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What Does Ecstasy¹ Do To Your Brain?
摇头丸会对大脑产生怎样的作用？

If you’ve read or heard the news you’ve probably heard about a drug called ecstasy, or “e” for short. Favored by users for its intensely pleasurable high, and condemned² by the government for the neurological harm it can cause, ecstasy has become the drug of choice for many.
如果你经常读报、听新闻，你大概已经听说过一种毒品，它的名字叫摇头丸，缩写为“e”。使用者支持它因为它可以带来强烈的快感，但是政府谴责它因为它会伤害人类的神经系统。摇头丸现在已经成为很多吸毒者的首选。

So just what is ecstasy, and what does it do?
什么是摇头丸？它有什么作用呢？

Ecstasy directly affects serotonin, a brain chemical involved in many functions, including regulating emotions. Happiness, for instance, is caused in part by the release of serotonin in the brain.
摇头丸直接影响人体血清素的含量。血清素是人体脑部的化学物质，它有多种作用，包括调节情绪。比如，人们感到快乐，部分原因是大脑释放了血清素。

Ecstasy forces brain cells to unleash³ all their serotonin at once, effectively flooding the brain with a substance that causes intense feelings of happiness. Ecstasy users report feeling incredibly happy and carefree for up to six hours on the strength of one pill.
摇头丸能促使脑细胞立即释放所有的血清素，让大脑里充满这种可以引起强烈快感的物质。摇头丸吸食者说，一片药丸的效力最多能持续六个小时，期间可以感受到无比的开心和畅爽。

Non-Addictive? Not True!
不会上瘾？假的！

Although advocates claim that the drug is non-addictive, in truth it is far from harmless. Overloading⁴ the brain with serotonin makes the user feel great for a while, but after all the serotonin is used up and the high wears off, depression can set in.
虽然倡导者坚称使用摇头丸不会上瘾，但事实上它跟“无害”相去甚远。大脑内过量的血清素确实会让使用者感到一时的兴奋，但是当所有的血清素都被耗尽，这种兴奋慢慢消退，抑郁感就会到来。

What’s worse, besides regulating emotions, serotonin also helps control body temperature. Since many ecstasy users attend raves⁵, or all-night dance parties, lack of temperature control can lead to dangerous overheating. And what’s even more troubling is that by forcing cells to secrete⁶ serotonin, ecstasy reshapes those cells. Because the change in shape may be permanent, some scientists fear that prolonged ecstasy use causes brain damage.
更糟糕的是，除了调节情绪，血清素还能帮助调节体温。多数摇头丸使用者会参加狂欢聚会或通宵舞会，缺少体温调节就会导致身体温度有发生过热的危险。更麻烦的是，通过迫使细胞分泌血清素，摇头丸会重塑这些细胞，这种改变可能是永久的，因此科学家担心持续使用摇头丸会导致脑损伤。

Temporary Fix
暂时过瘾

So although ecstasy may sound great, the risks really outweigh⁷ the temporary pleasures.
因此，即使摇头丸听上去很不错，但是使用它的风险远超过暂时的快感。

Want to be happy? Great. But you won’t find lasting⁸ happiness in a six hour fix.
想要开心？这很好。但是你不可能找到六个小时之外的永久快乐。