你還能記得小學時候,當你坐在餐桌邊剛喝了一大口牛奶時別人講了一個笑話時的情況嗎?
As you laughed milk spurted out yournose andsprayed everyone around you.
當你被逗笑時,牛奶從你的鼻孔噴出、灑了你周圍人一身。
Now that's entertainment.
現(xiàn)在想想這確實是很好玩的。
But why does this happen?
但是為什么會發(fā)生牛奶噴出的事情?
Here's how it works.
其中的原因是這樣的。
In our head we have nasal passages,which allow air to go to our lungs, andan oral cavity, through which air also gets to the lungs,and food and drink get to the stomach.
我們的頭部有鼻腔以供空氣通過直達肺部,而頭部的口腔也可供空氣通過進入肺部、并可供食物和液體通過進入胃部。
These spaces are separated by the hard and soft palates, located on the top part of themouthand throat.
鼻道和食道是通過嘴和喉嚨最里面的硬腭和軟腭部分分開。
The hard palate has a bony plate and is near the front of the mouth.
硬腭在位于嘴前部的位置有一個骨板。
As the palatecontinues towards the back of the mouth muscle replaces bone, creating a softerarea.
這個硬腭一直延伸到嘴部肌肉的后端,這時骨板部分逐漸被軟組織替代。
Hanging from the end of the soft palate is the uvula, the thing at the back of your throatthatlooks like a miniature punching bag.
從軟腭部分垂下來的即是小舌,這個器官在喉嚨的后端,外形象一個小型的吊袋。
When we breathe with our mouths closed, air enters thenostrils and passes over the soft palateand uvula on its way to the lungs.
當我們閉上嘴呼吸時,空氣經過鼻孔、軟腭和小舌直達肺部。
As this happens, theuvula hangs down.
在這種情況下,小舌處于下垂狀態(tài)。
But when we're eating, drinking and swallowing, a reflex causes the soft palate and uvulatoelevate and close off the nasal opening at the back of the throat so that what we'reswallowingdoesn't go up our nose.
當我們進食、喝水或下咽食品時,生理反射作用促使軟腭和小舌抬起以關閉喉嚨里端的鼻腔,這樣我們吞咽食物時食物就不會到達鼻腔里。
Laughing causes us to exhale, which means that the soft palate and uvula drop intotheirbreathing position.
發(fā)笑使我們放松,這就意味著軟腭和小舌回到呼吸時的位置。
So if you laugh while drinking, the liquid shoots up into your unsealed nasalpassage and outyour nostrils.
所以如果你在喝水時發(fā)笑,液體就會沖向沒有關閉上的鼻腔,然后從鼻孔噴出。