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The Magic of Tea Tree Oil 去痘之星：茶树精油

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Some people may turn their noses up at natural remedies, but there is one in particular that is attracting the attention of the scientific and medical fields. Tea tree oil, derived mainly from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, has become a popular commodity. As you may have noticed, it has become a popular ingredient in many shampoos, and cleaning products. But it is the tea tree’s healing properties that have been sparking interest of late.

有些人可能对天然草药不屑一顾，但有一种特别的天然产品正引起科学界及医学界专家的注意。茶树精油主要提炼自一种学名为Melaleuca alternifolia的植物，它已经成为相当流行的商品。你也许已经注意到，在洗发精、肥皂与其他清洁产品中，茶树精油已经变成一种很普遍的原料。不过真正引起大众兴趣的其实是它的治疗效果。

Although tea tree oil, or melaleuca oil, may strike you as a relatively new item on shelves, it has actually been used for thousands of years. Melaleuca alternifolia is native to New South Wales, Australia, where the aboriginal people used the crushed leaves of the tree to treat cuts and burns. In the 18th century, Captain Cook saw native Australian making tea with the leaves and came up with the name “tea tree.” In the 1920s, Australian doctors discovered that the oil of the tea tree was an effective antiseptic. It soon became a household remedy, and during WWII, all Australian soldiers were issued tea tree oil in their first-aid kits.

虽然茶树精油（英文亦称作melaleuca oil）在你的印象中可能是架上满新的产品，但它其实已有数千年历史了。Melaleuca alternifolia是澳洲新南韦尔斯的一种原生植物，当地原住民会用捣碎的树叶治疗割、烫伤。18世纪时，探险家库克船长观察到澳洲当地居民用其树叶泡茶，而想出「茶树」这个名字。在1920年代，澳洲的医生发现到，由茶树提炼出来的精油是种很有效的杀菌剂。不久之后，茶树精油便成为一种常见的家庭用药。二次世界大战时，每位澳洲军人的急救包都配有茶树精油。

Following the war, the substance fell out of favor as new medical discoveries were made. However, since the 1980s, interest in tea tree’s properties has grown again. New studies suggest tea tree oil might effectively treat acne, bacterial and fungal infection, dandruff and mites. If the research holds up, perhaps even more products will contain tea tree oil in the near future.

战争结束后，新的医学发现让这种物质不再受欢迎。不过，自1980年代起，大众又逐渐燃起对茶树精油的兴趣。新的研究指出，茶树精油或许能有效地治疗粉刺、细菌及真菌感染、头皮屑与虫螨问题。如果这些实验结果经得起考验，未来或许会出现更多含有茶树精油的产品。

－by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

turn one’s nose up at something (or turn up one’s nose at ..)【口】轻视、蔑视某事物; 看不起; 看不上 to not accept something because someone does not think it is good enough for someone (usually + at ) 

derive A from B  A源自B..., A出自B...

commodity [kəˋmɑdətɪ] n. 商品

property [ˋprɑpɚtɪ] n. 特性，性能，属性

strike [straɪk] v. 给……以印象[（+as）]

native [ˋnetɪv] adj.（某地）特有的，原产的[（+to）]

aboriginal [͵æbəˋrɪdʒən!] adj. 土著的；原始的

crush [krʌʃ] v. 压碎；碾碎

substance [ˋsʌbstəns] n. 物质

acne [ˋæknɪ] n. 痤疮；粉刺

infection [ɪnˋfɛkʃən] n. 传染；侵染

hold up 支撑; 撑过(考验, 困难) to continue to function without losing force or effectiveness; cope

More Information

单词发音

of late 最近以来 recently; lately

fall out of favor 从受欢迎到不受欢迎; 失宠 to lose someone's approval or acceptance

antiseptic [͵æntəˋsɛptɪk] n. 抗菌剂

bacterial [bækˋtɪrɪəl] adj. 细菌的；细菌引起的

fungal [ˋfʌŋg!] adj. 真菌的; 由真菌引起的

dandruff [ˋdændrəf] n. 头皮屑

mite [maɪt] n. 螨虫

Reading Questions

1.   Who were the first people to start using tea tree oil?

A.  A captain who was traveling through Australia.

B.  Soldiers who were fighting in World War II.

C.  Tribes of people living in Australia.

D.  Manufacturers who created first-aid kits.

2.   Which of the following products would probably NOT contain tea tree oil?

A.  A cleaning spray that removes dirt.

B.  A medicine that makes trees grow taller.

C.  A bottle of cream that treats wounds.

D.  A gel that fights against certain skin diseases.

3.   How does the writer seem to feel about tea tree oil?

A.  It will definitely be featured in even more products.

B.  It probably does not have any benefits at all.

C.  It was useful during the 1980s, but is no longer beneficial.

D.  It might become a key ingredient in additional products.

Tea Tree Oil ~ Miracle Oil

Answer