研究：鼻子有高挺和宽扁之分原来和气候有关

　　If you are not satisfied with the shape of your nose, blame it on climate, not your parents or grandparents.

　　如果你对自己的鼻子不满意，别怪你的父母或者祖父母了，这都是气候惹的祸。

　　In a study published this week in the journal PLOS Genetics, researchers from the Pennsylvania State University found that human noses may have been shaped, at least in part, by a long process of adaptation to local climate conditions.

　　本周，美国宾夕法尼亚州立大学在期刊《科学公共图书馆·遗传学》上发表的研究指出，至少在某种程度上，人类鼻子的形状是由当地气候长期塑造而形成的。

　　Generally, wider noses are more common in warm and humid climates, while narrower noses are more common in cold and dry climates, it said.

　　一般来说，在温暖湿润气候中的人鼻子较宽，而寒冷干燥气候下的人鼻子较窄。

　　The findings were based on an examination of the size and shape of noses on people with West African, South Asian, East Asian, or Northern European ancestry.

　　这项研究是基于对西非、南亚、东亚和北欧裔人士鼻子的大小与形状的分析得出。

　　The researchers looked at the width of the nostrils, the distance between nostrils, the height of the nose, nose ridge length, nose protrusion, external area of the nose and the area of the nostrils by using 3D facial imaging.

　　研究人员借助3D面部成像技术观察了鼻孔宽度、鼻孔间距离、鼻子高度与鼻梁长度、鼻孔、鼻子外部区域以及鼻孔区域等。

　　It showed that the width of the nostrils is strongly correlated with temperature and absolute humidity, but not the result of a random process called genetic drift.

　　结果显示，鼻孔宽度与温度和绝对湿度有关，但与被称为基因漂移的随机过程无关。

　　One purpose of the nose is to condition the air that we breathe, to ensure that it is warm and moist when it reaches the lungs, which helps to prevent infections.

　　鼻子的一个作用是调节我们呼吸的空气，以保证其到达肺部时温暖湿润，以避免感染。

　　The current study found the narrower nostrils seem to alter the airflow so that the mucous-covered inside of the nose can humidify and warm the air more efficiently.

　　当前的研究显示，狭窄的鼻腔看起来能调整气流，这样鼻粘膜就能将寒冷的空气快速加湿和加热。

　　"It was probably more essential to have this trait in cold and dry climates," it said.

　　它说，“生活在寒冷干燥的气候条件下的人，拥有这样的鼻子是必不可少的。”

　　The nose has had a complex evolutionary history, however, and researchers suspected that additional factors, such as cultural preferences when picking a mate, have also played a role in shaping the nose.

　　鼻子有很复杂的进化史，不过，研究人员们发现，一些其他因素比如选择伴侣时的文化偏好也在鼻子塑形上发挥着一定作用。

　　Investigations into nose shape evolution and climate adaptation may have medical as well as anthropological implications.

　　了解人类鼻子的演化过程以及适应气候的过程在医学和人类学领域也有应用价值。

　　Studies of human adaptation are essential to our understanding of disease and yield insights into why certain conditions, such as sickle cell anemia, lactose intolerance or skin cancer, are more common in certain populations.

　　对人类对环境的适应过程的研究有助于揭开疾病的面纱，并深刻了解为何某些疾病例如贫血、乳糖不耐受和皮肤癌在生活在特定气候环境中的某些人种当中发病率较高。

　　The researchers said that it may be worth investigating whether the shape of the nose and the size of the nasal cavity impact one’s risk of contracting a respiratory disease when living in a climate that is different from one’s ancestors.

　　研究人员说，当一个人生活在不同于其祖先的气候环境中，鼻子形状和鼻腔大小是否影响他罹患某些呼吸系统疾病的风险，仍是值得研究的。