科學能改善你的性生活嗎？：英語精讀講義

With work, studying or a stressful schedule,

忙於工作、課業，或是行程壓力滿滿時，

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

你可能很難擠出時間或精力，為床上生活再添一點情趣。

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

但科學能解決我們的性困擾嗎？

It just might.

說不定真的可以。

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

無論男女，性慾都由體內荷爾蒙控制。

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

當某種刺激讓你產生性興奮時，

the brain and nervous system send signals to your pelvis,

大腦和神經系統會向骨盆區域發出訊號，

causing blood vessels to dilate. 文法

使血管擴張。

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

你的心跳會加快，同時大腦會釋放正腎上腺素、

dopamine, and other pleasurable neurotransmitters,

多巴胺和其他帶來愉悅感的神經傳導物質，

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

讓身體清楚知道：你正樂在其中。

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

縱觀歷史，人類一直都在嘗試增強這種生理反應。

Unfortunately, there's no real scientific evidence

遺憾的是，並沒有真正的科學證據

to the pop culture myth that oysters,

能支持流行文化中的這種迷思：牡蠣、

chocolate, or other so-called aphrodisiacs 用詞

巧克力或其他所謂的催情食物

will make you horny.

會讓你慾火焚身。

And while Viagra may prolong an erection, 文法

儘管威而鋼也許能延長勃起時間，

contrary to popular belief, 表達脈絡

但與普遍認知相反，

it actually doesn't make you more aroused.

它其實不會讓你更加性興奮。

It works solely to inhibit an enzyme,

它的作用只是抑制一種酵素，

so blood flow to the penis is increased

進而增加流向陰莖的血液，

and only acts on the peripheral nervous system. 用詞

而且只作用於周邊神經系統。

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

所以，吞下這顆藍色小藥丸並不會增強性慾，

nor will an erection occur without initial stimulation. 文法

如果一開始沒有性刺激，也不會出現勃起。

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

更不用說，它對女性毫無作用。

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

不過，科學家似乎在無意間發現了一個新的性愛祕密。

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

為了研發免曬美黑劑，

scientists were researching melanocortin, 文法

科學家開始研究黑皮質素，

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

這是一種位於大腦中、能控制皮膚色素沉澱的特定蛋白質。

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

然而，當10毫克名為Melanotan II的合成版本

were injected in a male,

被注射進一名男性體內後，

an immediate and unstimulated erection lasting 8 full hours 文法

他在完全沒有刺激的情況下立刻勃起，而且整整持續了8小時，

occurred along with nausea and vomiting. 片語搭配

同時還伴隨噁心和嘔吐。

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

劑量為2.5毫克時，勃起持續2到3小時，噁心症狀也很輕微。

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

但把劑量降到1.25毫克後，

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

男性會感到性興奮，也能穩定勃起，而且完全不會噁心。

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

令人意外的是，如今這種藥物已能透過鼻噴劑有效給藥。

Sniff a stiff, anyone? 慣用語

吸一下就硬，誰想試試？

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

更厲害的是，這種藥對女性也有效。

When female rats were injected along with other hormones

給雌鼠同時注射這種藥物和其他荷爾蒙，

such as beta-estradiol 3-benzoate and progesterone,

例如β-雌二醇-3-苯甲酸酯和黃體素後，

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

牠們在雄鼠面前跳躍、衝刺和抖動耳朵的次數都會增加。

These are all actions designed to cause sexual arousal

這些動作都是為了引發性興奮，

and invite male rats for sex.

並邀請雄鼠交配。

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

不過，在你急著出門尋找這種看似神奇的愛情靈藥之前，

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

先要知道，它目前尚未在全球任何地方獲得核准或受到管制。

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

不過，它的一種衍生物bremelanotide目前正在進行人體臨床試驗，

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

有望用於治療多種性功能障礙，

such as female sexual arousal disorder.

例如女性性喚起障礙。

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

由於它的主要作用機制直接發生在中樞神經系統中，

it works on both sexes.

因此對男女都有效。

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

所以，酪梨、牡蠣和巧克力還是留著補充營養吧，

and let science handle the sex. 文法

性生活就交給科學來搞定。

Special thanks to audible.com 片語搭配

特別感謝audible.com

for supporting this episode

對本集節目的支持，

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

並提供一本可自由選擇的免費有聲書給你，

at audible.com/asap.

網址是audible.com/asap。

Audible is the leading provider of audiobooks 片語搭配

Audible是領先業界的有聲書供應商，

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

擁有超過15萬部可下載作品，涵蓋各類文學。

We recommend the book Being Mortal:

我們推薦《凝視死亡：

Medicine and What Matters in the End,

一位外科醫師對衰老與死亡的思索》，

which tackles how medicine can not only improve life, 文法

這本書探討了醫學如何不只改善生命，

but the process of its ending.

也能改善生命走向終點的過程。

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

你可以免費下載這本有聲書，也可以任選其他一本，

at audible.com/asap.

網址是audible.com/asap。

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

訂閱後，你每個月都能免費獲得一本書。

Special thanks to Audible for making these videos possible.

特別感謝Audible的支持，讓這些影片得以製作。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

記得訂閱，觀看我們每週更新的更多科學影片。