How do mosquitoes select their victims?

对那些很不幸被蚊子列为叮咬对象的人们来说,夏夜就是蚊虫叮咬的代名词,而有些人却从没被蚊子叮咬过.有研究揭示了这些吸血虫是如何选择它们的受害对象的？

For those unfortunate enough to feature highly on the mosquito hit list, summer nights are synonymous with mosquito bites. Yet others hardly ever get bitten. So how do the blood thirsty insects select their victims?

昆虫的口味好像很随意.然而研究显示当蚊子要从潜在的受害者中选择对象时,还是气味起了决定作用.

The insects' tastes may seem arbitrary. However, research reveals that when mosquitoes make their choice between potential victims, it all comes down to scent:

"蚊子会被每个人都会散发出的二氧化碳和热量所吸引,但也会被某些特定的气味吸引."研究负责人詹森说.

Mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide and heat, which everyone gives off. But mosquitoes are also attracted by certain scientist, Karl-Martin Vagn Jensen.

在实验中,带有研究者气味的培养皿被放置在一个蚊子出没的地方.蚊子会反复地停留在某些培养皿上,却不会飞到附近其它的培养皿上.根据他的说法,目前仍没确定那些会吸引蚊子的气味到底是哪些.但研究的确指出了有些气味相比较其它气味而言更会吸引蚊子.

The scents of the lab employees were deposited on the dishes, which were then put in an enclosure full of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes repeatedly landed on some of the Petri dishes, but didn't go anywhere near the others. According to Jensen, it has not yet been established exactly what the scents in question are. But research does indicate that some scents are more attractive to mosquitoes than others.

有些人宣称大蒜是一种可以用来对付蚊子很好的防虫剂.据研究人员透露,尽管还未经证实,但这种方法也并非完全无效："就我所知,目前没有科学依据证明吃大蒜会有效预防蚊虫叮咬.但在理论上它也许是行得通的,因为可以用大蒜来掩盖你的气味."詹森说.唯一有效的免于蚊虫叮咬的方法是使用在柜台处买来的对付蚊虫的强效防蚊剂.

There are also those who swear by garlic as an excellent repellent against the winged bloodsuckers. According to the researcher, though unsubstantiated, this strategy may not be entirely fruitless. "As far as I know, there is no scientific proof that eating garlic works. But there may be something to the theory that it's possible to mask your scent with garlic,"he says. The only reliable method of protection against mosquitoes is to use one of the effective repellents that are sold over the counter.

词语注释

叮咬（dīngyǎo）bite

受害者（shòuhài zhě）victim

出没（chūmò）haunt

培养皿（péiyǎng mǐn）Petri dishes

强效（qiángxiào）effective

(Source: myechinese.com)