时差N小时 我们为何要接吻(下)

Nobody knows for sure. But some scientists think that kissing might help us assess a partner's immune system.

没有人知道确切原因。有科学家推测，接吻可帮助我们获得对方免疫系统的信息。

When people kiss, they come close enough to sample the scent¹ of each other's bodies. And that scent may contain clues to immune system compatibility.

人们接吻时，亲密的距离会让彼此感受到对方身体的气味。这些气味中包含着免疫系统兼容性的线索。

But why is that important? Because parents with complementary immune systems have children with a stronger ability to resist disease.

不过，这一点为何如此重要呢？因为父母具有互补性免疫系统，孩子也更容易抵抗疾病。

Now I see, children that are better at resisting disease are more likely to survive to have their own children.

现在我明白了，那些免疫力更强的孩子生存下来的几率与孕育出健康后代的几率更大。

Evolution will favor those who choose partners with compatible immune systems over those who don't, even if they don't even know that they are doing it.

人类的进化更偏向于那些具有兼容性免疫系统的伴侣，即使他们不了解自己的行为。

Yes. And it's possible that exchanging saliva² may provide other chemical clues to genetic³ compatibility too.

是的。交换唾液或许也提供了一些基因兼容所需的其它化学物质的线索。

So, then I guess kissing really is about chemistry!

所以说，接吻还真的是一场化学反应。

1 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

2 saliva   

n.唾液，口水

参考例句：

• He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。
• Saliva dribbled from the baby's mouth.唾液从婴儿的嘴里流了出来。

3 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。