Exotic Fragrances奇异香味

We were checking into a downtown hotel in Hong Kong, when our very warm-hearted Southeast Asian friends arrived at the same time, with a big gift bag. They enthusiastically told us, in whispers, that they had brought us a gift of the most fragrant King of all fruits, the famous durian that was just in season. In a few seconds, the hotel receptionist began to sniff the air, and shouted out loudly, “Gas leak, gas leak, alert security!” We quickly shuttled our dear friends away from the desk and out of the lobby area. I heard that in Sydney, in 2018, a similar incident happened in a hotel and they had to evacuate the hotel, before they discovered the reason. The tastiest fruit in all of South East Asia can cause a lot of problems, when not appreciated!

我们正在香港市中心的一个旅馆登记的时候，我们非常热心的东南亚朋友也同时抵达，携带着一个大的礼品袋。他们非常积极地小声地告诉我们，他们为我们带来了 最馨香的水果之王，著名的榴莲正是当季。几秒钟后，旅馆服务员开始闻闻空气，然后大叫，“煤气泄漏，煤气泄漏，叫保安！”我们很快地带我们亲爱的朋友离开前台，出了大厅。我听说在2018年在悉尼的一个旅馆里也发生了类似的事件，在他们找到源头之前，旅馆不得不疏散客人。东南亚最可口的水果在不被珍惜的时候，能造成很大的麻烦。

In Thailand, the fruit is loved and acclaimed. To those who love it, its taste and fragrance are just indescribable, better than mangoes, pineapples and jackfruit combined. However to those uninitiated who detest it, it approximates putrid sulfides, and rather dramatically, nearly all Thai hotels have a clear sign banning this beautiful flavorful fruit, often on the same poster as banning smoking. Tourists just cannot be expected to learn that quickly about local delicacies and fragrances!

在泰国，榴莲是被爱的和称赞的。对那些爱它的人来说，它的口感和香味真是无法描述，比芒果，菠萝和菠萝蜜加在一起都好。可是对那些不熟悉和抗拒它的人来说，它就像腐烂的硫化物，甚至更戏剧化的是，几乎所有泰国旅馆都有一个明文标志禁止这个漂亮美味的水果，常常出现在禁止吸烟的同一张告示上。旅客不能被期待那么快地对当地的美食和美味上手。

And airlines going out of Thailand can be particularly squeamish about the fragrance of durian. Our niece’s husband was implored by his mother to carry this treasure on the flight from Bangkok to Seattle, at the last minute, as a sign of touching affection for his dear wife. The treasure had been sealed and wrapped numerous times in papers to dampen its fragrances, and stuffed deeply in his carry-on luggage, before being placed safely in the overhead bin. Within minutes, a very astute Thai airline hostess picked up the lingering trace of the scent, confronted him embarrassingly, and made him confess. Love has its price. Even fragrant love.

泰国的离境航班可能对榴莲的香味也特别在意。我们的外甥女婿在最后一分钟被他妈妈恳求带这个宝贝从曼谷到西雅图，作为一个 他对亲爱的太太的真爱的表示。这个宝贝已经被密封包装很多层来降低它的芬香，然后塞进了他随身携带行李箱的最里面，放在了座位上方行李置物櫃里。很快一个敏锐的泰国航空的空姐闻到了那么一点点流动的气味，她质问他，逼他很下不来台地承认。爱有代价。即使是馨香的爱。

Special Fragrances特别的香味

I used to warn my medical mission team members who were going with me into remote areas in the mountains of Asia, that villages often had special smells from farms, animals, and particular public areas. Sometimes public facility odors were so terrible, even nauseating, that it inhibited even normal body functions. I gave the practical advice, that instead of sniffing and trying to block the nose with a handkerchief, that they should practice taking a very deep breath.

我常常警告那些同我去亚洲深山偏僻地方的我医疗团队的成员，那些村庄经常有农田，动物和公共场所的特别气味。有时候公共场所的气味是如此地差，甚至让人想呕吐，让人都不想用卫生间。我给的实用意见是，与其用手帕捂住鼻子去嗅，还不如深吸一口气。

In theory, little sniffs just prepare the fragrance receptors in the nose to expect more excitement, and just enhances anticipation, so the smell becomes actually more vivid. But, if they had courage, by taking a very deep breath, the special fragrances should overwhelm the smell sensory receptors, essentially blocking receptors from further similar fragrances which might try to waft in and attach to any eager receptors. I like the theory, it seems to work well, you should try it! Fragrance control.

