你還能記得小學(xué)時(shí)候,當(dāng)你坐在餐桌邊剛喝了一大口牛奶時(shí)別人講了一個(gè)笑話時(shí)的情況嗎?
As you laughed milk spurted out yournose andsprayed everyone around you.
當(dāng)你被逗笑時(shí),牛奶從你的鼻孔噴出、灑了你周圍人一身。
Now that's entertainment.
現(xiàn)在想想這確實(shí)是很好玩的。
But why does this happen?
但是為什么會(huì)發(fā)生牛奶噴出的事情?
Here's how it works.
其中的原因是這樣的。
In our head we have nasal passages,which allow air to go to our lungs, andan oral cavity, through which air also gets to the lungs,and food and drink get to the stomach.
我們的頭部有鼻腔以供空氣通過直達(dá)肺部,而頭部的口腔也可供空氣通過進(jìn)入肺部、并可供食物和液體通過進(jìn)入胃部。
These spaces are separated by the hard and soft palates, located on the top part of themouthand throat.
鼻道和食道是通過嘴和喉嚨最里面的硬腭和軟腭部分分開。
The hard palate has a bony plate and is near the front of the mouth.
硬腭在位于嘴前部的位置有一個(gè)骨板。
As the palatecontinues towards the back of the mouth muscle replaces bone, creating a softerarea.
這個(gè)硬腭一直延伸到嘴部肌肉的后端,這時(shí)骨板部分逐漸被軟組織替代。
Hanging from the end of the soft palate is the uvula, the thing at the back of your throatthatlooks like a miniature punching bag.
從軟腭部分垂下來的即是小舌,這個(gè)器官在喉嚨的后端,外形象一個(gè)小型的吊袋。
When we breathe with our mouths closed, air enters thenostrils and passes over the soft palateand uvula on its way to the lungs.
當(dāng)我們閉上嘴呼吸時(shí),空氣經(jīng)過鼻孔、軟腭和小舌直達(dá)肺部。
As this happens, theuvula hangs down.
在這種情況下,小舌處于下垂?fàn)顟B(tài)。
But when we're eating, drinking and swallowing, a reflex causes the soft palate and uvulatoelevate and close off the nasal opening at the back of the throat so that what we'reswallowingdoesn't go up our nose.
當(dāng)我們進(jìn)食、喝水或下咽食品時(shí),生理反射作用促使軟腭和小舌抬起以關(guān)閉喉嚨里端的鼻腔,這樣我們吞咽食物時(shí)食物就不會(huì)到達(dá)鼻腔里。
Laughing causes us to exhale, which means that the soft palate and uvula drop intotheirbreathing position.
發(fā)笑使我們放松,這就意味著軟腭和小舌回到呼吸時(shí)的位置。
So if you laugh while drinking, the liquid shoots up into your unsealed nasalpassage and outyour nostrils.
所以如果你在喝水時(shí)發(fā)笑,液體就會(huì)沖向沒有關(guān)閉上的鼻腔,然后從鼻孔噴出。