【新闻精讲】

The author sets out to prove that because of its unique metabolic, physiological and hormonal effects, sugar is the new tobacco. It is detrimental to health, yet also defended by powerful lobbies. If, as he contends in one example, the most significant change in diets as populations become Westernised, urbanised and affluent is the amount of sugar consumed, then the conventional wisdom linking fat with chronic disease does not square up. Cultures with diets that contain considerable fat, like the Inuit and the Maasai, experienced obesity, hypertension and coronary disease only when they began to eat profuse amounts of sugar. Likewise, diabetes—virtually unknown in China at the turn of the 20th century, but now endemic in 11.6% of the adult population, 110m in total.
Sugar is intoxicating in the same way that drugs can be, writes Mr Taubes. Was it not Niall Ferguson, a British historian, who once described sugar as the “uppers” of the 18th century? A medieval recipe even suggests sprinkling sugar on oysters. The craving seems to be hard-wired: babies instinctively prefer sugar water to plain.

【精讲文本】
The author sets out to prove that because of its unique metabolic, physiological and hormonal effects, sugar is the new tobacco. It is detrimental to health, yet also defended by powerful lobbies.
作者在书中尝试证明由于其独特的代谢、生理和激素效应，糖就是新的烟草。糖对健康有害，但同样受到强大游说组织的捍卫。
set out 着手/尝试做某事
metabolic adj.新陈代谢的
- metabolism 新陈代谢
physiological adj.生理的
hormonal adj.荷尔蒙的
tobacco n.烟草
detrimental adj.有害的
- The factory' waste was detrimental to the local environment.
defend v.捍卫
lobby n.游说 (try to influence government to make decisions for or against something.

If, as he contends in one example, the most significant change in diets as populations become Westernised, urbanised and affluent is the amount of sugar consumed, then the conventional wisdom linking fat with chronic disease does not square up.
陶布斯在一个例子中提出，在人们不断西化、城市化和日益富足的过程中，膳食中发生的最大变化就是糖的摄入量增加。果真如他所说，那么认为脂肪与慢性疾病有关联的传统观念就说不通了。
contend v.声称 (to argue in a strong way)
urbanised adj.城市化的
- urban adj.城市的
- urbanise/urbanize v.城市化
affluent adj.富裕的 (having a large amount of money and owning many expensive things)
- He is affluent and can afford to send his children to the best schools.
conventional adj.传统的
chronic adj.慢性的
square up 面对面（对立状）
- The two teams will square up tonight.

Cultures with diets that contain considerable fat, like the Inuit and the Maasai, experienced obesity, hypertension and coronary disease only when they began to eat profuse amounts of sugar. Likewise, diabetes—virtually unknown in China at the turn of the 20th century, but now endemic in 11.6% of the adult population, 110m in total.
饮食中摄入大量脂肪的族群（如因纽特人和马赛人）只在他们开始摄入大量糖分时才出现了肥胖、高血压和冠心病。同样，糖尿病在20世纪初的中国几乎是闻所未闻，但现在中国成年人糖尿病患病率已高达11.6%，患病人数共计1.1亿。
considerable adj.大量的
hypertension n.高血压
profuse adj.大量的
- He offered profuse apologies for being late.
- They were profuse in their thanks.
likewise adv.同样地
virtually adv.几乎 (very nearly)
- We spent virtually all day shopping.
endemic adj.地方性的
- endemic disease
- The fish is an endemic species.

Sugar is intoxicating in the same way that drugs can be, writes Mr Taubes. Was it not Niall Ferguson, a British historian, who once described sugar as the “uppers” of the 18th century? A medieval recipe even suggests sprinkling sugar on oysters. The craving seems to be hard-wired: babies instinctively prefer sugar water to plain.
糖像毒品一样会让人兴奋，陶布斯写道。英国历史学家尼尔•弗格森（Niall Ferguson）不就曾把糖描述为18世纪的“兴奋剂”吗？一个中世纪的食谱甚至建议在牡蛎上撒糖。对糖的渴望似乎与生俱来：比起白开水，婴儿本能地更喜欢糖水。
intoxicating adj.刺激兴奋的
- intoxicate v.使刺激
upper n.兴奋剂 (a stimulant drug)
medieval adj.中世纪的
sprinkle v.撒
- He sprinkled water on the plants.
oyster n.蚝
craving adj.渴望
- crave v./n.渴望
hardwired adj.与生俱来的
- A human being is hardwired to be sociable.
instinctively adv.本能地
- instinctive adj.本能的
plain n./adj.平淡(的)