In a recent survey,

最近的一个调查表明，

a majority of respondents picked their sense of smell as the one they'd be most willing to give up among the traditional five senses.

大多数的受访者表示在五官之中如果要放弃其中一个的话，他们会选择嗅觉。

But if you love food,

但是如果你热爱美食，

you should be giving your nose much more credit.

你就该更重视你的嗅觉。

Because it's actually our sense of smell that plays a huge role in our ability to process flavor.

因为其实我们的嗅觉对我们品尝味道的能力至关重要。

First, let's talk about how smell works, from coffee to stinky trash.

首先，我来介绍一下 气味是如何运作的，有咖啡香，也有垃圾的臭味。

The substances around us give off volatiles, which you can think of as tiny smell molecules.

我们身边的物质释放着易挥发物，你可以将其想象成微小的气味分子。

We breathe in these smell molecules, which then stimulate the olfactory sensory neurons that sit high in the nose.

我们吸入了这些气味分子，然后它们会刺激位于鼻腔上部的嗅觉神经元。

Each of these neurons contains an odor receptor on its surface.

每一个神经元表面都有一个嗅觉受体。

Once the odor receptors are triggered by these smell molecules, the neurons send information about them to the brain.

嗅觉受体一受到气味分子的激发，神经元就会将相关信息发送给大脑。

Here's what I think is so cool.

我要分享很酷的一点。

The brain not only categorizes that information as a particular odor, it may also begin to associate feelings,

大脑不仅会将这个信息认定为一种特定的气味，还会联系情感，

like pleasure or disgust and other moods and emotions with that odor for future reference.

比如高兴、恶心或者其他与这种气味有关的情绪，供之后使用。

For example, you sniff bacon, you eat it, your taste buds get salt, and then your body gets a whack of fat, which is an energy source.

比如，你闻了闻培根，把它吃了，你的味蕾尝到了盐，你的身体得到了一大坨脂肪，也就是能量的来源。

So the brain loves it and attaches a positive label to it.

所以大脑很喜欢培根，给它贴上了一个正向的标签。

The next time you smell bacon, a sensation associated with pleasure arises.

下次你闻到培根的时候，一股喜悦之情就会油然而生。

Now, there are a lot of smells out there, more than our 400 or so odor receptors can detect.

世界上有很多种气味，超过了我们400种左右的气味受体可以检测到的气味。

But people with a healthy working sense of smell have odor receptors that can combine to detect anywhere between 10,000 to more than a trillion different odors.

但是嗅觉灵敏的人的嗅觉受体可以总共检测一万至超过一万亿种不同的气味。

Now, taste is completely different.

味觉就完全不同了。

It comes from taste receptors on our tongues and in our mouths.

味觉来自于我们舌头和嘴里的味觉受体。

Taste is limited to the basics: salty, sweet, bitter, sour and, somewhat controversially, umami or savory.

味道只有那么几种：咸、甜、苦、酸，也有人说包括了鲜。

You can taste without smell, but anyone with a stuffy nose can attest that's a pretty bland experience.

虽然没有嗅觉你也尝得出味道，但是只要你的鼻子塞住了，你就会知道食之无味。

That's because when we eat, for example, chewing pizza,

因为我们吃东西的时候，比如咀嚼披萨时，

the pizza releases volatiles that travel from our mouths and throat up through the nasal passage.

披萨会释放易挥发物，从我们的嘴、喉咙，移动到我们的鼻道中。

There, olfactory neurons get all the complex smells from the pizza and send that information to the brain.

嗅觉神经元在鼻道中接收披萨的复杂气味，将信息传递给大脑。

The smell and taste work together to help us enjoy food.

嗅觉和味觉合力让我们可以享受美食。

When our nose isn't working properly and food seems flavorless,

我们的鼻子出问题的时候，食物就会尝起来没有味道，

it's because we're only tasting those basic tastes without any of the complex odors detected through smell.

因为我们只尝到了这些基础味道，没有来自嗅觉的复杂气味。

So the next time you savor an amazing flavor, thank your nose.

下次你尝到惊为天人的味道的时候，感谢你的鼻子吧。

Our sense of smell is what brings nuance to what we eat.

我们的嗅觉是食物的点睛之笔。