Lathering up with soap might seem like a reasonable mosquito-evasion strategy on the basis that if they can't smell you, they can't bite you.
用肥皂擦洗身体似乎是一种合理的避蚊策略,因为如果蚊子闻不到你的气味,它们就不会咬你了。
However, a study suggests that rather than helping you go incognito, soapy fragrances could make you a more attractive target.
然而,一项研究表明,肥皂的香味非但不能帮助你隐藏自己,反而会使你成为更吸引蚊子的目标。
The scientists behind the research said mosquitoes may be attracted to soap because, when they are not feeding on blood, they supplement their sugar intake with plant nectars.
进行这项研究的科学家们声称,蚊子可能会被肥皂吸引,因为当它们不以血液为食时,会用植物花蜜来补充糖分摄入。
"The fact we are taking those flowery, fruity smells and putting them on our bodies means that now the same object smells like a flower and a person at the same time," said Clément Vinauger, who led the work at Virginia Tech.
这项研究的负责人、来自弗吉尼亚理工学的克莱蒙·维纳格表示:“事实上,人们身上染上那些花香、果香,意味着现在同一个物体闻起来既像花又像人。”
"It would be like waking up and smelling something that was like both coffee and muffins. Very appealing."
“这就像一觉醒来,闻到既像咖啡又像松饼的味道。这对蚊子来说非常有吸引力。”
However, the study also noted that the effects of soaps differed somewhat between people, possibly due to interactions between the soaps and each person's unique odor profile.
不过该研究还指出,肥皂的效果在人与人之间存在差异,这可能是因为肥皂和每个人的独特气味之间产生了相互作用。
The scientists concluded that soap choice could partially explain why some people are mosquito magnets while others get off bite-free.
科学家们得出结论,肥皂的选择可以部分解释为什么有些人招蚊子,而有些人却不会被蚊子叮咬。
The study recruited four volunteers who submitted fabric samples that they had worn as a sleeve while either unwashed or after washing with four different brands of soap -- Dial, Dove, Native, and Simple Truth.
这项研究招募了四名志愿者,他们提交了未洗过的或用四种不同品牌的肥皂(Dial、Dove、Native和Simple Truth)清洗过后所穿的袖子织物样本。
Female mosquitoes -- only females feed on blood -- were observed landing on the fabric samples to give an indication of their preference.
研究人员观察了雌性蚊子--只有雌性蚊子以血液为食--落在哪些织物样品上,从而判断它们的偏好。
Fabric was used rather than exposing the volunteers themselves, to exclude the effects of exhaled carbon dioxide, which is another important cue for mosquitoes.
为了排除呼出的二氧化碳的影响(二氧化碳是影响蚊子的另一重要因素),研究使用了织物而不是直接暴露志愿者。
Washing with Dove, Dial and Simple Truth increased the attractiveness of some, but not all, volunteers, while washing with Native soap tended to repel mosquitoes.
最终,用Dove、Dial和Simple Truth牌肥皂清洗会增加部分(但不是全部)志愿者对蚊子的吸引力,而用Native牌肥皂则更驱蚊。
The relatively repellent effect of Native could be linked to its coconut scent, the scientists said, as there is some evidence that coconut oils are a natural deterrent for mosquitoes.
科学家们称,Native牌肥皂驱蚊效果相对较好可能与其椰子香味有关,因为有一些证据表明,椰子油是一种天然的驱蚊剂。