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Why Onions Make You Cry

玉ねぎを切ると涙が出る、その化学的なドラマの正体。

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Cutting an onion is one of the few things in cooking that makes you visibly suffer. The reason is chemistry. When the cells of an onion are damaged — by your knife, for example — they release an enzyme that mixes with sulfur compounds inside the onion. The result is a small cloud of gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide, which rises through the air and reaches your eyes. There, it reacts with the moisture on the surface of your eyeballs to form a weak acid. Your nervous system registers the acid as a threat and tells your tear ducts to flush it away. Hence the tears. There are several ways to reduce the effect. Cutting the onion under cold water dilutes the gas. Refrigerating it before cutting slows the enzyme reaction. Using a very sharp knife damages fewer cells than a dull one and releases less gas. Or you can wear swimming goggles in the kitchen — silly, but effective. The next time you cry over an onion, take small comfort in knowing that you are not weak. You are a normal mammal having a normal chemical reaction.

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  • one of the few things in cooking that makes you visibly suffer文法

    料理の中であなたを目に見えて苦しめる数少ない作業の1つ

    〈one of the few X that ...〉+ make + O + 動詞原形 (使役)。〈visibly〉= 『目に見えて』、副詞。

  • When the cells of an onion are damaged — by your knife, for example文法

    玉ねぎの細胞があなたの包丁などで傷つけられると

    受動態 + ダッシュで例示挿入。〈for example〉= 『例えば』、副詞句。

  • rises through the air and reaches your eyes表現

    空気中を漂って目に届く

    〈rise through〉= 『〜の中を上昇する』。〈reach〉= 『到達する』。

  • Your nervous system registers the acid as a threat語彙

    あなたの神経系はその酸を脅威として認識する

    〈register + 名詞 + as + 名詞〉= 『〜を〜として認識する』、formal な動詞。

  • Hence the tears.表現

    だから涙が出る。

    〈hence〉= 『それゆえ』、結論を導く formal 副詞。動詞なしの省略文。

  • Cutting the onion under cold water dilutes the gas.語彙

    冷水の下で切ればガスが薄まる。

    動名詞主語 + dilutes (動詞)。〈dilute〉= 『薄める』、化学・料理動詞。

  • silly, but effective表現

    馬鹿げているが、効果的

    コンマ + but で短い対比。〈silly〉= 『馬鹿げた』、〈effective〉= 『効果的』、形容詞2つの並置。

  • take small comfort in knowing that表現

    〜と知ることに小さな慰めを得る

    〈take comfort in + 動名詞〉= 『〜することに慰めを得る』、慣用句。

  • You are a normal mammal having a normal chemical reaction.文法

    あなたは普通の哺乳類が、普通の化学反応をしているだけだ。

    現在分詞 having が後置修飾。エッセイの締めの自虐ユーモア。

内容チェック

本文の内容を思い出してから答え合わせ。細部まで読めたか確認しましょう。

  1. What happens chemically when you cut an onion?

  2. Why do your eyes produce tears?

  3. What ways of reducing the effect does the article suggest?

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