有沒有某種氣味一下就喚起了你對舊人舊事的記憶？氣味與我們的性格和記憶之間似乎存在著心理層面的聯系。我們出生時，大腦中處理氣味的區域是空的，人們對氣味的反應是后天習得的，因此也就各不相同。有一些研究甚至表明，某些氣味會影響我們的認知。本期節目探討氣味的力量。

詞匯：smell 氣味

Have you ever caught a whiff of something and been strongly reminded of a person or place? It seems there is a deep psychological link between smells, our personality and our memory. Some research even suggests that smells can influence our cognition.

So, why do smells take us back? Roja Dove, a perfumer, told the BBC that when we are born, the olfactory bulb, which is the area in our brain that processes smell, is empty. Therefore, our responses to smell are learnt and very personal to the individual. This means that when we smell an odour again, the original and unique memory comes flooding back because of the association.

Our awareness of smells is primarily unconscious, according to Andreas Keller from the Department of Philosophy at City University of New York. This means we are not actively aware of them unless they are extremely strong. But, low-level smells are still picked up because the scent receptors in our brain are so powerful that we unconsciously register them. In fact, various studies have found the olfactory bulb sends more neurons to more areas of our brain than our hearing or vision.

Research suggests that the power of smell can also affect how the brain performs, especially when it comes to the aroma of essential oils. Mark Moss, from the Department of Psychology at Northumbria University, found that sage and peppermint show general positive effects on cognition while the smell of rosemary can enhance our memory. He also investigated lavender which he says "tends to impair memory and slow down reaction time. But research by others have [has] shown it to be useful in reducing pre-treatment anxiety in dental and medical situations".

So, don't take your nose for granted. It really is powerful!

詞匯表

whiff （一股）氣味
psychological 心理的
smell 氣味
cognition 認知
take (someone) back 喚起（某人的）記憶
perfumer 調香師，香水調配師
olfactory bulb 嗅球
odour （尤指難聞的）氣味
flood back （回憶）涌現
unconscious 無意識的
low-level 低水平的，（此處指氣味）淡薄的
pick up 捕捉
scent receptor 嗅覺感受器
neuron 神經元
hearing 聽覺
vision 視覺
aroma 香氣，芳香
essential oil 精油
sage 鼠尾草
peppermint 胡椒薄荷
rosemary 迷迭香
lavender 薰衣草

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. Why are responses to smell so personal?

2. True or False? The olfactory bulb helps us process smells.

3. Why are we not actively aware of smells unless they are extremely strong?

4. True or False? Rosemary and lavender can help our memory.

5. How can lavender help in dental and medical situations?

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. He has worked as a _______ since the 90s.   

whiff                            scent                          aroma                      perfumer

2. Memories _______ when I saw my childhood home again.      

picked up                    smelled                       took back                flooded back

3. This song has a very _______ meaning to us. We danced to it at our wedding.

psychological              unconscious                low-level                 personal

4. My _______ is getting worse. I think I need new glasses.

cognition                      receptor                      hearing                    vision

5. We noticed a really horrible _______ as we entered the room.

peppermint                  odour                          lavender                   rosemary

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。 

1. Why are responses to smell so personal?

When we are born, the olfactory bulb is empty. Therefore, our responses to smells are learnt.

2. True or False? The olfactory bulb helps us process smells.

True. The olfactory bulb is the area in our brain that processes smell.

3. Why are we not actively aware of smells unless they are extremely strong?

Because our awareness of smells is primarily unconscious.

4. True or False? Rosemary and lavender can help our memory.

False. Rosemary can enhance our memory but lavender "tends to impair memory and slow down reaction time".

5. How can lavender help in dental and medical situations?

Mark Moss said that research by others has shown it to be useful in reducing pre-treatment anxiety.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. He has worked as a perfumer since the 90s.  

2. Memories flooded back when I saw my childhood home again.     

3. This song has a very personal meaning to us. We danced to it at our wedding.

4. My vision is getting worse. I think I need new glasses.

5. We noticed a really horrible odour as we entered the room.