翻译考试中级笔译备考：新闻英语翻译练笔

　　Why mixing alcohol and caffeine is so deadly

　　Americans love their caffeine — in coffee, colas and now in their alcohol.

　　But mixed, particularly in high volumes, the combination of caffeine and alcohol can be deadly.

　　Why caffeine and alcohol are so toxic together isn't fully understood, but the combination appears to impair a drinker's judgment more than drinking alcohol alone. That has led to what some researchers call "toxic-jock syndrome."

　　As a stimulant, caffeine jazzes up your whole body, increasing blood pressure, heart rate and, in some cases, causing heart palpitations and an irregular heartbeat. Caffeine also leads to headaches, jitteriness, agitation, stomach problems and abnormal breathing. It's the equivalent of an adrenaline rush.

　　Alcohol, on the other hand, is a depressant that slows the brain's functioning and impairs one's ability to walk, talk and think clearly.

　　Mixed, the stimulant and the depressant do not cancel each other out.

　　译文：

　　咖啡因配酒精是找死?

　　Americans love their caffeine — in coffee, colas and now in their alcohol.

　　美国人爱他们的咖啡因——在咖啡里，在可乐里。现在在酒精里。

　　But mixed, particularly in high volumes, the combination of caffeine and alcohol can be deadly.

　　但是将咖啡因和酒精加在一起，尤其是高容量混合时，将产生致命后果。

　　Why caffeine and alcohol are so toxic together isn't fully understood, but the combination appears to impair a drinker's judgment more than drinking alcohol alone. That has led to what some researchers call "toxic-jock syndrome.

　　咖啡因和酒精搭配一起为何会如此具有毒性?个中奥秘还未尽知。但它们的组合似乎比单纯的酒精更加损害饮用者的判断力，导致研究者所谓“约克毒性综合症”。

　　As a stimulant, caffeine jazzes up your whole body, increasing blood pressure, heart rate and, in some cases, causing heart palpitations and an irregular heartbeat. Caffeine also leads to headaches, jitteriness, agitation, stomach problems and abnormal breathing. It's the equivalent of an adrenaline rush.

　　作为一种兴奋剂，咖啡因致使你全身兴奋起来——血压升高，心跳加快。在某些案例中还会出现心悸和心率不齐。咖啡因同样导致头痛，神经过敏，情绪激动，胃部不适以及呼吸异常。这与肾上腺素激增有相同的效用。

　　Alcohol, on the other hand, is a depressant that slows the brain's functioning and impairs one's ability to walk, talk and think clearly.

　　从另一个角度讲，酒精就像镇静剂降低大脑功能运行速率，影响行走、语言和思维能力。

　　Mixed, the stimulant and the depressant do not cancel each other out.

　　将两者混合——刺激和镇静作用却不能相互抵消。