英语听力文摘 English Digest 248、猫薄荷
时间：2019-03-09 作者：英语课 分类：英语听力文摘 English Digest
Catnip
猫薄荷是一种草本植物，闻上去非常清凉，是一种可以让猫咪疯狂和开心的植物，所以被广大猫友戏称为“猫毒品”。猫薄荷，Nepeta cataria，为唇形科荆芥属的植物，茎直立多分枝，茎叶有白色绒毛，穗状花。花期夏季。在医学上，该植物有兴奋的作用，并含有铁，硒，钾，锰，铬等矿物质和维生素。猫对该植物的反应特别强烈，当猫闻吸了猫薄荷之后，会兴奋不已，上窜下跳，产生许多古怪的行为，猫薄荷因此得名。猫薄荷对猫的健康对猫的健康有实际帮助吗？猫薄荷的作用很短暂，既不会令猫咪上瘾，也不会有副作用。猫食用后会产生暂时性（5-15分钟）的行为变化，例如会打喷嚏、咀嚼、摩擦、翻滚、喵喵叫、发谵语等。有些猫吃了猫薄荷之后会追逐幻想中的老鼠、有些则呆坐着空茫地瞪着眼，这些行为并不会造成任何危害，也不具成瘾性。在猫食欲和精神不振时，让其闻闻猫薄荷有利于猫恢复健康；但不可频繁地给猫使用。
It induces euphoria, and excites the sexual regions of the brain. It is quite possibly hallucinogenic. What is it? Find out on this Moment of Science.
It induces euphoria, and excites the sexual regions of the brain. It is quite possibly hallucinogenic. It leads to strange, unpredictable, and unproductive behavior in those who use it. What’s more, it grows wild, much as a weed. Is this the latest menace to society? No, it’s catnip.
The catnip plant is actually an herb, and a relatively 1 common member of the mint family. If kitties ever decided 2 to have a war on drugs, catnip would be outlawed 3 because of a chemical called “nepetalactone(荆芥内酯).”
Lactones(内酯) carry chemical messages inside a body, and nepetalactone carries it’s message straight to the pleasure center of a cat’s brain, where it can randomly 4 excite the cat’s neural 5 circuits associated with sex, playing, hunting, and feeding.
Although a cat may try to eat catnip or a catnip toy, it is only the smell of catnip that transfers the drug to a cat’s brain, not the actual ingestion. This is why a small amount of catnip inside a toy can make a cat happy again and again. It’s also why a cat will sometimes be more interested in the cardboard box that a catnip toy came in than the actual toy–the cardboard might carry more of the smell.
If your cat seems unaffected by catnip, don’t worry. A cat’s sensitivity to catnip is genetically 6 determined 7, and some don’t respond at all.
译文：
猫薄荷
它能引起快感，刺激大脑的性区域，引起幻觉。使用它的人可能产生奇怪，出乎意料的，不明智的举动。更重要的是它和杂草一样是野生的。这是对社会的最新威胁吗？不，它是猫薄荷。
猫薄荷实际上是一种药草，是薄荷家族中常见的一员。如果猫咪们决定来一次反毒品大战，那么猫薄荷将会被认定为非法药物，因为它含有一种叫做荆芥内酯的化学物质。
内酯在身体内传送化学信息，荆芥内酯则直接将信息传入猫脑的“快乐中枢”，在那里可以随意刺激猫与性欲，玩耍，捕猎以及喂养有关的神经环路。
尽管猫会尝试吃掉猫薄荷或者猫薄荷玩具，但这仅仅是猫薄荷的气味将药物传输至猫的大脑中，并不是实际的摄取。这就是为什么玩具里的一小点猫薄荷就能让猫不停地兴奋。这也是为什么猫有时会对装猫薄荷玩具的箱子而不是猫薄荷玩具更感兴趣，因为箱子可能有更多的气味。
如果你的猫不受猫薄荷的影响，不用担心。猫对猫薄荷的敏感度是由其基因决定的，有些根本毫无反应。
Notes:
hallucinogenic [h?,lu:sin?'d?enik] adj.引起幻觉的；迷幻药的
Hashish: Hallucinogenic drug preparation derived 8 from resin 9 from the flowers of hemp 10 plants.
哈希什：从大麻植物的花提取的树脂，再从中提取出的迷幻药。
- The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
- The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
- Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
- I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。
- Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
- Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句
- The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
- The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。
- All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
- Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物
- I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
- He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
- Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- This allyl type resin is a highly transparent, colourless material.这种烯丙基型的树脂是一种高度透明的、无色材料。
- This is referred to as a thixotropic property of the resin.这种特性叫做树脂的触变性。