Poison vs. venom: What's the difference? - Rose Eveleth

毒液 VS 毒物: 这有区别吗? - Rose Eveleth

翻译人员: Frank Chen 校对人员: Ying Wang

Would you rather be bitten

你想要被毒蛇 咬一口，

by a venomous snake or touch a poisonous frog?

还是想要摸一下毒蛙？

Wait, what's the difference

等等, 这两者有什么区别？

between poison and venom, anyway?

都是有毒的，不是么？

Let's say you have the misfortune

假如你杯具的让一条有毒的响尾蛇咬到了，

to be bitten by a venomous rattlesnake.

假如你杯具的让一条有毒的响尾蛇咬到了，

When it bites you,

它张口咬你的时候，

the snake will eject venom

毒液将会从蛇的眼睛后面的毒囊里

from little sacks behind its eyes,

毒液将会从蛇的眼睛后面的毒囊里

through its hollow fangs and into your flesh.

通过中空的毒牙进入到你的肌肉里

That venom will then travel through your bloodstream

然后毒液会随着你的血液循环流动

and all over your body.

直到全身

In most cases, snake venom contains neurotoxins,

大多数情况下，蛇的毒液含有神经毒素，

proteins that can do all sorts of nasty stuff

里面包的蛋白质能产生许多让人讨厌的事情

like make your muscles fire uncontrollably,

比如令你的肌肉抽搐

burst your blood cells,

或者令你的血细胞破裂，

and make you go completely numb.

最后甚至会令你全身彻底麻木

But you might get lucky!

不过有些时候你会很走运

Snakes don't always decide

蛇并非总是觉得你

you're worth wasting venom on.

值得它吐出毒液

In fact, between 20 and 80% of snake bites

实际上，在所有的蛇咬案例中，

are so-called "dry bites,"

有百分之二十到八十都是所谓的“干咬”

where the snake is just trying

蛇只是想跟你说“滚开”

to send a message without actually killing you.

而不是想干掉你

You see, venom takes energy and resources

你看，蛇制造毒液

for the snake to make,

是需要能量和资源的

and they don't want to waste it on a warning shot.

它们不想将其随便浪费

When it comes to poison,

而另一方面

on the other hand,

“带毒”的生物

there's no warning shot.

可就没有警告的机会了

If you pick up a poisonous dart frog

如果你捧起一只箭毒蛙

to admire its beautiful colors,

想要欣赏一下美丽的颜色

you've already gotten deadly poison

你的手上就已经

all over your hands.

全部沾满了致命的毒素

As it seeps into your skin

这些毒素会渗透到你的皮肤里面

and travels through your blood,

在血液里游走

the poison starts to interfere with your nerves,

并且开始干扰你的神经系统运作

preventing your muscles from contracting.

令到你的肌肉不受控制，不能收缩活动。

If the frog's poison reaches your heart,

如果蛙的毒素到达你的心脏

it can cause it to stop.

它将会让你的心脏停止跳动

The distinction between venom and poison

这两种不同有毒生物的区别

is purely in the method of delivery.

仅仅是在于毒素输送的方法不同。

Poison has to be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed.

Poison 必须是通过呼吸，进食或者接触来感染的，

Venom has to be injected into a wound.

而Venom 必须是通过伤口来进入人体的。

Chemically, venoms and poisons

从化学的角度上看

are both considered toxins,

两者都是由毒素组成的。

so a snake bite is venomous.

所以毒蛇咬人是 venomous，

A poison dart frog is poisonous.

箭毒蛙则是 poisonous。

Brown recluse spiders are venomous.

棕色遁蛛是venomous，

Lionfish and pufferfish are poisonous.

狮子鱼和河豚则是poisonous。

And some compounds can be poisons in one animal

某些化学成分在poison 和venom 的动物体内都有存在

and venoms in another.

某些化学成分在poison 和venom 的动物体内都有存在

Tetrodotoxin, a chemical 10,000 times more toxic than cyanide,

河豚毒素，比氰化物还要厉害一万倍，

is found in pufferfish,

这种毒素存在于河豚体内，河豚是poisonous的。

where it makes them poisonous.

这种毒素存在于河豚体内，河豚是poisonous的。

It's also found in the deadly blue-ringed octopus,

在篮圈章鱼体内同样也存在这种毒素，

where it's a venom delivered by bite.

