Some people's ears produce wax like busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose.
有些人的耳朵会像勤劳的小蜜蜂一样分泌耳垢，尽管耳垢起到很大的作用，这仍然是个问题。
Experts say it protects and cleans the ear. It traps dirt and other matter and keep insects out. Doctors think it might also help protect against infections. And the waxy oil keeps ears from getting too dry.
专家表示，耳垢保护并清洁耳道，它能够抑制灰尘、其它物体和昆虫进入耳内。医生认为它有助于防止感染。耳油能防止耳朵过于干燥。
So earwax is good. It even has a medical name: cerumen. There are two kinds. Most people of European or African ancestry have the "wet" kind: thick and sticky. East Asians commonly have "dry" earwax.
因此，耳垢是有益的。它甚至有个医学名称：耵聍。耳垢通常有两种：大多欧洲和非洲血统的人耳垢是潮湿的，厚而有粘性的。而东亚人通常拥有干燥型耳垢。
But you can have too much of a good thing.
然而，好事过头也可能成为坏事。
The glands in the ear canal that produce the wax make too much in some people. Earwax is normally expelled; it falls out of the ear or gets washed away. But extra wax can harden and form ofa blockage that interferes with sound waves and reduces hearing.
在一些人中，耳道中的腺体会产生过量的耳垢。耳垢一般会被清除，它会掉落耳外或被冲走。但多余的耳垢更加坚硬，造成干扰声波、降低听力的一种障碍。
People can also cause a blockage when they try to clean out their ears, but only push the wax deeper inside. Earwax removal is sometimes necessary but you have to use a safe method or you could do a lot of damage.
当人们试图将耳垢清出耳道时也可能产生阻碍，但这只发生于将耳垢堆入耳道更深处。耳垢的清除有时是必要的，但你必须用一种安全的方法，不然你可能对耳朵造成很大的伤害。
Ancestry: 血统
Too much of a good thing: 好事过头反成坏事
Gland:腺
Canal: 管,道
posted @ 2008-06-26 11:37
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