研究:喝酒之人反而会延年益寿?

 　　One of the most contentious¹ issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics² Anonymous³ explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred⁴ health problems associated with drinking.

　　关于饮酒一直是人类文明长河中最具争议的话题之一，之前人们发现不喝酒的人反而寿命更短。对此戒酒无名会的官方解释是，那些参与此类实验的所谓滴酒不沾的人在戒酒以前都是酒鬼，身体早就因为酒精患上了种种不治之症。

　　资料图：研究:滴酒不沾的人寿命不会很长

　　But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely⁵ clear - abstaining⁶ from alcohol does tend to increase one's risk of dying, even when you exclude former problem drinkers. The most shocking part is abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.

　　然而，最新一期《酒精中毒临床与实验研究》刊登的文章指出，尽管原因不明，不喝酒确实会导致死亡率升高，即使不算那些之前喝酒后来戒酒的人。最让人震惊的是文章称不喝酒的人比酗酒的人早死的几率要高。

　　Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies. Moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage⁷ of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health.

　　研究显示，适量饮酒，如每日饮酒一到三杯，可降低死亡率。适当饮酒（特别是红酒）有利于增进心脏健康。

　　But why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life? Even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables - socioeconomic status, level of physical activity, number of close friends, quality of social support and so on - the researchers (a six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of the University of Texas at Austin) found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest for those who were not current drinkers, regardless of whether they used to be alcoholics, second highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers.

　　但为什么滴酒不沾的人反倒活得短呢？即便抛开所有想得到的可变因素，如社会经济地位、身体状况、好友数目、社会支持等，研究人员（由德克萨斯大学心理学家查理斯-霍拉汉带领的六人研究小组）历时20年的研究发现，不管他们以前有没有饮过酒，滴酒不沾的人死亡率是最高的，第二高时酗酒者，死亡率最低的是适度饮酒者。

　　资料图：研究:滴酒不沾的人寿命不会很长

　　One important reason is that alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health.

　　一个重要的原因是，饮酒有助于人际交往，而人际交往时保持身心健康的重要因素。

　　The authors of the new paper are careful to note that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous: it can impair⁸ your memory severely⁹ and it can lead to nonlethal falls and other mishaps¹⁰ (like, say, cheating on your spouse¹¹ in a drunken haze) that can screw up your life. So the new study provides the strongest evidence yet that moderate drinking is not only fun but good for you.

　　报告的作者也小心翼翼地指出，即使饮酒有助于长寿，其也是有危险之处的：它可以严重损害你的记忆能力、导致种种不良结果和意外发生（例如酒后出轨），从而毁掉你的生活。对于适度饮酒不仅有情趣而且有益健康，该研究提供了证据。

1 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

2 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网

3 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

4 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

5 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 abstaining   

戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的现在分词 )； 弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Abstaining from killing, from taking what is not given, & from illicIt'sex. 诸比丘！远离杀生，远离不与取，于爱欲远离邪行。
• Abstaining from arguments was also linked to an unusual daily cortisol pattern. 压抑争吵也造成每日异常的皮质醇波动。

7 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

8 impair   

v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少

参考例句：

• Loud noise can impair your hearing.巨大的噪音有损听觉。
• It can not impair the intellectual vigor of the young.这不能磨灭青年人思想活力。

9 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

10 mishaps   

n.轻微的事故，小的意外( mishap的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a series of mishaps 一连串的倒霉事
• In spite of one or two minor mishaps everything was going swimmingly. 尽管遇到了一两件小小的不幸，一切都进行得很顺利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？