值得一看:破解50个现代常见误解(上)

Coffee is made from beans, chameleons change colour to match their surroundings and Mount Qomolangma is the 'tallest' mountain in the world.

咖啡是由咖啡豆制成，变色龙会根据它们周围的环境改变身上的颜色，珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最高的山。

These are all modern day 'facts' which we believe to be true – but experts have pointed out that many are simple misconceptions.

这些都是在现代社会中我们确信的“事实”，但是专家指出其中一些“事实”其实是有误解的。

For example, while Qomolangma is officially the tallest mountain in the world, some claim it technically shouldn't own the title because Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain when measured from base to summit.

例如，虽然珠穆朗玛峰是官方认证世界上最高的山，但从技术角度来说，它并不是最高的。如果测量距离是从山底到山峰，莫纳克亚山（夏威夷岛的死火山）才是世界上最高的山。

Others are just downright myths, such as that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space and that caffeine is dehydrating.

其他的“事实”很明显是虚构的。比如，从太空上可以看到中国的长城，咖啡因让人脱水。

Many of the 'faux facts' date back generations and have become part of common folklore but are often based on rumour or as a result of Chinese whispers.

一些“假事实”来自代代相传的说法，其中一些说法转变成广为流传的民间传说，但它们经常都是从谣言或者以讹传讹的演变结果发展来的。

However, closer inspection reveals that commonly-held assumptions such as 'eating cheese before bed gives you nightmares' are, in fact, not quite as true as they seem.

然而，更详细的调查揭露一些被普遍接受的假设，比如睡前吃奶酪会做噩梦，而实际上，并不是他们认为的那样准确。

The raft of common misconceptions was uncovered by Ripley's Believe it or Not! London, a visitor attraction dedicated to the bizarre in Piccadilly Circus.

许多普遍的误解在雷普利的节目《信不信由你》（Ripley's Believe it or Not）中被解开。

A spokesman said: 'If you're told something enough times, you're sure to start believing it.

一位发言人曾说过：“如果你把一件事说很多次，那么你就会开始相信它。”

'The misconceptions in this list are all pretty plausible, so it's understandable that many Brits will have read it and been certain it's true, with many of us being told these from an early age.

在这榜单上的误解貌似都非常可信，所以可以理解英国人读了这些后会信以为真，我们在早些时候也被告知过这些所谓的“事实”。

'Unbelievably, all of these commonly believed facts are in fact common misconceptions that we have myths and misconceptions.

不可思议的是，这些广泛被人们相信的事实实际上都是误解，这些是由我们虚构和误解得来的。

'We've found this research really interesting as the whole Ripley's attraction is filled with exhibits that have the 'Believe It or Not!' factor.

“我们发现这个研究非常的有意思，完全吸引了雷普利的眼球，因此这些就成为了《信不信由你》的节目素材。

'As our founder Robert Ripley used to say, it is often the strangest things that are true.'

“正如我们的创始人罗伯特雷普利（Robert Ripley）曾说过，最奇怪的事通常都是真的。”

THE TOP 50 COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS RESOLVED

50大普遍的误解被解开

1. Coffee is made from beans

咖啡是由咖啡豆制成

While it is widely believed that coffee comes from 'coffee beans', experts say it is actually made from a seed which is called a bean.

尽管大家广泛认为，咖啡是由咖啡豆制成，但专家说，咖啡其实是由种子制成也就是大家说的“豆”。

2. Chameleons change colour to match their surroundings

变色龙会根据它们周围的环境改变身上的颜色

Believe it or not, chameleons actually change colour as a response to mood, temperature, communication and light instead of the object they are touching.

不管你信不信，变色龙其实是根据情绪、温度、沟通、光线来变色的，而不是它们接触到的物体。

3. Mount Qomolangma is the 'tallest' mountain in the world

珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最高的山

While Mount Qomolangma is officially deemed the tallest mountain in the world, experts claim that technically it may not be. The summit of Qomolangma is officially higher above sea level than the summit of any other mountain, but Mauna Kea is the tallest when measured from base to summit. However, the record books deem it the tallest because it has the highest peak on Earth.

尽管珠穆朗玛峰是官方认可的世界上最高的山，但专家说在技术层面上来说它并不是最高的。官方认为，从海平面算起，珠穆朗玛峰的最高点要高于其它的山。但如果从山底算起，莫纳克亚山（夏威夷岛的死火山）是世界上最高的山。但是，世界纪录手册上依然认定珠穆朗玛峰是最高的，因为它有着地球上最高的山峰。

4. The Great Wall of China can be seen from space

在太空能看到中国的万里长城

The Apollo astronauts confirmed that you can't see the Great Wall of China from the Moon. In fact, all you can see from the Moon is the white and blue marble of Earth.

阿波罗宇航员证实，人们不能从月球看到中国的长城。事实上，你可以从月球看到像白色和蓝色大理石一样的地球。

5. One human year is equivalent to seven dog years

人类的一年相当于狗的七年。

While true in some cases, it does not apply to everyone because it very much depends on the size and breed of the dog.

