What Does Ecstasy 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 condemned 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 unleash 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. Overloading 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 raves, 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 secrete 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 outweigh 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 lasting 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。 |