时差N小时 你能沉迷于巧克力吗?

As Robert Palmer sang in the mid¹ 80s,You might as well faceit, you're addicted³ to love.

80年代中期的罗伯特帕尔默曾经唱道：承认吧，你已坠入爱河。

While that may or may not be true depending on who you are, it's nosecret that addiction⁴ is a common phenomenon.

虽然，这句歌词的意思因人而异，但我们都知道，沉迷某事物或某人是个普遍现象。

Apart from serious addictions⁵ to drugs and alcohol, how many times have you heard someoneclaim that they're absolutely addicted to chocolate? Or diet Coke.

除了严重的毒瘾和酒瘾意外，你有多少次曾听到有人说他们对巧克力十分上瘾?

Or broccoli⁶? Well, maybe notbroccoli, but you get the point.

或者说无糖可乐,或是花椰菜?也许不是花椰菜,但你知道我想说的是什么。

But is it really possible to be a chocolate addict² in the same waythat someone might be addicted to drugs?

对巧克力上瘾真的会跟毒瘾一样吗?

To answer that question we need to know what addiction is.

要解答这个问题，我们需要知道什么是上瘾。

Although the precise science ofaddiction is unclear, we do know that it involves the brain; addictive⁷ substances alter brainchemistry in such a way as to make the body crave⁸ more.

虽然对上瘾还没有确切的定义，但我们都知道它跟大脑有关；上瘾的东西会以某种方式改变脑化学，从而使人体产生对该物的渴望。

But what about chocolate?

但怎么解释巧克力呢？

Several studies indicate that chocolate addiction is for real.

一些研究表明，对巧克力上瘾确实是存在的。

Chocolatecontains a number of addictive substances, including caffeine and cannabinoids, chemicals similarto the ones that make marijuana a potent⁹ drug.

巧克力包含很多容易上瘾的物质，如咖啡因、大麻类物质。

Further studies found not only that chocolatefats trigger the release of pleasure-causing substances in the brain, but that chocolate contains achemical similar to amphetamine, a highly addictive drug.

进一步研究发现，不仅巧克力脂肪能够促使大脑释放出使人体愉悦的物质，巧克力还含有一种和苯内胺很相似的化学物质。

Does this mean that anyone who eats enough chocolate will become addicted?

难道说任何吃过多巧克力的人都会上瘾吗？

No. Some peoplecan eat all the chocolate they want and never get hooked.

不是的。有些人可以想吃多少巧克力就吃多少而不上瘾。

But chocolate does cause chemicalchanges in the brain that can result in a powerful craving¹⁰.

但巧克力确实会引起大脑的化学变化，从而产生一种强烈的渴望。

Chocolate addiction is nowhere near aspotent or harmful as alcohol and drug addiction, of course.

对巧克力上瘾可不是像毒瘾和酒瘾那样对人体有害。

But if you find yourself unable to gothrough the day without at least one Hershey's Kiss, it's not just in your mind.

但如果你发现自己一天不吃上一块好时巧克力就不自在的话，不止是你脑中会这样想，

You're hooked.

而是你确实是染上巧克力瘾了。

1 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

2 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

3 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

4 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

5 addictions   

瘾( addiction的名词复数 )； 吸毒成瘾； 沉溺； 癖好

参考例句：

• He has removed the stigma of drug addictions. 他已经洗去吸毒的污点了。
• Intelligent people are good at using reason to control excessive addictions. 智慧的人善于用理性来控制过度的嗜欲。

6 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

7 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

8 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

9 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

10 craving   

n.渴望,热望

参考例句：

• a craving for chocolate 非常想吃巧克力
• She skipped normal meals to satisfy her craving for chocolate and crisps. 她不吃正餐，以便满足自己吃巧克力和炸薯片的渴望。