理论上，小口的吸气正好准备让鼻子里的气味受体期待更多的兴奋，正好加强期待，所以气味变得更真实。但是，如果他们有勇气，吸一大口气，特别的气味应该压倒气味感觉受体，本质上阻断任何可能飘荡进来的额外的相同的气味去激活等待的受体。我喜欢这个理论，它看起来很有用，你也应该试一试！气味控制。

We have all heard that a person doesn’t know the smells his own body gives out, since he’s “used to it,” possibly just meaning his sensory receptors have all been overwhelmed and blocked by these odors. This might be what happens with a close friend, whose sensory receptors have been well “friended,” and therefore does not notice the odors at all. But, when a person with special smells meets a new friend, whose sensory receptors haven’t been “friended” yet, you can imagine the response. And, similarly with “special breath,” I suppose.

我们都听说过一个人不知道他自己身体释放出来的气味，因为他“已经习惯自己的气味”，也许只是说他的感觉受体已经完全被自己的气味压倒和阻断了。这也许发生在好友身上，他们的感觉受体已经很“友好”，所以没有察觉到任何气味。但是，当一个有特别气味的人遇见一个新朋友，那个新朋友的感觉受体还不“友好”的时候，你可以想象那个反应。还有，我想“特别的口臭”也同理。

Although I haven’t tried it yet, I suspect that if you took a deep breath the next time you encounter a “new friend” with an unusual smell, it might change your relationship. Or even when you encounter the King of fruits, you might find it even delicious. Let me know if it works.

虽然我还没试过，我怀疑如果你下次遇见一个有特别气味的“新朋友”的时候做个深呼吸，也许会改变你和新朋友的关系。或者甚至在你碰到水果之王的时候，你可能发现它甚至很美味。如果这个方法管用，请告诉我。

Fragrances of Memories记忆的芳香

When we moved to Seattle, into our new condominium home, we focused on adjusting to our new life in the region, and basically didn’t really notice our lovely surroundings! Only after 2 months or so did I make a simple discovery. My work study room had a wide sliding window door that, after the blinds were fully drawn up, gave a calming view of a hillside of tall Pacific Northwest trees, concealing a pleasantly gurgling brook. I realized, we were living, for the first time in our lives, in a forest. There is a spiritual comment by Jesus about people “seeing but not seeing, hearing but not ; .

hearing.” That seemed like me.

当我们搬到西雅图，住进新的楼房，我们只关注在适应我们在当地的新生活，基本上没有注意到我们周遭的美景！仅仅过了两个月我就有一个小发现。我的书房有一个宽敞的落地窗，当百叶窗收起来之后，展现的是一个让人镇定的布满西北树木的山坡景色，一个欢快的淙淙小溪。我意识到，我们住的地方，是我们第一次住在森林里。耶稣对人们有个灵命上的评论“他们看了又看，却不明白，听了又听，却不领悟”看来像是在说我。

A few more months later, after winter was over, I opened wide that window in the morning, to discover and inhale the cool, slightly wet (Seattle’s best), totally fresh smell that emerged from the trees, mixed with a taint of leaves, flowers or berries, making my nostrils flare up like a puppy! This was a real surprise to me, after “not seeing, not hearing,” now sort of like “smelling but not smelling.” It reminded me vividly of the great times we had in the mountains of northern Thailand, where the morning mountain air, uncontaminated by city odors and smoke, was so refreshingly charming. That’s what the greatest use of our sense of smell must be for, waiting to be activated!!

几个月之后，当冬天结束，我在清晨打开那扇窗，发现深吸口凉凉的，有些湿湿的（西雅图最好的），来自树木完全新鲜的气味，混合着一点叶子，花或者梅子，让我的鼻子像一只小狗一样兴奋起来！这是对我一个真正的惊喜，经过了“看不到，听不到”，现在像是“在闻却闻不到”。这让我清晰地想起了我们在泰国北部群山里的好时光，那里清晨的山区空气，未被城市味道和烟气污染，是何等地清新动人。那就是我们嗅觉最好的用处，等待被激活！！

Growing up in the city and streets of Asia, there were certain exotic smells that are deeply imprinted in my mind. The pungent smell of grilled cuttlefish, for example, could be picked up several blocks away, and my childhood nose would lead me easily to find that greatest vendor. A great tasty chew, for cents.

