|新聞正文|
英文部分選自《BBC》
Whales never clean out their ears. Year after year their earwax builds up, leaving behind something of a life history told in fatty acids, alcohols, and cholesterols. The waxy substance builds in the ear canals of many mammals, including ourselves. Human earwax, on the other hand, is not nearly as interesting. It doesn’t offer up an autobiography, and most of us remove the waxy build-up from our ears fairly regularly (about which, more later). Still, there’s a fascinating science underlying the humdrum substance.
鯨魚從不掏耳朵。由脂肪酸、醇類、膽固醇組成的耳屎在鯨魚的耳朵裡年復一年堆積起來，簡直是其生命歷程的寫照。很多哺乳類動物的耳道裡都會產生耳屎，包括人類。但是人的耳屎卻很無聊。它不是生活的寫照，大多數人都會定期清理耳屎（年紀越大，越頻繁）。不過，這種無聊的東西背後也隱藏著引人入勝的科學。
The proper name for the stuff is cerumen, and it’s produced only by the outermost bit of the ear canal, thanks to a mix of between one and two thousand sebaceous glands (which, on your head, also help to keep hair oily) and modified sweat glands. Add some bits of hair, dead skin, and other bodily detritus and you』ve got the recipe for earwax.
耳屎的學名是耵聹，只有耳道最靠外的一小部分會產生耳屎，它來自一千到兩千多條皮脂腺（頭部的皮脂腺還能保持頭髮的油潤）和大汗腺。再加上一點頭髮、死皮和身體上的其他碎屑，就形成了耳屎。
Its main function has long been thought to be primarily one of lubrication (which is why early lip balms were made of the stuff) though it’s also believed to be useful for preventing insects from creeping their way into the internal recesses of your head. But some suspect that earwax also functions as an antibiotic.
長期以來，人們認為耳屎的主要功能是潤滑（因而早期的潤唇膏就是用這種東西製成），不過也有人認為它能夠有效防止昆蟲從耳道爬進頭的內部。還有些人猜測耳屎有抗體的作用。
In 1980, NIH researchers Tuu-Jyi Chai and Toby C Chai collected cerumen with a device they refer to as a 「sterile earwax hook」 from 12 people, and mixed it all together in an alcohol solution. Then they introduced some bacteria to the party. The earwax managed to kill off 99% of several bacteria strains, including H. influenzae (which, confusingly, doesn’t lead to influenza, but a different type of infection) and a particular strain of E. coli called K-12. Other strains of E. coli, and Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, were a bit more resistant to earwax, with mortality rates varying between 30% and 80%. Still, the collected earwax had clear bactericidal effects on all 10 types of bacteria they tested.
1980年，美國國立衛生研究院（NIH）的研究員Tuu-Jyi Chai 和Toby C Chai使用他們所謂的「無菌耳屎鉤」從12個人的耳朵裡收集耵聹，並全部混合起來放入酒精溶液裡。然後，他們又往裡面加入一些細菌。結果，耳屎消滅了99%的數種菌株，包括流感嗜血桿菌（這裡很容易誤會，流感嗜血桿菌並不會導致流感，但會導致另一種感染）和一種被成為K-12的大腸桿菌菌株。其他大腸桿菌菌株、鏈球菌和金黃色葡萄球菌對耳屎有一定的抵抗能力，死亡率在30%至80%不等。即便如此，這些收集來的耳屎在測試中對所有10種細菌都有顯著的殺滅效果。
Similar results were found in a 2011 German study. In that experiment, 10 peptides found in earwax were able to prevent bacteria and fungi from growing. External ear canal infections, the researchers argued, are what results when the earwax-based defence system fails.
2011年德國的一項研究也有類似的發現。在該實驗中，耳屎中的10種肽能夠阻止細菌和真菌繁殖。研究人員認為，外耳道之所以發生感染，是因為以耳屎為基礎的防禦系統出現了問題。
| Whether you have wet or dry earwax is genetically determined你的耳屎是幹還是溼，這是基因決定的
But in 2000, a study conducted at La Laguna University in the Canary Islands found the opposite. Instead, researchers found a neutral effect when it came to one strain of Staph, and in most cases, they found that earwax actually promoted the growth of bacteria, including E. coli, ostensibly due to the rich nutrient bounty it provides. It’s not the only study to cast doubt on earwax’s propensity for microbial murder.
但是在2000年，位於加那利群島的拉拉古納大學進行的一項研究則出現了相反的結論。研究人員發現耳屎對金黃色葡萄球菌的作用是中性的。在大多數情況下，耳屎實際上促進了細菌的繁殖，包括大腸桿菌。原因是耳屎為細菌提供了豐富的營養。對耳屎消滅微生物的能力表示懷疑的不止這一項研究。
There’s one thing that might shed light on the wildly differing conclusions that these and other studies have put forth. The 1980 and 2011 studies used wax from people with dry earwax, while the 2000 study focused on the wet form. It’s by no means clear that this distinction underlies earwax’s putative antimicrobial properties, but it’s a beguiling hypothesis, especially since the two types are essentially made from the same ingredients. Still, unless you』ve surreptitiously taken a peek into your friends』 ear canals, then you might be surprised, as I was, to learn that there are two different kinds. In the name of full disclosure, mine is wet.
