時差N小時:年齡與味覺和嗅覺的關(guān)系

One of the more puzzling consequences of old age isadecreasing ability to appreciate the taste of a finemeal.

人到老年，一個令人費解的苦惱就是對美味佳肴品鑒能力的降低。

Actually,the problem is not only a matter of taste. Italso has to do with smell.

事實上，問題不單單出現(xiàn)在味道上，同時還出現(xiàn)在嗅覺上。

When we eat something, we rely on a combinedsense of taste and smell to experience flavor.

當我們吃某樣東西的時候，我們依賴融合了的味覺和嗅覺去體驗味道。

The next time you're eating fruit-flavored candy, try this.

下一次你吃水果糖時，不妨試一試。

Grab a handful of candy, close your eyes,and pick one.

抓一把糖果，閉上眼睛，隨意挑選一顆。

While pinching your nose shut, pop the candy into your mouth.

捏著鼻子把糖果放進你的嘴里。

Chances are you'll taste the tart sweetness of the candy, but you won't recognize aparticular flavor.

你可能嘗到糖果的酸甜的味道，但是你分辨不出獨有的味道。

Now let go of your nose. Presto!

現(xiàn)在讓你的鼻子自由呼吸，轉(zhuǎn)眼間，

The savory flavor of banana-grape fills your mouth.

香蕉葡萄那可口的味道布滿你的口中。

Taste is a limited sense; the taste nerves in the mouth and tongue only detect combinationsofsweet, sour, salty and bitter.

味覺是被限定的感覺，你口中和舌頭上的味覺神經(jīng)僅僅能夠分辨出酸，甜，咸，苦。

Flavors, on the other hand, vary widely, numbering in the tens of thousands.

但味道多種多樣，有上萬種之多。

When we experience these many flavors, we use our nose as much as our mouth.

當我們品嘗這些味道的時候，鼻子和嘴一樣功不可沒。

For example, when you chew a piece of candy, you inhale the candy's chemicals through yourmouth and exhale them through your nose.

舉個例子來說，當你嚼一塊兒糖，你用嘴來吸收它們的化學成分，再用鼻子釋放出來。

As they pass through the nose, the chemicals triggerreceptors that send smell and flavorsignals to the brain.

當她們通過你鼻子的時候，這些化學成分激發(fā)受體，把嗅覺和味道的信號發(fā)送給大腦。

The body tends to break down in old age, and taste and flavor receptors are no exception.

到了老年，身體衰退，當然，味覺和味道受體也不可幸免。

Although taste buds in the mouth tend to lose some sensitivity, it is the decrease in thenumber ofactive flavor receptors in the nose that make it more difficult for elderly diners totruly savor anexquisite meal.

口中的味蕾慢慢失去一些敏感性，鼻子中那些活躍的味道受體的減退讓老年人更加困難地去享受精致佳肴。