British researchers have said they were stunned to discover that people get more of a buzz from eating chocolate than passionately kissing their lovers.
"These results really surprised and intrigued us," said psychologist David Lewis, who led a study that recorded brain activity and heart rate from volunteers who tasted pieces of dark chocolate or kissed their partners.
"There is no doubt that chocolate beats kissing hands down when it comes to providing a long-lasting body and brain buzz — a buzz that, in many cases, lasted four times as long as the most passionate kiss."
PHOTO: AP
While researchers expected chocolate, especially dark chocolate, to raise heart rates, he said, "both the length of this increase together with the powerful effects it had on the mind were something none of us had anticipated."
The 12 volunteers, all aged in their 20s, wore heart monitors and had electrodes attached to their heads as each placed a piece of dark chocolate on the tongue and, without chewing, indicated when it started to melt.
Couples were later invited to kiss each other in the same way as they would do normally.
The study found that — at the point chocolate melts in the mouth — all areas of the brain are stimulated far more intensely and for longer than from kissing.
Chocolate also made the heart beat faster, according to the study supervised by Lewis, formerly a University of Sussex psychologist who now runs a private research company called The Mind Lab.
Some people saw the number of heart beats per minute rise from a resting rate of about 60 to as high as 140. Kissing also made the couples' hearts pound, but not for as long.
Both sexes showed the same responses in the tests. (afp)
英國研究員表示,他們很驚訝地發現,人們吃巧克力所得到的歡愉比熱吻還多。
心理學家大衛.路易斯說︰「研究結果真的讓我們既驚喜又好奇。」他是這項研究的領導者,記錄志願者品嚐黑巧克力塊或接吻時的大腦活動與心跳頻率。
「就身體與大腦的愉悅持久度來看,巧克力無疑打敗接吻。許多例子中,這種愉悅感持久的時間是熱情接吻的四倍。」
他說,研究人員原本就預期巧克力會讓心跳加速,尤其是黑巧克力,但是「心跳加速所持續的時間與強大的心理效果,都超乎我們意料之外。」
十二位受訪者的年齡都界於二十至三十歲間,他們戴上心跳監測器,頭部貼著電極片,每個人舌上放一塊黑巧克力,不能咬,等巧克力開始溶化。
情侶們隨後應邀如往常一般接吻。
研究發現,巧克力在嘴裡溶化時,大腦各部位所受的刺激要比接吻更激烈也更持久。
路易斯指導的研究發現,巧克力也會讓心跳加速。大衛.路易斯曾任賽薩克斯大學的心理學教授,目前經營一家名為「心理實驗室」的私人研究機構。
有些人每分鐘的心跳數更從平靜時的六十下跳到一百四十下。接吻也會讓情侶內心如小鹿亂撞,但沒有那麼持久。
測驗時,男女兩性的反應雷同。 (法新社/翻譯︰賴美君)
SAY WHAT? 說說看
buzz 愉悅
In the article buzz is used to describe an elated feeling. Buzz also has other uses in English. If you ask somebody, "What's the buzz?" then you want to know what the latest news and gossip is. Buzz can also be used to describe making a phone call. "When I find out what time the show starts I'll give you a buzz." It can also be used to describe the button and action of a door intercom system. "When you get here just press the buzzer and I'll buzz you up."
If you want someone to go away you could say "buzz off." Remember, this should only be used with friends or children.
在本文中,「buzz」是用來描述一種興高采烈的感覺。「buzz」在英文中還有別的意思。假如你問某人「what's the buzz?」,你希望得知最新的消息與八卦。「buzz」也可以意指一通電話。例如︰「等我得知那場秀開演的時間,就會致電給你」。「buzz」也可以用來描述大門對講機的按鍵與動作,如︰「等你到了,只要按門鈴(buzzer),我就會開門讓你上來」。
假如你希望某人離開,你就可以說「buzz off」。但要記住,這用法只能用在朋友或孩子身上。
OUT LOUD 對話練習
Claire: Did you read about that study about chocolate and kissing?
Matt: I sure did. I'm not sure I believe them though.
Claire: Why ever not?
Matt: Well, I'm pretty confident that my kissing is A1!
Claire: Yes, dear. Now, do you think you could pick me up a nice bar of chocolate when you go down to the shop?
克萊兒︰你讀到了有關巧克力與接吻的那篇研究報告嗎?
麥特︰當然。不過我不太信這一套。
克萊兒︰為什麼不信呢?
麥特︰我很有自信,我的吻功蓋世!
克萊兒︰是啊,親愛的。那麼待會你下樓買東西時,可不可以幫我買一條好吃的巧克力?
A1 一流,蓋世
You can say that something is A1 if you think that it is the best. For example "This motorbike helmet is top of the line, it's A1. I'll definitely buy one when I get paid."
假如你認為某樣東西是最好的,你就可以說它是「A1」。例如︰「這款機車安全帽的設計走在時代尖端,是一流極品。發薪時我一定會買一頂」。
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but