狗狗的鼻子为什么总是湿的？

　　狗狗的鼻子为什么总是湿的？

　　Humans and dogs share a special relationship, moulded over millennia¹ of reciprocal love and companionship.

　　数千年来，人类和狗狗都有十分特殊的关系，相互喜爱，相互陪伴。

　　Anyone who's ever had the fortune of sharing their life with a close canine² companion can attest³ that, from poodles to Pomeranians, dogs truly are a wondrous⁴ species.

　　有幸拥有一只狗狗作伴的人，都能证明这一点。无论是卷毛还是博美，狗狗确实是种超赞的物种。

　　狗狗的鼻子为什么总是湿的？

　　But there's something else that dog lovers the world over know all too intimately – the feel of a dog's cool, wet nose brushing up against your cheek.

　　爱狗之人还有个场景再熟悉不过——狗狗爱用湿漉漉、冰凉凉的鼻子，在你的脸上蹭来蹭去。

　　Whether they're running to fetch a ball, or merely pinning you down while they're snoozing on the couch, dogs'noses seem to be perennially⁵ wet.

　　无论它们是跑去捡球，还是正在沙发打盹的它们，看到你过来立马激动地把你扑倒，它们的鼻子总是湿湿的。

　　So what gives?

　　这带给我们什么信息呢？

　　To most dog owners, it's common knowledge that dogs don't sweat. Their lack of proper sweat glands⁶, as humans and some other mammals have, is one of the main causes of the excessive panting that happens when your mastiff mate is out for a run. Put simply, panting is a method of regulating heat within the canine body.

　　大多数狗主人都知道狗狗不会排汗的常识。它们没有人类和其他哺乳动物的汗腺，这也是为什么它们跑起来会不停喘气。简单说，喘气是狗狗调节体温的一种方式。

　　One other way which dogs keep cool though, is by excreting a substance similar to sweat on their extremities⁷ – namely, their nose and paws.

　　狗狗另一种降低体温的方式，就是在手足部分（鼻子和爪子）分泌类似汗液的液体。

　　Ever wonder why they're a similar colour and texture⁸? Boom. There's your answer. The moisture on their extremities helps to radiate heat away from your pawed pal⁹, in a similar way to their panting.

　　好奇为什么这种液体跟汗液颜色和质感这么相似吗？我们来告诉你答案。它们手足分泌的液体帮助它们散热，跟喘气效果相同。

　　The moisture on a dog's nose helps serve a secondary purpose, too. Covering a canine nose is a thin layer of mucous¹⁰, which helps to trap scents¹² and other particles in the air.

　　狗狗鼻子上的湿气还有另一个用途。它们鼻子上薄薄一层粘液，能帮助捕捉空气中的气味和微粒。

　　In order to sample this no-doubt delectable¹³ melange¹⁴, a dog will then proceed to lick its nose – a behaviour dog lovers will no doubt have noticed when their precious pup picks up a scent¹¹. This serves to present the trapped particles to the olfactory¹⁵ glands on the roof of a dog's mouth, enabling the dog to further analyse the scent.

　　为了检验这些味道，狗狗会去舔自己的鼻子。当心爱的狗狗嗅到气味时，爱狗之人对它们以上的举止一定不会陌生。这个举止能让把鼻子上收集到的颗粒送到口腔顶部的嗅腺，让它们能进一步分析这种味道。

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