研究告诉你为什么蚊子总咬你

Does it seem like mosquitoes search you out specifically, maniacally biting you just to make you miserable?

你是不是发现自己特别招蚊子，经常被蚊子咬得很惨？

Blame your genes.

怪你的基因吧。

And your smelly feet.

还有你的臭脚。

Basically, mosquitoes choose their prey (you) based on a whole bunch of factors.

基本上，蚊子对你下口是基于一连串因素的。

Many myths exist; for example, the idea that eating bananas can repel the bugs doesn't hold up.

关于这方面有许多谣言，比如吃香蕉能驱蚊，这种想法是没有依据的。

But scientific research has found evidence supporting several reasons why mosquitoes may seek you out, though these studies are often on different kinds of mosquitoes, so the actual things attracting them to you may vary depending on which species are nearby.

然而，科学研究已经发现了一些原因和相关证据，能解释你为什么招蚊子，不过这些研究的观察对象通常是不同种类的蚊子，所以你招蚊子的实际因素可能也随你附近的蚊子种类而异。

Still, there's good news: Some of the things that might make you especially attractive to mosquitoes are things you can actually change.

好消息是：有些东西会让你特别招蚊子，而你可以做出改变从而远离蚊子。

Since — depending on the type of mosquitoes in your area — these little flying beasts can transmit deadly diseases like Zika, malaria, yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya, and West Nile, it would be wise to try to reduce your allure as much as you can.

因为——这也取决于你所在地区的蚊子种类——这些小飞虫会传播一些致命疾病，如寨卡病毒、疟疾、黄热病、登革热、基孔肯雅热和西尼罗河病毒，所以你还是尽量少招惹这些蚊子为妙。

Here are seven things that could make you irresistible to the pests.

以下是7个会让蚊子爱上你的因素：

1. People with type O blood tend to attract more mosquitoes than people with other blood types.

O型血的人通常比其他血型的人更招蚊子。

2. Malaria carrying mosquitoes were attracted to pregnant women twice as much as non-pregnant women in a study. In light of Zika's link to birth defects, this finding is particularly concerning.

一项研究发现，携带疟疾病毒的蚊子咬孕妇的可能性比咬没有身孕的女性高出一倍。考虑到寨卡病毒会导致出生缺陷，这一发现让人尤为担忧。

3. In a small study, researchers found mosquitoes liked people who had drank a beer more than their sober counterparts.

一项小型研究发现，相比没有喝酒的人，喝啤酒会让你更招蚊子。

4. Some people's bodies emit attractant compounds, while others emit repellent compounds. It's unclear why or how this works, though researchers have tried to isolate the chemicals to use them for mosquito traps or natural bug spray.

有些人的身体会散发出对蚊子有吸引力的化合物，而其他一些人则会散发出让蚊子讨厌的化合物。研究人员尚不清楚个中原理，但是他们试图把这种化合物分离出来，用它们制作捕蚊器或天然的驱蚊水。

5. People with a wider variety of bacteria living on their skin were less attractive to mosquitoes in a study.

一项研究发现，皮肤上存活的细菌种类较多的人，对蚊子吸引力较小。

6. Mosquitoes tend to like people who emit more carbon dioxide when they breathe, which includes larger people and pregnant women.

蚊子一般更喜欢那些呼出的二氧化碳更多的人，这些人多为胖子和孕妇。

7. Working out can produce lactic acid, which can act as an attractant for mosquitoes when it's released in your sweat.

锻炼会产生乳酸，而乳酸通过汗液释放出来时，对蚊子非常有吸引力。

Vocabulary

myth: 谣言

lactic acid: 乳酸