虽然在某些情况下是真实的，但并不都这样，因为它在很大程度上取决于狗的大小和品种。

6. You lose your body heat fastest through your head

散失身体热量最快的部位是头部。

While this is widely believed to be true, some experts say it is a myth and claim humans would be just as cold if they went without a hat as if they went without trousers.

虽然这被普遍认为是真实的，但一些专家认为这是没有依据的，因为如果他们不戴帽子，一定会像没穿裤子一样的冷。

7. The Earth revolves around the Sun

地球围绕太阳转。

Technically, the Earth, sun and all of the other the planets are orbiting around the centre of mass of the solar system, not specifically the sun.

从技术上讲，地球、太阳和所有其他的行星都围绕着太阳系的质量中心转，并不是特定地围绕着太阳转。

8. Different parts of your tongue detects different tastes

舌头的不同部位品尝不同的味道。

This was scientifically disproven by research which found that all taste sensations come from all regions of the tongue, although different parts are more sensitive to certain tastes which may be where the popular saying comes from.

科学研究发现，所有味觉来自舌头各地区，只是不同的部分对其特定的味道更为敏感，可能这个流行的错误说法正来自于此。

9. Peanuts are a type of nut

花生是坚果的一种。

Unbelievably, peanuts, along with beans and peas, actually belong to the single plant family, Leguminosae.

令人难以置信的是，继豆类，豌豆之后，花生也属于单一植物家族——豆科。

10. Giving children sugar makes them hyper

糖会使儿童亢奋。

While some experts do stand by this common belief, other professors claim that the majority of scientific research has concluded that sugar does not cause hyperactivity in youngsters.

虽然一些专家认同这个说法，但其他教授声称，大多数科学研究得出的结论是糖不会导致青少年患多动症。

11. Humans have five senses

人类有五种感觉。

This is correct, although in actual fact there are at least nine senses and most researchers think there are more like 21. The five main senses - sight, sound, touch, smell and taste - are the ones referred to in this popular saying.

这是正确的，尽管事实上人类有至少九种感觉，并且大多数研究者认为更多，也许多达二十一种。五个主要的感官——视觉，听觉，触觉，嗅觉和味觉——是这个流行说法中所提到的。

12. Fortune cookies are a Chinese tradition

吃福饼是中国人的传统。

Fortune cookies were originally the invention of Japanese-Americans before being widely adopted by Chinese culture.

在被中国文化广泛采纳之前，幸运饼干是日裔美国人发明的。

13. Sushi means 'raw fish'

寿司的意思是生鱼片。

Sushi actually translates as sour-tasting.

实际上，寿司应译为酸味食物。

14. Vikings wore horned helmets

维京人戴着唐冠螺。

While this may well be true, experts say there is actually no evidence to suggest that Vikings ever wore horned helmets.

专家认为，虽然这可能是真的，但其实没有证据表明海盗曾经戴唐冠螺。

15. The forbidden fruit mentioned in the Book of Genesis is an apple

在圣经《创世纪》中提到的禁果是苹果。

The bible never mentions the forbidden fruit was an apple.

圣经中从未提到圣果就是苹果。

16. Vitamin C is an effective treatment for a cold

维生素C可以有效地治疗感冒。

Flu-sufferers are often encouraged to increase their dosage of Vitamin C, but most experts have stated that there is little or no evidence that the vitamin can help treatment of a cold. Instead of effectively treating a cold, it is thought to help build up the immune system to ward of potential flu viruses.

流感患者们经常被鼓励增加维生素C的剂量，但大多数专家都表示，有很少或没有证据表明维生素可以帮助治疗感冒的。事实上，维生素C被认为能帮助建立免疫系统，以抵御潜在的流感病毒，而不能有效地治疗感冒。

17. Penguins mate for life

企鹅都是终身一夫一妻制

Penguins are mostly monogamous, but there are some species such as the Emperor Penguin which are serially monogamous. They mate with one couple for the whole season but will probably mate with another penguin the following year as the urgent need for breeding will make them avoid waiting for the same couple.

企鹅大多是终身一夫一妻制，但也有一些物种如帝企鹅是连续性一夫一妻制。它们一年到头与同一个伴侣交配，但次年可能会作为育种的迫切需要，而与另一个企鹅交配，这样它们不必花时间等待之前的伴侣。

18. Caffeine dehydrates you

咖啡会使你脱水

While caffeinated drinks may have a mild diuretic effect - meaning that they may cause the need to urinate - some experts believe they don't appear to increase the risk of dehydration.

虽然含咖啡因的饮料可能有一种温和的利尿剂效果——这意味着他们可能会导致我们需要尿尿，但一些专家认为他们不会增加脱水的风险。

19. When in London, you are merely six feet away from a rat

在伦敦，离你六英尺的地方就会有一只老鼠

This could well be true but hasn't been proven and is just a rough estimate as rodents are not evenly spread apart.

这很可能是真的，但尚未被证实，只是一个粗略的估计，因为啮齿动物的分布并不均匀。

20. There is a dark side of the moon

月亮有一个黑暗面

As the Moon is constantly rotating on its own axis, there is no area of the planetoid which is in permanent darkness.

当月亮以它的轴为中心不断旋转时，没有哪个区域会在永恒的黑暗中。