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Is sugar the world's most popular drug?
糖是世界上最受欢迎的毒药？
It eases pain, seems to be addictive and shows every sign of causing long-term health problems. Is it time to quit sugar for good?
它能减轻疼痛，好像还会上瘾，而且有引起长期健康问题的各种迹象。是时候永远禁糖了吗？
Imagine a drug that can intoxicate us, can infuse us with energy and can be taken by mouth. It doesn't have to be injected, smoked, or snorted for us to experience its sublime and soothing effects. Imagine that it mixes well with virtually every food and particularly liquids, and that when given to infants it provokes a feeling of pleasure so profound and intense that its pursuit becomes a driving force throughout their lives.
想象一下，有一种药物可以令我们沉醉，给我们注入能量，并且可以口服。它不需要注射、吸或喷鼻便能令我们体验到它那令人称赞的舒缓效果。想象一下，它能够与几乎所有的食物，尤其是液体混合得很好，当给婴儿食用时它能够激发出一种深刻而强烈的愉悦感，以至于对它的追求成为了他们一生的动力。
Could the taste of sugar on the tongue be a kind of intoxication? What about the possibility that sugar itself is an intoxicant, a drug? Overconsumption of this drug may have long-term side-effects, but there are none in the short term – no staggering or dizziness, no slurring of speech, no passing out or drifting away, no heart palpitations or respiratory distress. When it is given to children, its effects may be only more extreme variations on the apparently natural emotional rollercoaster of childhood, from the initial intoxication to the tantrums and whining of what may or may not be withdrawal a few hours later. More than anything, it makes children happy, at least for the period during which they're consuming it. It calms their distress, eases their pain, focuses their attention and leaves them excited and full of joy until the dose wears off. The only downside is that children will come to expect another dose, perhaps to demand it, on a regular basis.
糖在舌头上的味道是一种中毒的反映吗？糖本身会不会就是一种麻醉剂、一种毒品？长期过量服用这款毒药可能会有副作用，但短期不会——不会令人晕眩、口齿不清、迷糊、心悸或呼吸困难。当给孩子使用时，它的影响可能只是令童年原本很自然的情感过山车变化得更加极端，从最初的陶醉到发脾气并抱怨，有的几个小时后就停止了，有的几个小时后还在发作。最重要的是，它能让孩子们开心，至少在他们吃糖的时候是这样。在药效消失之前，它能缓解他们的痛苦，集中他们的注意力，让他们兴奋并充满喜悦。唯一的缺点就是，孩子们会对下一颗有所期待，可能还会要求定期服用。
How long would it be before parents took to using our imaginary drug to calm their children when necessary, to alleviate discomfort, to prevent outbursts of unhappiness or to distract attention? And once the drug became identified with pleasure, how long before it was used to celebrate birthdays, a football game, good grades at school? How long before no gathering of family and friends was complete without it, before major holidays and celebrations were defined in part by the use of this drug to assure pleasure? How long would it be before the underprivileged of the world would happily spend what little money they had on this drug rather than on nutritious meals for their families?
在父母们不得不拿这种药来安抚孩子、缓解他们的不适、防止不愉快的爆发或者分散他们的注意力之前能有多长时间？一旦这种药物被认定为快乐，那么距离它被用来庆祝生日、足球比赛、在学校取得好成绩之前有多长时间？在任何家庭聚会和朋友聚会都离不开它、重大节日和庆祝活动在一定程度上被定义为必须使用这种药物来确保快乐之前能有多久？在世界上的穷人愿意把他们仅有的一点钱花在这款药物上而非为他们的家人买营养餐之前有多久？