在亚洲的城市和街道长大，那里有一些奇怪的味道深深刻在我的脑海中。最泼辣的味道是烤鱿鱼, 能隔着几条街都闻得到，我那幼年的鼻子经常带我很容易地找到最好吃的摊点。无比美味的咀嚼. 只要几分钱。

Similarly, the smell of roasting chestnuts in winter filled the streets, and gave a sense of Christmas coming. It’s quite a surprise to me, that no matter whether it’s South America, Turkey, Europe, or Asia, I discovered that the chestnut roasting vendor uses very similar black roasting sand, and I “swear” that the odors are just as sweetly charming, and roasty, anywhere. Somehow, along with the fragrances, even scenes of Christmas then just appear in my mind.

同样地，炒板栗的香味也在冬天充满了街道，带来了圣诞来临的感觉。让我惊讶的是，不管是南美，土耳其，欧洲，或者亚洲，我发现卖炒板栗的都用类似的黑沙，我“打赌”味道就是一样地在各地甜甜动人的烤香。不知怎么地，与所有香味一起，甚至圣诞节的情景就浮现在我脑海中。

Indeed, those thousands of receptors and nerves dedicated to working for our smells have a remarkable ability to link up with memories, often even making our memories fragrant. Just thinking about cuttlefish and chestnuts, brings back smells into my mind, and sometimes even makes me salivate! Like the fragrant smells when I think of a bowl of shrimp won ton (is your mouth getting watery?) Your fragrant memories will be very different, but just as interesting.

确实，那些上千的受体和神经敬业精神地帮助我们嗅到气味有了不起的能力和我们的记忆联起来，经常让我们的记忆充满芳香。只要想到烤鱿鱼和烤板栗，就能把它们的香味带到我脑中，甚至让我流口水！就像我想到一碗虾饺馄饨的香味（你也流口水了吗？）。你对香味的记忆也许非常不同，但是一定一样有趣。

Fragrances of Life生命的芳香

It is just amazing that molecules carrying smell can travel miles away, and be sensed by expert noses. We all know dogs and many wild creatures that are expert in tracking down even faint traces of smells, of humans and animals. I heard a University research lecture about a tribe of Africans, who were trained from early childhood, to sniff air close to the ground, in order to detect smell of water, especially crucial in desert-like regions. In this scenario, I assume that odors in water, or fragrances from plants or insects living normally near water, would be detected. And, in this case, fragrances are not just pleasant, they lead to life itself.

就像分子能把香味传递到几里之外，被专业的鼻子捕捉到。我们都知道狗和很多野生动物都是捕捉来自人和动物的极微弱的气味。我听过大学研究报告关于一个非洲部落，训练从幼年开始接近地面去闻空气，为了找到水的味道，在沙漠一类的地区极为重要。在这个例子里，我假设水的味道，或者来自在水附近生活的植物或者昆虫被发现。而且，在这种情况下，香味不止是令人愉快的，它们带来生命。

And what is fragrance without fragrance receptors? If we had no smell receptors, there would be essentially no smells to appreciate, and therefore no taste, since smells and tastes go together. Chinese food or Thai food would be totally tasteless. Not even Indian spices would help. There would be no use for perfume, flowers and wines, which would basically lose their impact, and the world would be a very bland world indeed. I’m so glad the Grand Designer, the original fragrance expert, gave us the gift of smell to fully appreciate all of these. In truly memorable ways.

如果没有香味的受体，芳香还有什么用呢？如果我们没有任何嗅觉受体，就没有任何味道让我们欣赏，也就没有味觉，因为嗅觉和味觉联在一起。中餐或泰国食物就会完全无味。甚至连印度香料都无法帮忙。就不需要香水，鲜花和美酒，因为它们完全失去了效力，世界也就真的成了无味的世界。我很高兴造物主，原始香味专家，恩赐给我们嗅觉去欣赏所有味道。以真地值得记忆的方式去体验。

Poets and authors have loved to write that we all naturally and poetically exude “fragrances” in life from our own lives, which encourage or discourage others. May our fragrances be fragrant indeed, even memorable.

诗人和作者喜欢写到我们都自然，诗意般地从我们的生命中释放出“芳香”，鼓励或者不鼓励别人。祝愿我们的芳香真正芬芳，甚至值得记忆。