【英语时差8,16】肉毒杆菌毒素

 

In our beauty conscious culture, people will go to great lengths to improve their appearance. Liposuction, tummy tucks, silicone implants--it's all been done. But surely we wouldn't resort to injecting ourselves with a toxic¹ substance that causes botulism, would we? Of course we would, in the form of Botox injections, widely advertised as a quick, easy way to remove wrinkles and crow's-feet.   

Botox is the marketing² name given to a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin³ A. This toxin comes from the bacterium⁴ that produces the poisons responsible for causing botulism. Botulism is a form of food poisoning, the most serious symptom of which is paralysis⁵. Botulism-related toxins⁶ attach to nerve endings, where they block their ability to trigger muscle contractions⁷. If muscles can't contract, they can't move, resulting in paralysis.

 

So why would anyone risk injecting Botox into his or her body? There are legitimate⁸ medical reasons, such as treating spasms⁹ and involuntary muscle contractions. Although the paralyzing effects are not permanent, they can last up to eight months. And as long as Botox is injected directly into a particular muscle group, there's little chance that it will spread to other parts of the body.

 

As a beauty treatment, Botox does what it's meant to do: paralyze muscles. For example, injecting botox into muscle groups near the eyes will temporarily paralyze those muscles, keeping them from scrunching¹⁰ up. Consequently the wrinkles, or crow's feet, they cause temporarily disappear. In time, however, wrinkles reappear. Not even Botox can permanently¹¹ reverse the march of time.   

1 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

2 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

3 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

4 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

5 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

6 toxins   

n.毒素( toxin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
• Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 contractions   

n.收缩( contraction的名词复数 )；缩减；缩略词；（分娩时）子宫收缩

参考例句：

• Contractions are much more common in speech than in writing. 缩略词在口语里比在书写中常见得多。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Muscle contractions are powered by the chemical adenosine triphosphate(ATP ). 肌肉收缩是由化学物质三磷酸腺苷(ATP)提供动力的。 来自辞典例句

8 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

9 spasms   

n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作

参考例句：

• After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The smile died, squeezed out by spasms of anticipation and anxiety. 一阵阵预测和焦虑把她脸上的微笑挤掉了。 来自辞典例句

10 scrunching   

v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的现在分词 )；蜷缩；压；挤压

参考例句：

• Her mother was sitting bolt upright, scrunching her white cotton gloves into a ball. 她母亲坐得笔直，把她的白手套揉成了球状。 来自柯林斯例句

11 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。