Unravelling the mystery of autobrewery syndrome
解開「自動釀酒綜合症」之謎
Auto-Brewery Syndrome (ABS), is a largely mysterious condition that raises the levels of alcohol in the blood and produces the symptoms of alcohol intoxication in patients, even when they have had minimal or no alcohol intake. It can lead them to fail breathalyser tests, and brings social and legal consequences for sufferers.
自動釀酒綜合症 (ABS) 是一種非常神秘的疾病，它會在患者只攝入了很少量甚至沒有攝入酒精的情況下，提高其血液中的酒精含量，並使患者出現酒精中毒的癥狀。該病症會導致患者無法通過呼氣酒精測試，給他們帶來社會和法律後果。
But this unusual phenomenon is also highly controversial, not least because its exact cause is still poorly understood.
但這種不尋常的現象也引起了很大的爭議，尤其是因為人們對它產生的確切原因仍然知之甚少。
One suggested mechanism underlying the condition revolves around imbalances in gut microbes, which lead to overgrowth of certain microbes that later, under particular conditions, ferment a high-carbohydrate meal into alcohol. But what might be triggering this sudden and dramatic change in the microorganisms living inside our bodies that in the right circumstances leads to ABS?
有一種身體機制可能是導致該病症的深層原因，其核心問題是腸道微生物失衡，導致腸道內某些微生物過度繁殖，進而在一定條件下，將高碳水化合物食物發酵成酒精。但是，究竟是什麼可能會引起我們體內微生物急劇變化，以致於在一定條件下引發自動釀酒綜合症呢？
The first reported cases of this syndrome appeared in Japan as early as the 1950s.
早在20世紀50年代，日本就報告了第一例自動釀酒綜合症的病例。
A medical report of two cases from 1984 highlighted another culprit – yeasts living in the patients' digestive tracts. More recently, other studies have revealed it often takes a combination of factors to increase the risk of ABS. A number of alcohol-producing fungi and bacteria can lead to overproduction of alcohol.
1984年的一份醫學報告根據兩例自動釀酒綜合症病例研究，指出了另一個致病因素就是患者消化道中的酵母菌。最近，也有其他研究表明，自動釀酒綜合症的患病風險加大，通常是多重因素疊加的結果。會產生酒精的多種真菌和細菌結合到一起，最終會導致人體內酒精產生過量。
V. FAQ
Mat老師在今天的答疑環節中，講解了 reckon 與 believe 的區別。
歡迎同學們把筆記分享到留言區~
應版權方要求，此內容僅對英國以外地區開放。
生詞好句
1.unravel
英 [ʌnˈrævəl] 美 [ʌnˈrævəl]
v. to understand something difficult or complex by thinking about it for a long time. If you unravel a mystery – you think about it, you solve it, you understand it.
拓展:
Police are trying to unravel the mystery of the missing diamonds.
警方正在儘力破解鑽石失蹤案。
Scientists have unravelled the mystery of the new star.
科學家們已經揭開了這顆新恆星的奧秘。
2.minimal
英 [ˈmɪnɪml] 美 [ˈmɪnəml]
adj. very small – as small as possible, the smallest amount we can have.
拓展:
The data has only increased by a minimal amount.
數據只增加了很小的一部分。
The material is slowly warmed, using only a minimal amount of heat.
這種材料只需要極少量的熱量，就能夠慢慢升溫。
3.intake
英 [ˈɪnteɪk] 美 [ˈɪnteɪk]
n. the amount of something that you eat or drink
拓展:
You should reduce your sugar and junk food intake.
你應該減少糖分攝入量，減少食用垃圾食品。
What is your daily intake of calories?
你每天飲食攝入多少卡路里？
4.consequence
英 [ˈkɒnsɪkwəns] 美 [ˈkɑːnsəkwəns]
n. the result or results or effects of something. We often use it with "serious"—there will be serious consequences (meaning bad results).
拓展:
Eating too much junk food can have serious consequences.
吃太多垃圾食品會嚴重影響健康。
The computer problem led to serious consequences for the company.
電腦故障給這家公司帶來了嚴重的後果。
5.phenomenon
英 [fəˈnɒmɪnən] 美 [fəˈnɑːmənɑːn]
n. an event or situation that can be seen to exist or we know it happens. We often use it with common to mean a common situation, something that happens a lot, frequently or commonly.
拓展:
Obesity is now a common phenomenon in many countries.
如今，肥胖在許多國家都是一種普遍現象。
Online shopping is a very common phenomenon all around the world.
網上購物在全世界都是一種非常普遍的現象。
6.controversial
英 [ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃl] 美 [ˌkɑːntrəˈvɜrːʃl]
adj. If something is controversial, people have different opinions about it. Some people think it's good, some people think it's bad.
拓展:
The controversial plan to build a new airport—some people like this plan, other people dislike the plan.
建造新機場的的計劃引發了爭議——一些人喜歡這個計劃，另一些人不喜歡。
The controversial new law about cycling in public parks—some people like the law, other people don't like this new law.
關於在公園騎自行車的新法律引發了爭議——一些人支持這項法律，另一些人不支持。
7.revolve around
One thing can revolve around another thing.
拓展:
His life revolves around football.
他的生活圍著足球轉。
Most of his books revolve around history.
他的書大多是關於歷史的。
8.overgrowth
英 [ˌəʊvəˈɡrəʊθ] 美 [ˌoʊvərˈɡroʊθ]
n. Overgrowth means too much growth, something has grown too much.
9.culprit
英 [ˈkʌlprɪt] 美 [ˈkʌlprɪt]
n. someone or something who has done something wrong. If we use it for a thing, it means something causing a problem.
拓展:
My washing machine has been making a very strange noise recently. But I found the culprit. It was a small coin inside the machine making that noise.
我的洗衣機最近一直發出很奇怪的聲音。我找到了罪魁禍首，那聲音是機器里的一枚小硬幣發出的。
There is something really smelly in my fridge. I think the culprit is this old piece of cheese.
我冰箱里有東西特別臭。我認為罪魁禍首是這塊放了很久的乳酪。
10.a combination of factors
This expression means many things, many causes, many different things together—cause a situation.
拓展:
Why did we lose that football game? I think it was because of a combination of factors, not just one reason.
我們為什麼輸了那場足球賽?我認為這是多因素共同作用的結果，而不僅僅是一個原因。
His success in business was a result of a combination of factors.
他在商業上的成功是多種因素綜合作用的結果。
