Why Should We Send Valentine's Day Chocolate　情人节为什么要送巧克力

Why Should We Send Valentine's Day Chocolate　情人节为什么要送巧克力

◎ Gabriel Keith Harris

Chocolate is almost synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but it’s doubtful that Saint Valentine even tasted it. During the martyr’s lifetime in third-century Rome, chocolate was still limited to native South America.

巧克力几乎是情人节的同义词，情人节直译为“圣·瓦伦丁诺的纪念日”，但圣·瓦伦丁诺本人是否尝过巧克力，尚无定论。3世纪的罗马，在这位殉道者的有生之年，巧克力仍然仅存在于南美土著部落。

Today chocolate is enjoyed by people the world over, with some 2.3 billion pounds of chocolate consumed in America each year. That amounts to 10.8 pounds per person.

今天，全世界的人们都可以享受到巧克力的美味，美国每年消费的巧克力都可高达23亿磅之重，相当于10.8磅的人均年消耗量。

The gift of chocolate

巧克力：送礼首选

Legend has it that chocolate was a gift of the gods. The cacao tree was supposedly brought to mankind by Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god who taught mortals how to make a drink from it.

巧克力据说是神的馈赠。阿兹特克人崇拜的羽蛇神不仅赐给人类可可树，还教导人类如何用可可调配饮料。

Giving someone chocolates still carries a wealth of meaning. The custom even has royal approval, ever since 1900 when Queen Victoria sent special tins of chocolate to soldiers in the Boer War to wish them a happy New Year.

赠送巧克力还包含着丰富的含义。1900年，维多利亚女王将几罐巧克力赠与参与波尔战争的士兵，恭祝他们新年快乐。自此以后，送巧克力的风俗就得到了皇室的认可。

And of course chocolate often sends a message of love, whether it’s a gift-wrapped box for Mother’s Day or a Valentine’s present of heart-shaped truffles.

当然，无论是母亲节的巧克力精美礼盒，还是情人节的心形松露巧克力，作为礼物送出的同时，还会传达一份真挚的爱意。

Chocolate, love and sex

巧克力、爱情与性

French doctors prescribed chocolate to women patients for a broken heart.

法国医生曾为失恋心碎的女病人开出巧克力药方。

Chocolate has long been associated with love. At one time, nuns were forbidden to eat it because of its sexual reputation. Casanova is believed to have thought of hot chocolate as the “elixir of love”. And in the 18th century, French doctors prescribed chocolate to women patients for a broken heart.

巧克力与爱情的关联由来已久。修道院曾一度禁止修女吃巧克力，就是因为巧克力的性意味。在人们看来，意大利风流浪子卡萨诺瓦就是那个把热巧克力视作“爱情神药”的人。18世纪，法国医生曾为失恋心碎的女病人开出巧克力药方。

Science may hold a clue—chocolate contains a substance called phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring chemical in the brain which promotes feelings of euphoria associated with being in love. It also contains a variety of other substances which may help create a feeling of well-being.

此事还是有一些科学依据的。巧克力中含有的名为苯乙胺的物质，可以刺激大脑分泌一种化学物质，令人产生一种恋爱时才有的欣快感。除此之外，巧克力中还含有许多可能会使人产生幸福感觉的物质。

Do you know?

你知道吗？

That same 100 grams of chocolate also contains 5 milligrams of methylxanthine and 160 milligrams of theo- bromine, both caffeine-like stimulants. When taken in large quantities, these stimulants can induce nausea and vomiting—a good reason to limit your Valentine’s Day nibbling to a few chocolates.

100克巧克力中有5毫克甲基黄嘌呤和160毫克可可碱，这两种物质均为类似咖啡因的兴奋剂。如大量服用这些兴奋剂，会导致恶心、呕吐，这可是限制你在情人节只吃几块巧克力的大好理由。

Meanwhile, Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and other pets, and can even be lethal. Don’t give it to your dog. Theobromine is toxic to dogs, and one ounce of chocolate could kill a 10-pound canine.

同时，巧克力对狗和其他宠物来说是有毒的，甚至可能致死。所以，不要给你的狗吃巧克力。可可碱对狗来说是剧毒，一盎司巧克力就可以杀死一条10磅重的狗。

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