但篮圈章鱼是venomous的

Some animals can even be both poisonous and venomous.

有些动物甚至可以同时是poisonous 和venomous 的。

Take the Asian tiger snake, for example.

举个例子——亚洲虎蛇

Not only does it have venom in its fangs

它的腺囊里有毒液，(venomous)

but it also absorbs the toxins

但虎蛇在捕食蟾蜍时，

from the poisonous toads it eats,

也会吸收蟾蜍的毒素，

and then secretes those toxins

然后在颈部周围再把毒素分泌出来，

from special glands on its neck,

然后在颈部周围再把毒素分泌出来，

rendering it poisonous, too.

令自己变成带毒的，碰不得。 (poisonous)

Scientists are constantly finding new animals

科学家们一直都在寻找一些有趣的新动物，

that employ toxins in weird, interesting ways.

它们使用毒素的方法古怪而有趣。

Recently, researchers discovered

最近研究人员发现了

the very first venomous crustacean.

第一种有毒的甲壳动物,(venomous)

Out of 70,000 species of crustaceans,

在所有的七万种甲壳动物里面，

only this one little remipede is venomous.

只有这一种多足甲壳类动物remipede是有毒的。

Speleonectes tulumensis has figured out

这种居住在深海没有眼睛的动物

how to create a cocktail of toxins

知道如何创造一些毒素

that it delivers through its tiny fangs.

然后通过它细小的尖牙传递出去

Scientists aren't totally sure how this venom works yet,

科学家也不是十分肯定这种毒液的作用方法，

but they think that it causes the unwitting victims' neurons

他们估计毒液会令猎物的神经不断发出信号，

to fire over and over and over again

他们估计毒液会令猎物的神经不断发出信号，

until it becomes paralyzed.

最后猎物变得瘫痪。

Then, the little remipede closes in,

然后，小Remipede游过去溶解掉猎物的外壳，

dissolving away the exoskeleton of its prey

然后，小Remipede游过去溶解掉猎物的外壳，

and sucking out the juices.

以便吸掉里面的汁液

But poisons and venoms aren't always all bad.

但是，毒素并不一定只有坏处。

For thousands of years, humans have looked for

几千年来，人类一直在尝试利用毒素来做一些好事。

ways to harness the power of these toxic compounds for good.

几千年来，人类一直在尝试利用毒素来做一些好事。

Today, we have all sorts of medicines

在现代，我们有很多的药物都是来自于毒素。

that come from toxins.

在现代，我们有很多的药物都是来自于毒素。

The poison from cone snails is used as a painkiller.

芋螺体内的毒素可以作为止痛药，

Many poisonous plants have been used

许多带毒的植物被用来治病，从疟疾到心律不齐都有效

to treat everything from malaria to irregular heartbeats.

许多带毒的植物被用来治病，从疟疾到心律不齐都有效

And scorpion venom might one day be used

蝎子的毒素将来有可能被用来治疗心脏病。

to treat heart disease.

蝎子的毒素将来有可能被用来治疗心脏病。

So, what should you do if something bites or poisons you?

那么，如果你被咬了或者摸了不该摸的东西，该怎么办？

Don't try any of the things you've seen

千万不要学电影里或者网络上面看到的

on the internet or in movies!

千万不要学电影里或者网络上面看到的

Don't try to capture and kill the animal

不要尝试杀捕捉或者杀掉那些

that bit you,

咬过你的动物

and don't use a tourniquet or knife on your wound.

不要在伤口上用止血带或者刀

Most importantly, don't panic!

最重要的是，不要慌张。

Stay calm, and seek medical attention.

冷静下来，立刻寻求医务治疗。

Treatment will mostly depend

根据咬你的动物种类不同，治疗方法也不一样。

on what species you encountered.

根据咬你的动物种类不同，治疗方法也不一样。

But if you forget the distinction

如果你搞错了poison 和venom 的区别，

between poison and venom,

如果你搞错了poison 和venom 的区别，

and tell the parademics

并告诉医务人员

that you were poisoned by a viper,

“我被蛇毒到了” (应该是venom)

they'll probably forgive you and treat you anyway.

没关系，他们还是会给你治疗的啦。