BBC初级口语:Redheads and Pain 红发人和疼痛
Background: 红头发的人是不是更怕疼呢？美国牙科协会杂志发表的一项调查研究认为，由于人体基因的不同对红头发的人进行麻醉难度较大。出于此因红发人和金发，棕发或黑发的人比，更不愿意去看牙医。请听记者Matt McGrath的报道，他本人也是红头发。
【文本】
We redheads are well known for our fiery tempers. Now it seems there is scientific backing for our ginger whingeing as well.
Scientists in the United States studied a group of 144 dental patients almost half of whom had red hair. They found that the red-haired group were more sensitive to pain and as a result were twice as likely to avoid visiting the dentist.
Previous research had shown that gingers were more resistant to the effects of local anaesthesia than people with other hair colours.
The scientists say that this red-haired sensitivity to pain stems from the actions of a gene called MC1R. This is responsible for the production of melanin which gives skin and hair its colour. In about five percent of white people the gene is mutated leading to freckles, fair skin and red hair.
Two famous gingers
Researchers say there are some receptors of this gene in the brain and that this could affect pain sensitivity.
Professor Daniel Sessler from the Cleveland Clinic in the United States is one of the authors of the study. He says the research is a considerable scientific breakthrough.
"Red hair is the first phenotype of anaesthetic requirement in humans. And what I mean by phenotype is an external characteristic.
"So lets say you are walking down the street and you see someone who's a little older and a little younger - that tells you nothing about their anaesthetic requirement. You see a man and a woman - that tells you nothing about their anaesthetic requirement. But you see a redhead - aha! You know that person is going to require 20 percent more general anaesthesia."
From my own personal experience I would say that there is some merit to this idea. I have found that I have had to ask dentists for extra anaesthetic in the middle of procedures.
Some dentists argue that a greater sensitivity to pain might actually benefit redheads and drive them to see the dentist more quickly. In my own case I can attest that is definitely not true.
【口语突破】
fiery tempers
火爆脾气
scientific
backing
有科学依据
ginger
姜黄色
whingeing
抱怨
dental patients
牙科病人
sensitive
敏感的
resistant
抵抗
local anaesthesia
局部麻醉
stems from
由…造成的
gene
基因
melanin
黑色素
mutated
产生突变
freckles
雀斑
receptors
接收器
scientific breakthrough
科学创新发现
phenotype
表现某一显性特征之生物个体或群体
external characteristic
外部特征
general anaesthesia
全身麻醉
merit
价值，功绩
attest
证明
（版权所有,转载请注明出处）
重点单词查看全部解释resistant[ri'zistənt]想一想再看
adj. 抵抗的，反抗的
n. 抵抗者
resist抵抗，对抗+ant表形容词，“ …的”→抵抗的 sensitive['sensitiv]
想一想再看
adj. 敏感的，灵敏的，易受伤害的，感光的，善解人意的
联想记忆X单词sensitive联想记忆：sense感觉+itive表形容词，“…的”→敏感的 gene[dʒi:n]
想一想再看
n. 基因
联想记忆X单词gene联想记忆：外来语 benefit['benifit]
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n. 利益，津贴，保险金，义卖，义演
vt.
bene好，fit做－做事后的好处 considerable[kən'sidərəbl]
想一想再看
adj. 相当大的，可观的，重要的
联想记忆X单词considerable联想记忆：这次走私的数目considerable，需要好好consider dentist['dentist]
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n. 牙科医生
联想记忆X单词dentist联想记忆：dent牙齿+ist表名词，“表示信仰者，专家或从事某活动的人”→医科医生 affect[ə'fekt]
想一想再看
vt. 影响，作用，感动
联想记忆X单词affect联想记忆：af一再，fect做，力求－力求使人做－影响 breakthrough['breik.θru:]
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n. 突破
avoid[ə'vɔid]想一想再看
vt. 避免，逃避
联想记忆X单词avoid联想记忆：a朝向，void空－空城计－避开 previous['pri:vjəs]
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adj. 在 ... 之前，先，前，以前的
联想记忆X单词previous联想记忆：pne以前+vi路[引申为走]+ous→以前走过的→以前的
