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Hooked on Heat嗜辣成癖

The addictive chili pepper令人上癮的辣椒

1.
How dull many of the world's 1)spectacular 2)cuisines would be, if not for the 3)versatile chili pepper! This 4)fiery fruit has always been more than just a food, thanks to the 5)chemical capsaicin, found in the soft white 6)membranes around the seeds. The Mayans threw chilies at their enemies in battle, and modern “Pepper 7)spray,” used by many police departments, has the same chemical inside. The chemical causes serious pain, especially to the eyes or nose.

世上令人嘆為觀止的各式美食如果少了萬能的辣椒，那會有多乏味！這種火辣的果實一向都不只是食物而已，主要是因為辣椒種子外面那層柔軟白膜中有一種化學物質——辣椒素。馬雅人打仗時會向敵人丟辣椒，現代許多警局使用的「辣椒噴劑」中也含有這種化學物質。這種物質尤其會對眼鼻造成劇痛。

‧ 中級單字

1) spectacular (a.) 壯觀的
We have a spectacular view of the mountains from our window.

2) cuisine (n.) 烹調，料理
Italian cuisine is one of the world's most popular.

3) versatile (a.) 多變化，多功能的
A home computer is an extremely versatile machine.

4) fiery (a.) 像火一樣的，激烈的
There was a fiery car crash here last week.

5) chemical (n.) 化學物質
I try to avoid foods with chemicals added.

6) membrane (n.) 膜
The heat of the fire damaged（損壞）the membranes in her nose.

7) spray (n.) 噴霧劑
Just use this spray to kill the mosquitos.

2.
It is the pain they cause, not the flavor, that makes chilies so popular. The brain reacts to the pain by 8)releasing chemicals called endorphins into the 9)bloodstream. These natural 10)painkillers cause a sense of happiness and 11)satisfaction, and they are quite addictive. This is why some people are so fond of hot, 12)spicy foods. Thais eat the most chilies per person, closely followed by Koreans.

就是因為辣椒造成的這種疼痛令它大受歡迎，而不是因為它的滋味。大腦對這種疼痛的反應是分泌一種叫做腦內啡的化學物質到血液中。這種天然的止痛劑會引起快樂與滿足感，而且很容易上癮。所以才有人會如此喜愛辛辣的食物。泰國人平均每個人吃的辣椒最多，韓國人緊追在後。

‧ 中級單字

8) release (v.) 釋放
I caught five fish, but released them all again.

9) bloodstream (n.) 血流
This medicine will enter the bloodstream quickly.

10) painkiller (n.) 止痛劑
She had to take a lot of painkillers after the accident.

11) satisfaction (n.) 滿足
We think customer satisfaction is the most important thing.

12) spicy (a.) 辛辣的
Is this food too spicy for you?

3.
Of course, not all chilies are 13)equally hot. Researchers compare them using the Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) 14)scale, developed in 1912. The common bell pepper (red, yellow or green) has a Scoville 15)rating of zero. Jalapenos, popular in Mexico and America, are relatively mild, rating from 2,500 to 5,000. But the habanero takes the prize, 16)packing over 200,000 SHUs of heat. Handle with extreme care!

當然，不是每種辣椒都一樣辣。研究人員用一九一二年研發的史考維辛辣度（SHU）量表來評比。一般的甜椒（紅、黃、或綠色）SHU 值是零。墨西哥辣椒這種在墨西哥及美國很受歡迎的辣椒還算溫和，介於二千五百到五千 SHU 之間。哈瓦那圓椒穩坐冠軍，含有超過二十萬 SHU。危險物品請小心處理！

‧ 中級單字

13) equally (adv.) 同等地
A good teacher loves all the students equally.

14) scale (n.) 量表
The earthquake was a 9.0 on the Richter（芮氏）scale.

15) rating (n.) 評分，測試得分
What is the rating on this movie?

16) pack (v.) 塞進，包含
Your computer packs a lot of power.