How Your Sense of Smell Helps You Savor Flavor | Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter | TED

In a recent survey,

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: Yan Li Xiao

最近的一个调查表明

a majority of respondents picked their sense of smell

大多数的受访者表示 在五官之中

as the one they'd be most willing to give up

如果要放弃其中一个的话，

among the traditional five senses.

他们会选择嗅觉。

But if you love food,

但是如果你热爱美食，

you should be giving your nose much more credit.

你就该更重视你的嗅觉。

Because it’s actually our sense of smell

因为其实我们的嗅觉

that plays a huge role in our ability to process flavor.

对我们品尝味道的能力至关重要。

[Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter]

[珍·甘特（Jen Gunter）医生的 Body Stuff 栏目]

First, let's talk about how smell works,

首先，我来介绍一下 气味是如何运作的，

from coffee to stinky trash.

有咖啡香，也有垃圾的臭味。

The substances around us give off volatiles,

我们身边的物质释放着易挥发物，

which you can think of as tiny smell molecules.

你可以将其想象成 微小的气味分子。

We breathe in these smell molecules,

我们吸入了这些气味分子，

which then stimulate the olfactory sensory neurons

然后它们会刺激位于 鼻腔上部的嗅觉神经元。

that sit high in the nose.

Each of these neurons contains an odor receptor on its surface.

每一个神经元表面 都有一个嗅觉受体。

Once the odor receptors are triggered by these smell molecules,

嗅觉受体一受到 气味分子的激发，

the neurons send information about them to the brain.

神经元就会将相关信息 发送给大脑。

Here's what I think is so cool.

我要分享很酷的一点。

The brain not only categorizes that information as a particular odor,

大脑不仅会将这个信息 认定为一种特定的气味，

it may also begin to associate feelings,

还会联系情感，

like pleasure or disgust and other moods and emotions with that odor

比如高兴、恶心或者 其他与这种气味有关的情绪，

for future reference.

供之后使用。

For example, you sniff bacon, you eat it,

比如，你闻了闻培根，把它吃了，

your taste buds get salt,

你的味蕾尝到了盐，

and then your body gets a whack of fat,

你的身体得到了一大坨脂肪，

which is an energy source.

也就是能量的来源。

So the brain loves it and attaches a positive label to it.

所以大脑很喜欢培根， 给它贴上了一个正向的标签。

The next time you smell bacon,

下次你闻到培根的时候，

a sensation associated with pleasure arises.

一股喜悦之情就会油然而生。

Now, there are a lot of smells out there,

世界上有很多种气味，

more than our 400 or so odor receptors can detect.

比我们的嗅觉受体可以检测多余 400 种左右的气味。

But people with a healthy working sense of smell

但是嗅觉灵敏的人的

have odor receptors that can combine

嗅觉受体可以总共

to detect anywhere between 10,000

检测一万至

to more than a trillion different odors.

超过一万亿种不同的气味。

Now, taste is completely different.

味觉就完全不同了。

It comes from taste receptors on our tongues and in our mouths.

味觉来自于我们舌头 和嘴里的味觉受体。

Taste is limited to the basics: salty, sweet, bitter, sour

味道只有那么几种： 咸、甜、苦、酸，

and, somewhat controversially, umami or savory.

也有人说包括了鲜。

You can taste without smell,

虽然没有嗅觉 你也尝得出味道，

but anyone with a stuffy nose can attest

但是只要你的鼻子塞住了，

that's a pretty bland experience.

你就会知道食之无味。

That's because when we eat, for example, chewing pizza,

因为我们吃东西的时候， 比如咀嚼披萨时，

the pizza releases volatiles that travel from our mouths and throat

披萨会释放易挥发物， 从我们的嘴、喉咙，

up through the nasal passage.

移动到我们的鼻道中。

There, olfactory neurons get all the complex smells from the pizza

嗅觉神经元在鼻道中接收 披萨的复杂气味，

and send that information to the brain.

将信息传递给大脑。

The smell and taste work together to help us enjoy food.

嗅觉和味觉合力 让我们可以享受美食。

When our nose isn't working properly and food seems flavorless,

我们的鼻子出问题的时候， 食物就会尝起来没有味道，

it's because we're only tasting those basic tastes

因为我们只尝到了 这些基础味道，

without any of the complex odors detected through smell.

没有来自嗅觉的复杂气味。

So the next time you savor an amazing flavor,

下次你尝到惊为天人的 味道的时候，

thank your nose.

感谢你的鼻子吧。

Our sense of smell is what brings nuance to what we eat.

我们的嗅觉是食物的点睛之笔。