評論
打印
Is sugar the world's most popular drug?
糖是世界上最受歡迎的毒藥？
It eases pain, seems to be addictive and shows every sign of causing long-term health problems. Is it time to quit sugar for good?
它能減輕疼痛，好像還會上癮，而且有引起長期健康問題的各種跡象。是時候永遠禁糖了嗎？
Imagine a drug that can intoxicate us, can infuse us with energy and can be taken by mouth. It doesn't have to be injected, smoked, or snorted for us to experience its sublime and soothing effects. Imagine that it mixes well with virtually every food and particularly liquids, and that when given to infants it provokes a feeling of pleasure so profound and intense that its pursuit becomes a driving force throughout their lives.
想象一下，有一種藥物可以令我們沉醉，給我們注入能量，并且可以口服。它不需要注射、吸或噴鼻便能令我們體驗到它那令人稱贊的舒緩效果。想象一下，它能夠與幾乎所有的食物，尤其是液體混合得很好，當給嬰兒食用時它能夠激發出一種深刻而強烈的愉悅感，以至于對它的追求成為了他們一生的動力。
Could the taste of sugar on the tongue be a kind of intoxication? What about the possibility that sugar itself is an intoxicant, a drug? Overconsumption of this drug may have long-term side-effects, but there are none in the short term – no staggering or dizziness, no slurring of speech, no passing out or drifting away, no heart palpitations or respiratory distress. When it is given to children, its effects may be only more extreme variations on the apparently natural emotional rollercoaster of childhood, from the initial intoxication to the tantrums and whining of what may or may not be withdrawal a few hours later. More than anything, it makes children happy, at least for the period during which they're consuming it. It calms their distress, eases their pain, focuses their attention and leaves them excited and full of joy until the dose wears off. The only downside is that children will come to expect another dose, perhaps to demand it, on a regular basis.
糖在舌頭上的味道是一種中毒的反映嗎？糖本身會不會就是一種麻醉劑、一種毒品？長期過量服用這款毒藥可能會有副作用，但短期不會——不會令人暈眩、口齒不清、迷糊、心悸或呼吸困難。當給孩子使用時，它的影響可能只是令童年原本很自然的情感過山車變化得更加極端，從最初的陶醉到發脾氣并抱怨，有的幾個小時后就停止了，有的幾個小時后還在發作。最重要的是，它能讓孩子們開心，至少在他們吃糖的時候是這樣。在藥效消失之前，它能緩解他們的痛苦，集中他們的注意力，讓他們興奮并充滿喜悅。唯一的缺點就是，孩子們會對下一顆有所期待，可能還會要求定期服用。
How long would it be before parents took to using our imaginary drug to calm their children when necessary, to alleviate discomfort, to prevent outbursts of unhappiness or to distract attention? And once the drug became identified with pleasure, how long before it was used to celebrate birthdays, a football game, good grades at school? How long before no gathering of family and friends was complete without it, before major holidays and celebrations were defined in part by the use of this drug to assure pleasure? How long would it be before the underprivileged of the world would happily spend what little money they had on this drug rather than on nutritious meals for their families?
在父母們不得不拿這種藥來安撫孩子、緩解他們的不適、防止不愉快的爆發或者分散他們的注意力之前能有多長時間？一旦這種藥物被認定為快樂，那么距離它被用來慶祝生日、足球比賽、在學校取得好成績之前有多長時間？在任何家庭聚會和朋友聚會都離不開它、重大節日和慶祝活動在一定程度上被定義為必須使用這種藥物來確保快樂之前能有多久？在世界上的窮人愿意把他們僅有的一點錢花在這款藥物上而非為他們的家人買營養餐之前有多久？
