Iris is very sensitive.

Iris非常敏感

So much that she is always in tears.

敏感到她總是在流淚

She cries when she's sad,

當她難過的時候她會哭，

when she's happy,

當她高興的時候她會哭，

and even tears up when things just get to her.

甚至是當有東西碰到她的時候她會哭。

She has special lacrimal glands to make new tears

她有個特殊的淚腺能製造新的眼淚

and special tubes, called lacrimal puncta,

還有特殊的管子，叫做淚點，

to drain old ones away.

會把舊的眼淚排走。

And she cries so much that she goes through

她太愛哭了，她每天會哭出

ten ounces of tears per day,

十盎司的眼淚，

thirty gallons a year!

一整年有三十加侖！

In fact, if you look closely,

事實上，如果你靠近點看，

you'll see that she's crying a little bit all the time.

你會看見她總是一點一點地在哭。

The basal tears that Iris constantly produces

Iris持續分泌的普通眼淚

form a thin coating of three layers

形成了一個三層的薄膜

that cover her and keep dirt and debris away.

覆蓋住她，避免灰塵和碎片接近。

Right next to Iris is the mucus layer,

緊靠著Iris的是黏液層，

which keeps the whole thing fastened to her.

黏液層能讓整團淚滴緊貼著她。

On top of it is the aqueous layer,

在它的上面是淚水層，

which keeps Iris hydrated,

它讓Iris保持濕潤，

repels invasive bacteria,

擊退入侵的細菌，

and protects her skin, or cornea, from damage.

並保護她的角膜，使其免於傷害。

And, finally, there is the lipid layer,

最後，是油脂層，

an oily outer film that keeps the surface smooth

油性的外膜可以保持表面平滑

for Iris to see through,

讓Iris可以看得清楚，

and prevents the other layers from evaporating.

並避免其他膜層蒸發。

Normally, Iris goes about her day

正常來講，Iris一整天

without really noticing the basal tears

都不會注意到普通眼淚

doing their thing.

的作用。

That's kind of their whole point.

普通眼淚大概就是這麼回事。

But one day, she meets a girl named Onion.

但是有一天，她遇到了一個女孩叫做洋蔥。

Iris is immediately smitten.

Iris馬上就被迷住了。

Onion looks gorgeous in her bright purple jacket,

洋蔥妹穿著亮紫色的夾克看起來很華麗，

and she smells terrific.

而且她聞起來非常香。

So, Iris invites Onion to her house for dinner,

所以，Iris邀請洋蔥妹到她家吃晚餐，

but when she comes in and takes off her jacket,

但是當她進來之後脫下了她的外套，

something terrible happens.

一件可怕的事情就發生了。

You see, when Onion's jacket is removed,

你看，當洋蔥妹的外套被脫掉時，

a chemical reaction happens,

一種化學反應發生了，

converting the sulfoxides that make her smell so great

讓洋蔥妹聞起來很香的化合物亞碸轉換為

into sulfenic acid,

次硫磺，

which then becomes a nasty substance with a long name:

而後又變成一種令人難受、有著落落長名字的物質：

syn-Propanethial S-oxide.

丙硫醛-S-氧化物

The gas stings Iris,

這個氣體刺激著Iris，

and suddenenly, she can't help it,

突然間，她忍不住了，

she starts weeping uncontrollably.

她開始不能控制地流淚。

These reflex tears are different from the basal tears that Iris is used to.

這些反射性眼淚跟Iris平常流的普通眼淚不一樣

Because they're designed

因為它們是被設計用來

to wash away harmful substances, or particles,

清洗有害的物質，或顆粒，

they're released in much larger amounts,

它們會更大量地被釋放，

and their aqueous layer contains more antibodies

淚水層包含更多的抗體

to stop any microorganisms that may be trying to get in, as well.

去阻止任何也試圖進入的微生物

Both Iris and Onion are devastated.

Iris和洋蔥妹都很悲痛

They know they can't continue their relationship

他們知道他們無法繼續他們的關係，

if Iris is going to hurt and cry

要是Iris會受傷並且哭泣

every time Onion takes off her jacket.

在每次洋蔥妹脫掉她的外套時。

So, they decide to break up.

所以，她們決定分手。

As Onion walks out the door,

當洋蔥妹一踏出門，

Iris stops crying.

Iris就停止哭泣。

And immediately starts again.

然後馬上又再次哭了

Only now, she's not crying reflex tears

只是現在，她不是流出反射性眼淚，

but emotional tears.

而是情感性眼淚。

When someone is either too sad or too happy,

當某人太難過或是太高興時，

it feels like a loss of control,

會感覺像是失控，

which can be dangerous.

而這可能會導致危險發生。

So, emotional tears are sent in

所以，情感性眼淚被派去

to stabilize the mood as quickly as possible,

盡快穩定這樣的情緒。

along with other physical reactions,

伴隨其他身體反應，

such as an increased heart rate

像是加快心跳

and slower breathing.

和減緩呼吸。

But scientists still aren't sure

但是科學家仍不確定

exactly how or why the tears themselves are helpful.

眼淚究竟如何提供幫助以及為何會有幫助

They may be a social mechanism

眼淚可能是一種社交機制

to elicit sympathy or show submission.

用以引起同情或示弱。

But some studies have also found

但是有一些研究也發現到

that emotional tears contain higher levels

情感性眼淚有著更高層次的

of stress hormones,

壓力賀爾蒙，

such as ACTH and enkephalin,

像是促腎上腺皮質刺激素（Adrenocorticotropic hormone）和腦啡，

an endorphin and natural pain killer.

一種內啡肽和天然的止痛劑。

In this case, emotional tears are also directly calming Iris down,

在這種情況下，情感性眼淚也會直接使Iris平靜下來，

as well as signaling her emotional state to others.

並且發出她的情緒狀態訊號給其他人。

Sorry things didn't work out with Onion, Iris,

很遺憾和洋蔥妹的感情失敗了，Iris，

but don't worry.

但是別擔心

As long as you have all three kinds of tears

只要你擁有三種眼淚

working to keep you balanced and healthy,

幫助你保持平靜和健康

it will get better.

一切都會變好的

You'll see.

你會明白的