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Two years after a scientific study on cockroach milk first made headlines, the creepy-crawly non-dairy alternative is back in the news: When an old article resurfaced last week, the Internet pounced-reacting with horror, fascination, and sometimes a little bit of both.
科學家對蟑螂奶研究了兩年，終於出了成果成為頭條新聞。這個令人毛骨悚然的非乳製品替代物再次成為熱門話題：上周一篇舊的文章重又被人翻了出來，網際網路立馬造勢--以恐懼、著迷的態度報導，有時候既表現出恐懼、又表現出著迷。
So what is cockroach milk? The buzz all started back in 2016, when an international team of researchers conducted a nutritional analysis of the milk-like substance that female Pacific beetle cockroaches produce and feed to their offspring. According to NPR, the scientists discovered that cockroach milk (which is not technically milk, by the way, but a yellowish fluid that solidifies into crystals in the offspring's stomachs) is one of the most nutritious substances on the planet.
那什麼是蟑螂奶？這可以追溯到2016年，當時一個國際研究小組對牛奶樣物質進行了營養分析，雌性的太平洋甲蟲蟑螂分泌這種牛奶樣物質，並用其餵養後代。美國國家公共電臺表示，科學家發現蟑螂奶（從技術層面而言，並不是牛奶，順便說一下，它是一種淡黃色的液體，會在蟑螂後代的胃裡凝固成晶體）是地球上最有營養的物質之一。
The study, published in the Journal of the International Union of Crystallography, found that cockroach milk contains three times more calories than the equivalent mass of buffalo milk, which currently holds the prize for the most calorie-rich milk from a mammal. Cockroach milk also contains protein and amino acids, which could potentially be valuable to human health.
研究發表於《國際晶體學聯合會雜誌》（Journal of the International Union of Crystallography）上，研究發現：蟑螂奶含有的卡路裡量是同等質量水牛奶的三倍多，而水牛奶是目前哺乳動物中卡路裡含量最豐富的奶。蟑螂奶也含有蛋白質和胺基酸，可能對人體健康有益。
As disgusting as it may sound, the idea of cockroach milk is appealing to many scientists, and even to some consumers. After all, there is a growing demand for dairy-free alternatives to cow's milk and ice cream-for people with dairy allergies or intolerances, for those who follow a vegan lifestyle, and for anyone looking for more sustainable, environmentally friendly food sources.
雖然聽起來很噁心，但蟑螂奶的概念卻吸引了一大批科學家，甚至吸引了一些客戶。畢竟，人們對牛奶和冰淇淋替代品的需求正不斷增長--對於乳糖不耐症和乳製品過敏人士而言、對於追求純素生活方式的人士而言、對於尋找更可持續的環保食品源的人士而言。
At the time of their study's publication, the authors said there still was no evidence that cockroach milk was safe for people to eat. (Although, one of them reportedly tried it and said it tasted "like pretty much nothing.") They also pointed out that cockroaches only make a tiny amount of this fluid and that producing enough to sell it commercially could pose a serious challenge.
研究發表之際，作者表示：尚未有證據表明人類可以安全食用蟑螂奶。（儘管其中一位作者稱自己嘗過蟑螂奶，嘗起來"幾乎像沒吃東西一樣。"）他們還指出蟑螂只會分泌少量的這種液體，所以要生產足夠量的商品可能是一項嚴峻挑戰。
Researchers may still not be any closer to a solution to these particular obstacles. In an email to Health, one of the study's authors explains that it's not actually possible to "milk" cockroaches in the same way as cows or other mammals.
研究員尚未得出合適的方法以解決這些障礙。在寫給《健康》雜誌的一封電子郵件中，該研究的一位作者解釋道，我們可能很難像擠奶牛或其它哺乳動物那樣擠蟑螂奶。