《中英對照讀新聞》No Hangover Cure宿醉無解藥

◎ 陳成良

Forget aspirins, hairs of dogs and hot baths, the only sure way of avoiding a hangover is not to drink in the first place, according to a new study.

別管阿斯匹靈、狗毛偏方或者洗熱水澡了，根據一項新研究指出，真正有效避免宿醉的唯一方法就是，一開始就別喝酒。

Researchers led by Max Pittler of the Peninsular Medical School at Exeter University, surfed the internet and combed medical databases to study a range of hangover cures from the traditional to the novel.

埃克塞特大學半島醫學院的研究人員在麥克斯．皮特勒領導下，搜尋網路，並徹底搜索醫學資料庫，研究各種消除宿醉方法，其中包括傳統療法，也有新奇的解酒方式。

Their research roamed from the humble aspirin to fructose, artichokes and even prickly pears but found no silver bullet.

他們對普通的阿斯匹靈到果糖、朝鮮薊，甚至仙人掌果進行研究，但並未從中發現能有效緩解宿醉的「萬靈丹」。

However, they did hold out some hope for the potential of borage, a bright blue herb with star-shaped flowers used traditionally to decorate gin-based summer cocktails.

然而，他們對琉璃苣的解酒潛力抱著希望。這種綻放星型花朵的藍色香草，傳統上被當成以琴酒為基酒的夏季雞尾酒裝飾品。

Their conclusions were sobering. "No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any complementary or conventional intervention is effective for treating or preventing alcohol hangover," they wrote in the British Medical Journal.

他們的結論倒是相當清醒。「沒有確鑿的證據說明，任何補品或傳統的干預手段能有效治療或預防宿醉，」研究人員在「英國醫學期刊」中寫道。

"The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover is thus to practise abstinence or moderation," the report added.

「避免因喝酒導致宿醉症狀最有效的方法就是戒酒，或者節制飲酒，」報告補充說。

新聞辭典

hangover ：宿醉，指因飲酒過度而引起的頭痛、惡心等症狀。例句：He had a terrible hangover after the New Year's Eve party.（他在除夕夜的宴會後宿醉，十分難受）。

comb： 徹底搜查，例句：We combed the city to look for our lost dog. （我們搜遍了全城，尋找我們走失的狗）。

silver bullet：「銀彈」，指致命、有效、一擊中的之方法，或是一種出奇制勝的祕密武器。典故出自於美國人深信月圓之夜狼人出沒，殺死狼人的唯一方法是，以銀製的子彈貫穿其心臟。

abstinence ：名詞，指（飲食及享樂方面的）節制；禁飲；戒酒，，通常後接介系詞from。用法如：protracted abstinence from soap（長期不用肥皂）、total abstinence from alcohol（完全戒酒）。