英语听力文摘 English Digest 494、烟酒不分家？

Drinking and Smoking
烟酒不分家？

Scientists have long been aware of the link between drinking and smoking. In fact, eighty to ninety percent of alcoholics also smoke, which is about three times the rate in the general population. But a recent study suggests that what you’re dealing² with isn’t just behavioral–it also has to do with brain chemistry.

The study suggests that alcohol¹ increases the pleasurable effects of nicotine³. Participants drank an alcoholicbeverage and smoked either a regular cigarette or a nicotine free one. Those who smoked nicotine-free cigarettes didn’t report as much satisfaction, which indicates that the nicotine itself plays a critical role in the interaction.

And then there’s all that lowering of inhibitions that happens when you drink.  It doesn’t take much alcohol to increase the pleasures of nicotine. Once scientists get to the bottom of the pharmacological interaction that happens between alcohol and nicotine, they may have a better understanding of how to treat both addictions⁴ more effectively.

科学家们长期以来一直在研究喝酒和抽烟之间的联系。事实上，在那些喝酒的人当中，80%到90%都抽烟，这个比率是总人数的3倍。但最近有研究称这不仅与人的行为有关，而且与大脑化学反应也有一定关系。

这项研究表明酒精可以增强尼古丁令人愉快的效果。参与者喝一杯酒精饮料后再抽一支烟或者抽一支不含尼古丁的香烟。那些抽没有尼古丁香烟的人并没有感受到满足感，由此表明尼古丁在相互影响时自身起到关键性作用。

如果喝酒的话就会降低抑制作用。只需少量的酒精就能增加尼抽烟的的快感。曾经有科学家弄清酒精和尼古丁之间药物影响的真相，这让他们更好的了解如何有效地治疗酗酒和吸烟上瘾的人。


Notes：
get to the bottom of  弄清 ... 的真相

eg:
The police are eager to get to the bottom of this mystery. 
警方急切地想弄清这一神秘事件的真相。

 

1 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。

4 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。