Tea experts have been known to sniff out not just the location where a tea was from,

品茶師除了能夠聞出茶葉的來源地之外

but the season of harvest and whether it was planted by a plum tree.

也因著能聞出它的收割季節以及是否由梅樹種植而聞名

And the New York City Transit Authority

而在紐約市公共運輸局

once had an employee responsible only for sniffing out gas leaks in the subway system.

更曾有一名從業員專門負責聞出地鐵系統中有沒有氣體泄漏

Can just anyone learn to smell with the sensitivity of those experts?

是不是任何人都可以把嗅覺訓練到像專家的一樣呢？

For most of us, what we smell is largely involuntary,

大部份人聞到的氣味多是不受控制的

whether it's garbage behind a restaurant,

無論是餐廳後方的垃圾堆

the shampoo of the woman leaving an elevator as you enter,

在電梯和你擦身而過的女士散發的洗髮精香味

or a bakery's fresh-made bread.

或是麵包店新鮮出爐的麵包香味

With a few million olfactory receptors in our noses,

我們的鼻腔中有上百萬種嗅覺接受器

we clearly don't lack the ability to smell well.

我們的嗅覺當然也可以非常靈敏

We just might not always pay close enough attention.

只是我們並沒有好好去留意

That's a shame because we may be missing opportunities to make strong emotional connections.

更可惜的是，我們可能會因此失去了打造強烈情感連結的機會

Smells are powerfully linked to emotions

氣味和情感之間是緊密相連的

and can awaken memories of places we've long ago left and people we've loved.

並且可以喚起我們對舊地和愛人的記憶

But fortunately, it is possible to train our brains to smell better.

幸好，我們可以訓練自己的大腦，讓嗅覺變得更靈敏

For example, Helen Keller was able to recognize a person's work,

舉個例子，海倫凱勒能透過嗅覺去辨別人的職業

and in her words,

她曾說：

distinguish the carpenter from the iron worker, the artist from the mason or the chemist, by a simple inhale.

「要區分木匠和鐵匠；區分藝術家、泥水匠和化學家，只需吸一口氣」

Follow these steps and you too can change the way the world smells to you.

依照以下步驟，你「聞」世界的方法也會截然不同

First, stick your nose in it.

首先，湊近你的鼻子吧

Some animals that are known to be great smellers,

動物界中一些嗅覺能手

like dogs who can sniff out explosives

例如可以嗅出炸藥的狗

and pigs who can find truffles underground,

和可以找到長於地下的松露的豬

put their noses right at the place they want to smell.

都會把鼻子湊近想要聞的地方

Human noses, meanwhile, are casting around in the middle of the air,

而人類卻是在空氣中尋找想要聞的氣味

giving us an anatomical disadvantage.

這無疑是我們身體結構上的劣勢

So bring your nose close to the world around you.

所以，把你的鼻子靠近你的四周吧

The ground,

地面

surfaces,

表層

objects,

物件

the food in your hand.

手上的食物

Get close to your dog,

靠近你的小狗吧

your partner,

你的伴侶

the book you're reading.

你在看的書

Not only will your nose be closer to the odor source,

這樣子，你的鼻子不但會更接近氣味的源頭

but the warmth of your breath will make odors easier to smell.

呼吸時所呼出的熱氣也會令你更容易聞到氣味

Second, sniff like you mean it.

第二，認真地去聞吧

Smelling actually happens way up near the bridge of our noses

嗅覺其實是位於我們的鼻根上方

in a postage stamp-sized square of tissue called the olfactory epithelium.

於一個稱為「嗅上皮」的正方形、郵票大小的組織中產生

When we sniff, odor molecules are sucked up into our nostrils

當我們嗅的時候，氣味分子會被吸入鼻孔

until they hit this tissue

直到它們接觸到嗅上皮

where they combine to our olfactory, or scent, receptors.

並和嗅覺接受器結合

When we inhale normally, only a little air makes it there.

正常吸氣時，只有很少空氣能到達嗅上皮

But one or two solid sharp sniffs

但如果我們用力一嗅

will ensure that more air gets to your smell receptors.

就能確保有更多空氣和嗅覺接受器結合

After just a few more sniffs,

多聞幾下後，

the receptors, which are best at noticing new smells,

擅長發現新氣味的接受器

turn off temporarily.

就會暫時關掉

So you can give your nose a rest and sniff again later.

好讓你的鼻子稍作休息，才再運作

Finally, dwell on the smell.

最後，集中在氣味上吧

Most smells pass by us with little attention,

我們常常會忽略身邊出現的氣味

but simply noticing what you're smelling

但只要留意到你聞到的氣味

and by trying to describe it, name it, and locate its source,

然後嘗試去形容它、說出來、找出源頭

you can expand your vocabulary of smells.

你就能擴展你所知道的氣味了

When an odor molecule binds to a scent receptor,

當氣味分子和嗅覺接受器結合後

it sends an electrical signal from the sensory neurons

感覺神經元就會發出電信號

to our brain's olfactory bulbs.

送到我們大腦中的嗅球那裡

The signal then continues to other areas of the brain,

之後，信號又再被傳遞到大腦的另一地方

where it's integrated with taste,

並先與味道

memory,

記憶

or emotional information

或情感訊息融合

before registering to us as a smell.

才讓我們意識到氣味

FMRI (Functional magnetic resonance imaging) research shows that

功能性磁振造影研究顯示

the extra time spent focusing on scent changes the brain of experienced smellers.

由於經驗豐富的嗅味專家多聞香味，他們的大腦也有所改變

For them, perceiving and imagining odors becomes more automatic than for non-experts.

比起非專家，他們會更自動地去感知和猜想氣味

To get started yourself, take ingredients from your kitchen:

要開始訓練自己的嗅覺，先在廚房拿一些材料吧

spices,

香料

vanilla,

香草

or fruit,

抑或水果

but never anything toxic.

當然不要拿有毒的啦

Close your eyes and have someone bring them under your nose.

閉上眼睛，叫人把它們拿到你鼻子下方

Sniff and try to name the source.

聞一聞，試試說出它是甚麼吧

Over time, you'll begin to appreciate nuances in familiar odors

久而久之，你就能察覺到不同熟悉氣味之間的細微分別

and recognize characteristics of new and unusual smells.

亦能辨別出新氣味和異常氣味的特徵

The perfumer has practiced these steps enough to become an artist of odor,

調香師反覆練習後才成為氣味藝術家

but even if you never pursue smelling to that degree,

就算你沒打算要像他們那麼的專業

the spectacular result of an unspectacular action

一個小動作也能造就非凡的效果

will change how you sense and experience your days.

並將改變你如何感受、經歷每一天