喝水的那些事：你做得對嗎？
Is it true that I’m supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day?
真的要每天喝8杯水嗎？
No. “Eight a day” is a myth. What you really need is enough fluid to replace what you lose each day in your sweat, urine, breath, and other bodily excretions. That’s about 8 to 10 cups of water. Since we get about 4 cups’ worth from fruits, vegetables, and other foods, that leaves 4 to 6 cups for you to make up with beverages. Tea, coffee, juice, even soda count (though it’s also smart to avoid empty calories) toward your total. Of course, you may need more in hot weather or if you’re exercising or being more physically active than usual. So if you’re still thirsty, sip more.
不是。“每天8杯水”只是一個誤區。你真正需要的是補充每天排汗，尿液，呼吸和其他身體排泄中失去的水分。那大約是8到10杯水。由於我們從水果、蔬菜和其他食物中獲得約4杯水的分量，其餘的4至6杯水你可以通過喝飲料來補充。茶，咖啡，水果汁，甚至碳酸水都算進你的總量。當然，天氣熱或當你運動或身體比平時更活躍時你需要補充更多水分。所以，如果你還是很渴，就多喝一點水。
Is it true that drinking too much water is dangerous?
喝太多水真的有危害嗎？
Fact. “Water intoxication” is common among marathon runners, but it can also happen to anyone who’s exerting themselves for an extended period and guzzling lots of H2O. Physical stress like exercise reduces the kidneys’ ability to send urine to the bladder for excretion. Drink too much, and fluid levels could build in your body and brain, making brain cells swell and leading to headaches, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, and in some cases, death. To avoid it, drink enough to quench your thirst, not gallons. And if you need to drink large amounts of fluid, use Gatorade, Propel, Powerade, or other similar drinks that have vitamins and electrolytes besides just water.
這是事實。“水中毒”在馬拉松參賽者身上是很常見的，但是它在一些長期不斷暴飲大量水的人身上也會發生。如運動這種身體壓力降低腎將尿液輸送到膀胱進行排泄的功能。喝太多水，身體和大腦中的液麪就會上升，促使腦細胞膨脹一起頭痛、噁心、嘔吐、定向障礙、有時候甚至導致死亡。爲了避免這種情況，喝足以解渴的水，而不是大量地喝。如果你需要喝許多水，那麼就喝佳得樂，Propel，動樂或其他類似的除了含水外還含有維生素和電解質的飲料。
Should I use a water filter at home?
在家該使用濾水器嗎？
Yes, if water tests show that your drinking water contains pollutants or if it has an unpleasant taste or color. The right filter can remove impurities and toxins, including bacteria, copper, lead, mercury, parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, pesticides, radon, and volatile organic chemicals such as methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and dichlorobenzene and trichloroethylene (TCE).
是的，設想水測試顯示你家裏的飲用水含有污染物或水有難聞的味道或顏色。好的濾水器可以清除雜質和毒素，包括一些細菌、銅質、鉛、水銀、如鞭毛蟲和隱孢子蟲這些寄生蟲、殺蟲劑、氡和有機揮發物如甲基叔丁基醚(MTBE)和二氯苯和三氯乙烯(TCE)。
There are many types of filters on the market, from activated carbon filters that fit on your faucet to whole-house “anion exchange” systems, so your first step is to learn what you need to filter out of your water. Ask your local water-treatment authority for a report on your water quality. If you’re on a private well or want more in-depth information, consider hiring a private water-testing company.
市場上有很多種濾水器，從適合你家水龍頭的活性碳過濾器到全屋陰離子交換系統都有，所以首先你要做的就是學習家裏的水需要過濾掉的是什麼。向當地水處理部門要一份水質量報告。如果你有一個私人的井或者想要更加深入的信息，就考慮請一個私人的水測試公司去測試水質量。
If you simply don’t like the way your water smells or tastes, an activated carbon filter may be all you need in order to enjoy your drinking water again.
如果你只是不喜歡水嚐起來或聞起來的味道，那麼，活性碳過濾器就可以滿足你的需求，讓你再一次喜歡你家的飲用水。
Why can’t I cook with hot tap water? Why must it be cold, even if I’m going to heat it anyway?
爲什麼不能用熱的自來水做飯呢？即使我是要進行加熱，爲什麼一定要用冷的自來水呢?
Hot water can dissolve tiny amounts of lead from your plumbing system. Older homes may have lead pipes, but even new plumbing that’s lead free can still contain lead in brass fitting or faucets or in copper pipes with soldered joints. In one study, tap water accounted for up to 20 percent of human exposure to lead. Boiling can further concentrate lead, which can damage your brain and nervous system. If you’re using a faucet that hasn’t been in use for the past 6 hour or some, first flush the piped by letting the cold water run until it’s as cold as it will get.
熱水會分解管道系統中的微量鉛。舊的家庭用的是鉛管，但是即使是新的無鉛水管裝置在焊接接頭的銅管件或水龍頭或銅管中也含有鉛。一項研究表明，自來水占人體所接觸到的鉛的20%。煮沸的水會進一步使鉛聚集起來，對你的大腦和神經系統有害。如果你使用一個沒有用過或大約6小時沒用的水龍頭，首先要開着水龍頭讓水流出來，沖洗水管，直到水變得跟正常一樣冷。
