Winter is coming, and we've all been told to put on a jacket outside, or you'll catch a cold. Of course, the common response of today has become, "Don't be silly. Being cold can't give you a cold." Or can it? Who wins in this battle of the beliefs?
冬天就要來了，而我們都被說過出門要加件外套，不然就會感冒。當然，現在最常見的回答已經變成：「別傻了。天氣冷並不會讓你著涼感冒。」還是那其實會？在這場意見之爭中誰會是贏家？
The correlation between cold weather and sickness does stand out: Between five to 20 percent of Americans catch a cold or flu every year around late fall and winter. Not to mention, it's called "a cold." But there are some important things to consider. First and foremost, colds and the flu are caused by viruses. If there aren't any around, you won't catch a cold—no matter how cold you get. It's as simple as that.
冷天氣和疾病間的關聯確實很明顯：百分之五到二十間的美國人每年在晚秋和冬天之際染上感冒或流感。更不用提感冒叫作「著涼」了。不過有些重要的事要考慮。首先，感冒和流感是病毒引起的。如果身邊沒有任何病毒，你就不會得到感冒－－無論你有多冷。就是那麼簡單。
So why the correlation with decreasing temperatures? Well, for one, people tend to stay indoors much more often during the winter, which in turn puts them in contact with more people. More people means more exposure opportunities for the pathogens to spread. On top of this, humidity plays a role in the spread of some viruses. As the humidity decreases in the winter, not only does the virus spread more readily, but the mucus in your nose dries out—mucus, which would otherwise act as a protective barrier to pathogens. Finally, the lack of vitamin D which we get from the sun can affect our immune system adversely. Both being inside more often and the fact that winter has shorter days makes this a big factor for your health. So you've proven your parents wrong, right? Not so fast.
那為什麼和溫度下降有關呢？這個嘛，其中一個原因，人們冬天時比較容易常宅在室內，因而讓他們接觸到更多人。越多人代表越多讓病原體擴散的接觸機會。除此之外，濕度對某些病毒的傳播也有影響。當濕度在冬天下降時，不只病毒會傳播得更快，你鼻子中的黏液也會乾掉－－鼻黏液，那本來會當作防禦病原體的保護屏障。最後，缺乏從太陽獲取的維他命 D 可能會對我們的免疫系統造成不利影響。較常待在室內和冬天白天較短都讓這成為影響你的健康的一大因素。所以你已經證實爸媽錯了，對吧？別那麼急。
While some past studies have shown no correlation to temperature, recent evidence suggest otherwise. One study which put test subjects' feet into ice water found that they were, indeed, more likely to develop common cold symptoms in the following days than those who didn't. The developing hypothesis behind these results is that the cold temperatures cause blood vessel constriction, which slows the white blood cells from reaching the virus, ultimately inhibiting the immune response. Cortisol levels, which suppress the immune system, are also increased with temperature-induced stress. Furthermore, studies on both mice and human airway cells found that immune reaction to the common cold virus is, in fact, temperature dependent. Warm infected cells are more likely to undergo programmed cell death to limit the spread of infection.
儘管過去一些研究顯示和溫度無關，近來的證據卻顯示不同結果。一個將試驗對象的腳放進冰水的研究發現他們在接下來幾天確實比較容易得到普通感冒症狀，相較於那些腳沒放進冰水的人。這些結果背後形成的假說是低溫造成血管收縮，那減緩白血球抵達病毒的速度，最終抑制了免疫反應。皮質醇數量，皮質醇是抑制免疫系統的荷爾蒙，那也會伴隨氣溫造成的壓力增加。此外，對老鼠和人體氣道細胞所做的研究發現針對普通感冒病毒產生的免疫反應事實上取決於氣溫。溫暖的受感染細胞比較可能經歷程序性的細胞凋亡來限制感染擴散。
Finally, studies of the virus itself have revealed a secret weapon of sorts. In winter temperatures, the virus's outer layer, or envelope, becomes much harder and acts like a shield. This allows it to spread from person to person much more easily. But at warm temperatures, this layer is more of a gel, which is not quite tough enough to protect the virus against the elements. As a result, its spreading ability is compromised.
最後，一些對病毒本身的研究揭開了一種算是祕密武器的東西。在冬天的氣溫下，病毒的外層，或稱套膜，變硬許多並且有像是盾牌的作用。這讓病毒更容易在人與人之間傳播。不過在溫暖的溫度下，這一個外層比較像是膠狀，那硬度不太夠保護病毒對抗外在因素。因此，它的傳播能力就被削弱了。
So, maybe your parents weren't so wrong after all. A happy compromise of going outside more often, bundled up, is likely to get you through the winter unscathed.
那麼，或許你的爸媽說到底也沒錯得太離譜。為了能更常去戶外的開心折衷辦法，穿暖和點，那可能會讓你健健康康度過冬天。
- 「穿上」- Put On
Winter is coming, and we've all been told to put on a jacket outside, or you'll catch a cold.
冬天就要來了，而我們都被說過出門要加件外套，不然就會感冒。 - 「突出、顯著」- Stand Out
The correlation between cold weather and sickness does stand out...
冷天氣和疾病間的關聯確實很明顯... - 「首先、第一、最主要的」- First And Foremost
First and foremost, colds and the flu are caused by viruses.
首先，感冒和流感是病毒引起的。 - 「傾向、易於」- Tend To
Well, for one, people tend to stay indoors much more often during the winter, which in turn puts them in contact with more people.
這個嘛，其中一個原因，人們冬天時比較容易常宅在室內，因而讓他們接觸到更多人。 - 「因此、因而」- In Turn
Well, for one, people tend to stay indoors much more often during the winter, which in turn puts them in contact with more people.
這個嘛，其中一個原因，人們冬天時比較容易常宅在室內，因而讓他們接觸到更多人。 - 「除...之外」- On Top Of Something
On top of this, humidity plays a role in the spread of some viruses.
除此之外，濕度對某些病毒的傳播也有影響。 - 「因此」- As A Result
As a result, its spreading ability is compromised.
因此，它的傳播能力就被削弱了。 - 「畢竟、終究」- After All
So, maybe your parents weren't so wrong after all.
那麼，或許你的爸媽說到底也沒錯得太離譜。