不同研究的結論大相逕庭，有一點可能有助於解釋這種情況。1980年至2011年的研究使用的耳屎是幹的，而2000年的研究主要使用了溼的耳屎。雖然我們尚不清楚這一區別是否決定了耳屎的對抗微生物的能力，但這是一個誘人的假設，尤其因為這兩種耳屎在成分上也基本相同。只有偷看朋友們的耳朵，你才會像我一樣驚訝地發現有兩種耳屎。為了保持充分的透明度，我承認我的耳屎是溼的。
Whether you have wet or dry earwax is genetically determined, and it all comes down to a single letter on a single gene. The gene is called ABCC11, and if you』ve got an A instead of a G, then your earwax will be dry. (The two resulting types of earwax also smell different.) It’s a rare example of Mendelian inheritance, with the wet type being completely dominant.
你的耳屎是幹還是溼，這是基因決定的，最後取決於某個基因的一個「字母」。該基因被稱為ABCC11，如果你的基因裡是A，那麼你的耳屎就是幹的，如果是G，那麼就是溼的。（這兩種類型的耳屎的氣味也不一樣。）這是孟德爾遺傳學中少見的一例，溼耳屎完全佔主導地位。
The pattern is so predictable that earwax has even been used to track ancient human migration patterns. Those of Caucasian or African descent are more likely to have wet earwax, while East Asians are more likely to harbour the dry, flaky variety inside their ears. The two types are seen at more balanced proportions among Pacific Islanders, in Central Asia and Asian Minor, and for Native Americans and the Inuit.
這種模式可預見性很強，以至於耳屎甚至被用來追蹤古代人類遷徙的路線。高加索人、非洲人後代的耳屎更有可能是溼的，而東亞人種的耳屎則更有可能是幹的、碎片狀。在太平洋島嶼、中亞、亞細亞，以及美洲土著和因紐特人，這兩種類型的比例較為平衡。
But the most pressing issue surrounding earwax, for most of us, is how to remove it. It’s a question that has apparently plagued humanity since at least the first century CE. In his book De Medicina, the Roman Aulus Cornelius Celsus suggested a set of remedies for removing built-up earwax. 「If a crust,」 he wrote, perhaps referring to those with dry earwax, 「hot oil is poured in, or verdigris mixed with honey or leek juice or a little soda in honey wine.」 Ouch. Once the wax is loosened, it can be flushed out with water. But 「if it be wax,」 he wrote, perhaps referring to those with wet variety, 「vinegar containing a little soda is introduced; and when the wax has softened, the ear is washed out.」 He also advised that 「the ear should be syringed with castoreum mixed with vinegar and laurel oil and the juice of young radish rind, or with cucumber juice, mixed with crushed rose leaves. The dropping in of the juice of unripe grapes mixed with rose oil is also fairly efficacious against deafness.」
但是對大多數人來說，和耳屎相關的最要緊的事就是如何去除它。顯然，這個問題至少從公元1世紀起就困擾著人類。羅馬人凱爾蘇斯在De Medicina一書中，建議了一套掏耳朵的方法。「如果耳屎是一層硬殼，」（可能這是針對幹耳屎）他寫道，「灌入熱油，或者使用混入蜂蜜的銅綠，或韭菜汁或放了一點蘇打的蜂蜜酒。」好疼。一旦耳屎鬆脫，就可以用水衝出來。但是，「對蠟狀耳屎來說，」（可能這是針對溼耳屎）他寫道，「使用帶有一點蘇打的醋；在耳屎軟化後，用水洗出來。」他還建議：「需要向耳朵裡注入混合了醋、月桂油、嫩胡蘿蔔皮榨取汁或黃瓜汁的海狸香，再混入揉碎的玫瑰葉。混合了玫瑰油的未成熟葡萄汁對治療耳聾有相當有效。」
Together, it all sounds only a hair more reasonable than a recipe calling for eye of newt, but even today physicians might use almond oil or olive oil to soften impacted wax prior to attempting removal.
以上這些聽起來簡直是天方夜譚，和需要蠑螈眼睛的菜譜差不多。但是，即便如今，內科醫生也有可能先使用杏仁油或橄欖油來軟化過多的耳屎，然後再掏耳朵。
The truth is some folks do truly suffer earwax-related problems serious enough to warrant intervention. According to a 2004 analysis, around 2.3 million folks in the UK see their doctors every year for such ailments, and some four million ears are treated annually. The elderly, children, and those with learning disabilities encounter problems related to impacted earwax often. It can lead to hearing loss, of course, but also to social withdrawal and even mild paranoia. 「Some patients,」 write the researchers, 「with impacted wax present with perforated eardrums.」 But since cerumen itself can’t perforate the tympanic membrane, it’s self-induced, presumably because folks try to extract the condensed wax on their own.
