Geophagy 吃泥土
Eating dirt may not be so bad after all
吃土也许不是坏事喔
July 4
Many people think of dirt as being, well, dirty! Parents often tell their children not to play in dirt or to get it on their clothes. And there are good reasons to be wary ─ soil often contains bacteria, parasites and pollutants that can make people sick. With so many risks, it is no surprise that many people find geophagy ─ literally the eating of earth or soil ─ unappetizing.
Yet, geophagy is actually a relatively common practice in many parts of the world. Since people tend to be very selective about which soils they eat, the practice has also created a thriving industry. In Nigeria, the village of Uzalla annually processes over 500 tons of its prized soil for sale and consumption in markets hundreds of kilometers away. Geophagy also has a long history in the U.S., where some eat clay and ship packages of it to relatives far from home. Soil is also sold as a nutritional supplement, similar to vitamins, in some parts of Asia.
The fact that the eating of soil is also widespread in the animal kingdom suggests that geophagy may even be a natural process.

    许多人想到泥土都觉得，喔，好脏！家长常告诉孩子别在土里玩耍或让泥土沾到衣服。这麽小心谨慎的理由很充份，因为土壤常含有致病细菌、寄生虫和污染物。有这麽多风险，难怪许多人觉得吃土（字面意思就是吃泥巴或土壤）令人倒胃。
    然而，在世界上许多地方，吃泥土其实是一种相当普遍的做法，由於人们往往精挑细选自己要吃的土，吃土也造就了一个欣欣向荣的产业。奈及利亚的乌札拉村每年加工五百多吨的珍贵土壤，以便销售到数百公里外的市场供人消费。吃土的做法在美国也历史悠久，有些人会吃土，还寄一包包泥土给客居他乡的亲人。在亚洲一些地区，有人也把土壤当成像维他命的营养补给品出售。
    吃土在动物界也相当普遍，显示吃土甚至可能是种自然现象。

Word Bank
parasite (n)寄生虫
People who have parasites in their stomachs are often very sick.
literally (adv)照字面地；实在地
The moon is literally a natural satellite of Earth.
thriving (adj)兴盛的；欣欣向荣的
The thriving orchard produced enough fruit for the family to eat and to sell.
nutritional supplement (n)营养补给品
I want to start taking a nutritional supplement so I won't be sick all the time.

More Information
geophagy (n)食土；食土癖
Nigeria (n)奈及利亚

Chat Room
Many people thin of dirt as being, well, dirty.中间的这个well要稍微停顿一下，就好像作者一边讲，一边在考虑他的措辞，不知道用什么字来形容dirt，结果想了半天只好用一个既恰当又不是很恰当的字dirty，不恰当是因为dirty其实就是dirt的形容词，dirty dirt听起来好像很没有创意，但是偏偏dirty就是作者想要表达的意思，所以就用well来表达他选择这个字的无奈

parasite (n)寄生虫
寄生菌；像寄生虫一样依附别人生活的人
1 The patient's infection was caused by a parasite which carried by dogs.
这位病患的发炎是因为狗身上的寄生菌所引起的。
2 John has never work a day in his life, he asks his parents for money and lives as a parasite.
John这辈子没有上过一天班，向父母要钱，像寄生虫一般的生活着。

literally (adv)照字面地；实在地
真正地，完全地
1 He suffers from diabetes, literally a metabolic disorder that causes unstable blood sugar level.
他患有糖尿病，按照字面上来说就是一种新陈代谢失调造成一种血糖不稳定的疾病。
2 Henry literally shopped all around town for the perfect ring for his girlfriend.
Henry真的逛遍了整个镇想要买一颗完美的戒指送给他的女朋友。

thriving (adj)兴盛的；欣欣向荣的
活跃的
1 The thriving economy in this country has attracted many foreign investors.
这个国家繁荣的经济吸引许多外国的投资者。
2 Kate is still a thriving women's right advocate after all these years.
多年以来Kate仍旧是一名活跃的女权提倡者。

July 5
Why dirt?
Some soils are surprisingly rich in minerals and nutrients such as iron and copper. People can often get more of these nutrients from geophagy than from taking vitamin supplements. This may be why geophagists often claim to like the "sour taste" of dirt and to have cravings for it. It may also explain why geophagy is often most common among pregnant women and nursing mothers.
In some cases, soil can make dangerous foods safe to consume. People have long known that certain poisonous wild acorns and potatoes become edible when mixed with soil.
Sometimes, soil is even taken as medicine! Many stomach medications contain the clay Kaolin because it absorbs bacteria and toxins that cause diarrhea.
Unfortunately, geophagy is also practiced to avoid hunger pains when other food is scarce. In poor countries, food can become so expensive that people substitute soil for flour or rice. This is a serious social problem because even mineral-rich soils can't provide a balanced diet.
Eating dirt may not be key to a healthy diet, but sometimes it may not be so bad after all.

    干嘛吃土？有些土壤出人意外地富含矿物质和铁、铜等养分，和服用维他命相比，人们藉由吃土常能摄取更多这类养分，也许这就是吃土的人常说喜欢泥土那股「酸味」并特别喜欢那种味道的原因，这也或可解释吃土习惯为何在孕妇和哺乳的母亲身上通常最为常见。
    某些情况下，土壤可让危险的食物变得安全。长久以来，大家都知道把某些有毒的野生橡实和马铃薯掺了泥土後即可食用。
    有时民众甚至把土当成药物服用！许多胃药内含高岭土，因为它能吸收导致腹泻的细菌和毒素。
    遗憾的是，一旦其他食物缺乏，人们也吃土以避免挨饿之苦。在一些穷国，食物可能昂贵到民众以泥土取代面粉或稻米。这是个严重的社会问题，因为即使富含矿物质的土也无法提供营养均衡的饮食。
    吃土也许并非健康饮食之道，但有时候或许也不是什麽坏事喔。

Word Bank
nutrient (n)养分；养料
One of the reasons milk is so healthy is that it is full of nutrients.
craving (n)渴望
I have a craving for chocolate chip cookies and pizza ─ mixed together!
edible (adj)可食用的
The candy was so old it was no longer edible.
diarrhea (n)腹泻
The children have been suffering from diarrhea since they ate some bad fish last Friday.

More Information
geophagist (n)食土者
acorn (n)橡实

Chat Room
nursing mothers：哺乳中的母亲
nursery：在家里的孕婴房；也可指苗圃，温室；crib：婴儿床
nursing room：哺乳室

nutrient (n)养分；养料
nutrition：不可数名词，营养
1 Mothers' breast milk contains essential nutrient for babies.
母亲的母乳含有婴儿最需要的养分。
2 This diet provides nutrients which help our muscles grow stronger.
这种饮食提供能够帮助肌肉快速成长的营养素。
3 Good nutrition is a must for the patient's recovery.
病人如果要复原的话好的营养素绝对是必要的。

craving (n)渴望
说明所渴望的事物用for
1 She suddenly has a strong craving for coffee.
她突然有一种很强的渴望很想喝咖啡。
2 That poor child has a huge craving for love and attention.
那个可怜的孩子极其渴望爱和注意。
3 She craves wealth and fame.
她渴望得到财富和名声。

edible (adj)可食用的
eatable：好吃的，口味上可以接受的
1 The guide showed us several edible berries at rainforest.
这个向导在雨林中介绍了几种可以食用的浆果。
2 The food here is hardly eatable.
这里的食物真的没办法吃。