the hypothalamus

大脑的口渴中枢位于下丘脑，

and is constantly using sensors in your blood vessels

它会不断利用血管中的感受器，

to monitor the amount of sodium and other substances in your body.

监测体内钠和其他物质的含量。

For example,

例如，

if you sweat too much,

如果你出汗过多，

your blood volume and pressure fall.

血容量和血压就会下降。

The brain then detects this change

随后，大脑会察觉这种变化，

and creates the urge to drink something. 短語搭配

让你产生想喝东西的冲动。

Now,

那么，

so what happens if you're unable to satisfy this thirst?

如果你无法解渴，会发生什么？

The initial signs of dehydration are the obvious dry mouth,

脱水最初的明显迹象是口干，

following which your urine becomes darker with a stronger odor 語法

接着，尿液的颜色会变深，气味也会更重，

as your body attempts to conserve more fluids.

因为身体正试图保留更多水分。

The lack of H2O

H2O 不足

then begins to affect your brain.

接着会开始影响你的大脑。

You might feel lightheaded, 短語搭配

你可能会感到头晕，

have a slower response time

反应速度变慢，

and decreased ability to feel pain.

对疼痛的感知能力也会下降。

In fact,

事实上，

when you're dehydrated,

当你脱水时，

your brain tissue literally shrinks. 用詞

脑组织真的会萎缩。

In studies observing hydrated versus dehydrated participants, 表達脈絡

在比较水分充足者与脱水者的研究中，

the same task required more brain power and oxygen

完成同一项任务会消耗更多脑力和氧气，

in dehydrated individuals compared to those fully hydrated. 語法

脱水者的消耗要高于水分充足者。

After a day or two with no fluids,

一两天滴水未进后，

you'll stop peeing altogether, 語法

你会完全停止排尿，

have trouble swallowing, 語法

吞咽变得困难，

suffer from muscle spasms, 短語搭配

出现肌肉痉挛，

and likely experience nausea.

而且很可能感到恶心。

After all, 表達脈絡

毕竟，

your body can survive without food much longer

身体不吃东西能撑更久，

and attention to digestion is not a priority at this point. 短語搭配

此时，消化已不是身体优先考虑的事。

Eventually,

最终，

victims may become delirious

脱水者可能会神志不清，

with severely impaired brain function.

大脑功能也会严重受损。

Interestingly,

有趣的是，

studies looking at elderly patients who suffer from delirium 表達脈絡

针对出现谵妄的老年患者所做的研究

found that many are simply suffering from chronic dehydration 用詞

发现，其中很多人其实只是长期脱水，

in the first place. 習語

这才是问题的根源。

After even more time without water,

如果缺水时间继续延长，

the blood stops flowing to your skin,

血液会停止流向皮肤，

reducing heat loss 語法

从而减少热量散失，

but increasing your core body temperature.

却会使核心体温升高。

This can lead to a gray bluish tinge to your skin. 短語搭配

这会让皮肤呈现灰蓝色。

Beyond 3 to 5 days without water,

在断水 3 到 5 天后，

and your body will begin to shut down its organs 短語動詞

身体的各个器官会开始停止运作，

and eventually the brain.

最终连大脑也会停摆。

Of course,

当然，

unlike the plentiful oxygen we breathe,

与我们呼吸的充足氧气不同，

only 2.5% of all Earth's water is fresh,

地球上所有水中只有 2.5% 是淡水，

most of which is locked up in glaciers, 講解

其中大部分封存在冰川、

ice caps,

冰盖

and underground lakes known as aquifers,

以及被称为含水层的地下水体中，

leaving less than 1% available for drinking. 語法

可供饮用的还不到 1%。

And most of this water is actually used to grow crops, 語法

而这些水大多其实都用于种植农作物，

approximately 500 billion liters of fresh water

大约有 5000 亿升淡水

is used daily for agriculture in the USA alone 用詞

每天仅在美国就被用于农业，

with another 500 billion liters

另有 5000 亿升

to cool electric power plants.

用来冷却发电厂。

And as our personal drinking sources become increasingly contaminated, 語法

随着我们的饮用水源受到越来越严重的污染，

over 783 million people on Earth

全球有超过 7.83 亿人

are unable to access clean water. 用詞

无法获得清洁用水。

Scientists around the world are trying to find solutions to this problem,

世界各地的科学家都在设法解决这个问题，

from attempts to remove salt from the ocean water, 語法

从尝试去除海水中的盐分，

tap into underground aquifers, 短語動詞

利用地下含水层中的水，

and creating innovative water filtration systems.

到开发创新型水过滤系统。

If we look to space, 短語搭配

如果把目光投向太空，

NASA has developed technology for astronauts

NASA 已经为宇航员开发出一种技术，

to turn their urine into water 短語動詞

可将尿液转化成水，

more pure than what we drink on Earth. 語法

而且比我们在地球上喝的水更纯净。

But we can't just rely on science and technology. 表達脈絡

但我们不能只依赖科学与技术。

Perhaps the solution relies on us as a species

或许，解决问题要靠我们全人类

to understand and contribute to this global water crisis. 用詞

去理解这场全球水危机，并为解决它贡献力量。

If you want to help in the mission to end global thirst, 語氣意圖

如果你想为终结全球缺水的使命出一份力，

join in World Water Day on March 22nd. 講解

请参与 3 月 22 日的“世界水日”活动。

There are a lot of really amazing projects out there 習語

目前有许多非常棒的项目，

like water.org

比如 water.org，

or even the awesome UNICEF app

甚至还有很赞的 UNICEF 应用程序，

which donates 1 day of clean water to a child in need 短語搭配

它会为有需要的儿童捐出一天所需的清洁用水，

for every 10 minutes you put your phone down. 講解

条件是你每次放下手机 10 分钟。

We'll leave links in the description

我们会在视频简介中放上

for these and other great water charities.

这些项目和其他优秀水资源慈善机构的链接。

Small investments really do make a huge difference. 講解

小小的投入，真的能带来巨大的改变。

We'll be donating all the proceeds from this video 短語搭配

我们会把这段视频的全部收益

to a water project close to us

捐给一个与我们关系密切的水资源项目，

called Morocco 5 Villages.

名叫 Morocco 5 Villages。

So,

那么，

thanks for supporting and watching.

感谢你的支持和观看。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也请订阅频道，每周观看更多科学视频。