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科普阅读:求欢被拒的苍蝇借酒浇愁

来源:译言 编辑:Richard   可可英语APP下载 |  可可官方微信:ikekenet

You know the scene—it’s a Friday night, and your date just canceled. You’re bummed, maybe a little hurt. You think now might be a good time for a beer, maybe a bourbon. And you have good company: fruit flies. Turns out that sexually deprived male fruit flies hit the bottle more frequently than sexually satisfied ones.

这个场景你应该很熟悉:星期五晚上,你的约会计划泡汤了。你感到心烦意乱,可能还有点儿受伤。这个时候如果能喝上一瓶啤酒或者威士忌,对你来说再合适不过了。要知道,还有另外一种生物和你一样:果蝇。有人发现,求欢被拒绝的雄性果蝇,比那些琴瑟和鸣的果蝇更喜欢饮酒。
Researchers placed one group of males repeatedly in a container with females who’d already mated. Those females were no longer receptive to sex. So the males learned to stop trying.
研究人员将一组雄性果蝇反复放进一个容器,和那些已经有过交配行为的雌性共处一室。那些雌性果蝇已不再接受交配的要求,于是雄性们只得学着断了念想。
The scientists placed another group with virgin females, who were receptive. Then they offered the two groups of males a choice of food. One choice was supplemented with ethanol. And the sexually frustrated flies dove for the drink in significantly greater numbers.
科学家们又把另一组雄性果蝇和未发生过性行为、仍然处于接受交配状态的雌性果蝇放在一起。随后,他们让这两组雄性果蝇选择食物。其中一种食物里含有酒精,而那些求偶失败的果蝇们,有大量都一头扎进这种食物里吮吸。
This behavior was also predicted by a particular neuropeptide in the flies’ brains. The sexually deprived flies had a low level of the molecule. The scientists found they could moderate the flies’ alcohol-seeking behavior just by upping this molecule. The research was published in the journal Science.
而这一行为,同样通过对果蝇大脑中一种神经肽的研究而预测出来。求偶失败的果蝇体内的分子水平较低,而科学家发现,通过提高分子水平,可以调节果蝇的寻酒行为。这一研究发表于《科学》杂志上。
The finding could help explain how addiction may be determined both by the brain and by social conditions—especially when those are tough to swallow.
这一发现也许会有助于解释,成瘾现象是怎样被大脑和外部社会环境同时决定的——特别是那些看上去本不容易沉迷的物种。

重点单词   查看全部解释    
particular [pə'tikjulə]

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adj. 特殊的,特别的,特定的,挑剔的
n.

联想记忆
receptive [ri'septiv]

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adj. 接收能力强的,愿意接受的,感官的

联想记忆
determined [di'tə:mind]

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adj. 坚毅的,下定决心的

 
moderate ['mɔdəreit,'mɔdərit]

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adj. 适度的,稳健的,温和的,中等的
v.

联想记忆
molecule ['mɔlikju:l]

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n. 分子

 
social ['səuʃəl]

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adj. 社会的,社交的
n. 社交聚会

 
swallow ['swɔləu]

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n. 燕子,吞咽,一次吞咽的量
vt. 吞下,

联想记忆
scene [si:n]

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n. 场,景,情景

 
container [kən'teinə]

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n. 容器,集装箱

 
addiction [ə'dikʃən]

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n. 沉溺,上瘾

 


关键字: 阅读 科普 求欢 苍蝇

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