光照少、气候寒冷的国家，人们更爱喝酒

A new study suggests people living in cold climates with less sunlight are more likely to drink heavily.

一项新的研究发现，光照少、气候寒冷的国家，那里的人们更爱喝酒。

The US research establishes a link between average temperature and hours of sunlight and alcohol consumption.

美国的这项研究证实了平均气温、日照时间和酒的消费量之间的关系。

Examining data from 193 countries, the group found evidence that climate contributed to a higher incidence of binge drinking and liver disease. Senior author Ramon Bataller, associate director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Centre, said: “This is the first study that systematically demonstrates that worldwide and in America, in colder areas and areas with less sun, you have more drinking and more alcoholic cirrhosis.” Alcohol is a vasodilator, relaxing blood vessels and increasing the flow of warm blood to the skin.

通过对193个国家的数据进行分析，该研究团队发现气候因素导致酗酒和肝病的高发。匹兹堡肝脏研究中心副主任、资深专家拉蒙.巴塔列尔说：“这项研究首次系统地证明了在世界各地包括美国气候冷、日照时间短的地方，人们更爱喝酒，患酒精性肝硬化的几率也较大。”酒精是一种血管扩张剂，舒张血管并增加温暖的血液流向皮肤。

Drinking also is linked to depression, which tends to be more prevalent when sunlight is scarce.

饮酒还与抑郁症有关，光照不足的地方抑郁更为常见。

The study, published online in Hepatology, used data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation. Dr Peter McCann, medical adviser to Castle Craig Hospital, a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic in the Scottish Borders, contributed to the report.

这项研究发表在《肝病》(Hepatology)在线杂志上，它使用了来自世界卫生组织(WHO)和世界气象组织的数据。位于苏格兰边境的一家社区戒毒戒酒康复中心——克雷格堡医院——的健康顾问彼得.麦卡恩博士为这篇研究报告提供了资料。

He said: “We now have new evidence that the weather, and in particular the temperature and amount of sunlight that we are exposed to, has a strong influence on how much alcohol we consume.

麦卡恩博士还说：“我们现在有新的证据表明，天气，尤其是气温和日照时间，对人们消费的酒量具有重要的影响。”

“Furthermore this weather-related alcohol consumption is directly linked to our chances of developing the most dangerous form of liver disease — cirrhosis — which can ultimately end in liver failure and death.” He added: “Stricter laws on alcohol pricing are surely justified when we consider the devastating combined effect of low sunlight and cheaper alcohol on consumption.

他说：“而这种与天气有关的酒的消费量，与我们患上最危险的肝病——酒精性肝硬化——的几率有着直接联系。酒精性肝硬化可能最终导致肝功能衰竭而死亡。”他补充说:“考虑到日照较少和廉价酒精消费的毁灭性综合影响，对酒类价格制定更严格的法律无疑是合理的。”