第1855期:Pet dogs may help children avoid asthma

Many people are allergic to dogs, or at least the dead skin cells and saliva that they shed as they groom themselves.

许多人对狗过敏，或者至少会对它们在梳理毛发时所脱落的死皮细胞和唾液过敏。

But a new piece of research from Sweden suggests early exposure to these pets could cut a child's future risk of allergy. Living with a dog in the home in the first year of life was linked to a 13% lower risk of asthma in later childhood among the 650,000 children the authors tracked.

但瑞典的一项新研究表明，及早接触这些宠物可以降低孩子未来患过敏症的风险。在作者追踪的 650,000 名儿童中，出生后第一年在家中与狗同住所带来的风险和儿童后期患哮喘的风险低 13%。

The researchers say this fits with the hygiene hypothesis which favours exposure to dust and dirt to improve our tolerance of common allergens. But for a child who is already allergic to dogs, buying a puppy would not be a good idea.

研究人员表示，这符合卫生假说，即有利于接触灰尘和污垢来提高我们对常见过敏原的耐受性。但是对于已经对狗过敏的孩子来说，买一只小狗可不是个好主意。

allergic （生理上）过敏的，有过敏反应的 I'm allergic to peanuts, so I always make sure to read food labels carefully before eating anything. (我对花生过敏，所以在吃任何东西之前我总是会仔细阅读食品标签。)
saliva 唾液 The dentist asked me to spit out my saliva into the sink during the dental examination. (牙医要求我在牙齿检查时把唾液吐进水池里。)
shed 掉下，流出 My pet dog sheds a lot of fur, so I have to vacuum the house regularly to keep it clean. (我的宠物狗掉很多毛，所以我必须定期用吸尘器清洁房子。)
tracked 跟踪调查的 The package can be tracked online using the tracking number provided by the courier. (可以使用快递提供的跟踪号码在线追踪包裹。)
hygiene 卫生；保健 Personal hygiene is important for maintaining good health. Remember to wash your hands frequently and brush your teeth regularly. (个人卫生对于保持良好的健康很重要。记得经常洗手和定期刷牙。)
tolerance 容忍度，耐受性 Developing tolerance towards different cultures and beliefs is crucial for fostering harmony in a diverse society. (对不同的文化和信仰发展容忍是在多元社会中培养和谐关系的关键。)
allergens 过敏源 Common allergens such as pollen, dust mites, and pet dander can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. (常见的过敏原如花粉、尘螨和宠物皮屑可能引发敏感人群的过敏反应。)