實際上，一些人深受耳屎之苦，以至需要醫療幹預。根據2004年的一篇分析報告，英國每年大約有230萬人因該類病症就醫，每年有大約400萬隻耳朵接受治療。老年人、兒童和有聽覺障礙的人常常遇到耳屎過多的問題。這當然可能會造成失聰，但也會導致社交恐懼，甚至妄想症。研究人員寫道：「一些患有耳屎過多病症的患者也有鼓膜穿孔的情況。」但是，因為耵聹本身無法穿透鼓膜，所以鼓膜穿孔是人自己造成的，大概是因為人們自己嘗試去除壓縮的耳屎。
Because the risks of using a cotton swab are so high, even for a skilled doctor, most rely on a softening agent, followed by irrigation. But there’s no medical consensus as to the best softening agent, or for whether irrigation is best in the first place. In 2012, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers Anjali Vaidya and Diane J Madlon-Kay concluded that wax-softeners, irrigation, or other manual removal were all viable, but that no one treatment had proven better, safer, or more effective than the others.
由於使用棉棒的風險如此之高，就連技術高超的醫生也大都依靠軟化介質，然後注水。不過，哪種軟化介質最佳，醫學界還沒有定論，連注水是不是好辦法也無定論。2012年明尼蘇達大學醫學院的研究者安賈莉·維迪雅和黛安·J·馬爾登-凱作出結論：耳屎軟化劑、注水或其他手動去除耳屎的方法都是可行的，但是沒有哪一種方法是最好、最安全、最有效的。
Still, these procedures are best left to the professionals. Despite the risks, some folks defiantly shove cotton swabs into their ears after a shower knowing full well that physicians recommend against that sort of behaviour. A vigorous swabbing risks perforating the ear drum, or ironically pushing the earwax further into the ear. Sometimes, the cotton at the end of the swab can fall off, remaining lodged inside the ear canal. If there’s one lesson to learn, it is: don’t do this. (Or at least keep those swabs safely away from the ear canal.)
不過，去除耳屎的步驟最好還是交給專家來完成。一些人明知內科醫生不建議這種行為，還不顧危險，在淋浴後把棉棒捅進耳朵。用棉棒使勁掏耳朵可能會導致鼓膜穿孔，或者諷刺地把耳屎推向耳道的深處。有時，棉棒頂端的棉絮可能會掉落，留在耳道裡。如果有什麼值得記住的話，那就是：不要做這件事。（或者至少讓棉棒遠離耳道。）
其他絕對要避免的還有一種被稱為耳燭的另類療法。
Something else to be absolutely avoided is an alternative medicine practice known as ear candling. In this practice, a hollow candle made of beeswax or paraffin is held up to the ear and set aflame. The idea is that the heat inside the empty candle draws earwax out of the ear canal, where it can be easily removed.
其他絕對要避免的還有一種被稱為耳燭的另類療法。這種方法使用一種用蜂蠟或石蠟製成的空心蠟燭靠近耳朵，然後點燃蠟燭。該療法的原理是空心蠟燭內部的熱量能夠把耳道中的耳屎往外拉，這樣就可以輕鬆去除耳屎了。
If this seems insane, you’re right. There is absolutely no support for the idea, while plenty of evidence affirms that burning hot candle wax falling onto your ear drum would be quite painful and is best avoided. Consider yourself warned.
如果你覺得這有點太瘋狂了，那是一點沒錯。根本沒有任何證據支持這種療法，相反，很多證據說明蠟燭燃燒時，滾燙的蠟滴到鼓膜上，會讓你感到相當疼，最好避免這樣做。可別說我沒警告過你。
英 [dɪˈtraɪtəs] 美 [dɪˈtraɪtəs]
n. 碎石，[地質] 巖屑
英 [ˌæntibaɪˈɒtɪk] 美 [ˌæntibaɪˈɑːtɪk]
adj. 抗生的；抗菌的
n. 抗生素，抗菌素
英 [ɒˈstensəbli] 美 [ɑːˈstensəbli]
adv. 表面上；外表
英 [ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəsli] 美 [ˌsɜːrəpˈtɪʃəsli]
adv. 偷偷地；秘密地；不正當地
5. vigorous
英 [ˈvɪɡərəs] 美 [ˈvɪɡərəs]
adj. 有力的；精力充沛的
英 [əˈfleɪm] 美 [əˈfleɪm]
adj. 燃燒的；五彩繽紛，明亮的；激動的，昂然的；（臉）火一般紅的
adv. 燃燒地；昂然地
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