关于避孕套的十大有趣事实(上)

Like them or loathe them, condoms are a part of daily life. Experts predict that 18.6 billion will be used worldwide in 2015. They live in our nightstands, our wallets, our handbags and frequently go where we go, double entendre not intended. But just how much do we know about them? "Enough" is probably the most popular answer to that question, and a fair answer it would be. But read on anyway, and the next time a conversation about contraception pops up, double entendre again not intended, you'll be able to amaze or disgust your friends with your knowledge.

不管是喜欢还是讨厌避孕套，它都已经成为人们日常生活的一部分。有专家预测说，2015年世界人民可能会消耗掉186亿个避孕套套。床头柜、皮夹、手提包，似乎所有角落都能出现它的身影。这可不是有意讽刺调侃，话说回来，我们对安全套到底了解多少呢？大多数人估计都会含糊回答："嗯，足够了解了。"读完这篇文章涨涨知识，下次再和朋友聊此话题，侃侃而谈的你绝对令他们震惊又佩服。可别会错意，看看文章说正经的。

're Ancient

10.避孕套源远流长

The very first representations of condoms were discovered in a cave in France, and are dated at around 12,000 to 15,000 years old. The oldest extant condom was found in Lund, Sweden. It's made from pig intestine, is reusable and dates back to around 1640. It came with a handy user manual written in Latin, which recommended washing it in warm milk in order to avoid disease. Keep that in mind the next time you complain about having to use one.

第一次有关避孕套套的记录是在法国的一处洞穴里发现，距今已经有12000年到15000年的历史。而现存最古老的避孕套则出土于瑞典南部的隆德市。这只最古老的避孕套用猪大肠做成，还能被反复使用，追溯起来也有将近四百年的历史。它被挖掘出土时旁边还附带一封拉丁文使用指南：记得用温牛奶浸泡清洗，可以预防疾病。下次再用避孕套，不妨试试哈。

Used to be Hard to Get

9.避孕套在以前也不是人人都有

Once available in the United States by prescription only, condoms first became available via a vending machine in 1928. Before that prescriptions weren't easy to get, unless you were a man who happened to enjoy the company of prostitutes. Some doctors, adverse to giving them to women interested in birth control and STD prevention, would happily dish them out to husbands for their extra-curricular activities. But if you're famous, the condoms will come to you (like most other things if you're famous). At the Sochi Olympics, athletes at Olympic Village received 100,000 condoms. That works out to 35 condoms per athlete, or more time spent employing them than actually competing.

在美国有段时期，避孕套只能凭医生开的处方才能买到。而处方也不是轻易可得，特殊情况要跟应召女郎共度春宵时，也许医生会给你一副。直到1928年第一台避孕套自动贩卖机出现在街头，它才普及开来。有些医生，不愿把避孕套给想要节育或者预防性病的女性，反而把它们给那些喜欢在外面拈花惹草的男人们。如果你是个名人，避孕套套会自动找上门来（树大招风呀）。在索契奥林匹克运动会期间，住在奥运村里的运动员竟收到10万个避孕套！平均下来每个运动员可以分到35个。想象一下，运动员们用完这些避孕套花的时间估计比竞赛时间还多。

Were Developed to Combat Syphilis

8.发明避孕套的初衷是用来防治梅毒

In 16th century Italy, a man named Gabriele Falloppio (of Fallopian tubes fame) wrote a paper on syphilis. This was once known as the French disease, a name we'll leave up to you to decide the fairness of. It was a major killer at the time, and Falloppio performed the first reported test using linen sheaths. These were soaked in a chemical solution, dried and used to cover the glans of the penis, while being held on ever so quaintly with a ribbon. A test involving 1100 participants showed that the men did not contract syphilis. We're not sure if said test would have been enjoyable given the subject matter, or nerve-wracking given the stakes.

在16世纪的意大利，有一个叫加布里瓦·法罗皮奥（以对输卵管的描述而出名）的人写了一篇关于梅毒的文章。梅毒有多个学名，历史上英国人称之为法国病，法国人则称之为英国病，除此之外还有各种隐语。这个病在当时属于生命杀手。法罗皮奥用亚麻布做了第一个关于避孕套的实验。把亚麻布用化学溶剂浸湿，然后晾干，再盖在阴茎头上，然而盖上去的时候就很巧合离奇的形成了一个袋状。这个测试大约有1100个人参与，这就表明在当时很多男性对于梅毒其实没有什么概念。我们并不确定这个实验是否能真的指出问题所在，或者是它只是个非常伤脑筋的笃定。

Materials Have Evolved

7.做避孕套的材质在不断的改变

It's common knowledge that condoms weren't always made from latex, but the variety of what they've been made from in the past is surprising. Animal intestines, linen, silk and, questionably, leather have been used throughout history. Different countries used different materials. In the Roman Empire goat bladders were the go-to option, while in Japan leather and tortoiseshell were once used. Linen was used in Ancient Egypt as early as 150 AD. Casanova, the notorious womanizer of the 19th century, was also said to have used linen condoms, and referred to them as "English riding coats." That must rank as perhaps the most graceful of the many nicknames the condom has acquired through the ages.

众所周知，避孕套并不总是只用乳胶制作的，但是之前制作避孕套的材料却是五花八门，令人震惊。动物的肠子、亚麻、丝绸，甚至有点不清楚的是，也有人说皮革也曾经被用来制作避孕套。不同的国家制作避孕套的材料也不一样。在罗马帝国时代羔羊的膀胱是制作避孕套的首选材料，而在日本，皮革和龟甲曾经也被用来制作避孕套。公元150年的古埃及用亚麻来制作避孕套。19世纪臭名昭著的浪荡公子卡萨诺瓦也曾说过使用过亚麻避孕套，并且把亚麻避孕套称为"英国骑士的外套"，而这个昵称肯定是这么多年来避孕套获得的最优雅的称呼。

The latex we all know today was invented in 1920. The London Rubber Company, now known as Durex, was the first European nation to sell latex condoms in 1932.

而乳胶制作的避孕套在1920年后才被发明出来，由伦敦橡胶公司发明的，就是我们今天所熟知的杜蕾斯。1932年，英国成为首个卖乳胶避孕套的欧洲国家。

Were Reusable

6.避孕套可重复使用

In the 1600s, condoms made from animal intestines were first made available to the general public. But due to their cost, they were re-used repeatedly. Until the advances of the 19th century, a single condom cost around the equivalent of several months pay for a prostitute in the United States.

17世纪，可供广大民众使用的避孕套大都是由动物大肠制成。由于其制作成本高昂，所以经常的被重复使用。发展至19世纪，美国单只避孕套的价格竟已等同于一位妓女数月的收入！

Reusable condoms were popular much later than many might imagine. The invention of rubber vulcanization by Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock in 1844 revolutionized the industry, making it possible to mass-produce condoms cheaply and quickly. But these weren't available worldwide — the rubber would perish on the long journey by sea to isolated places. Thicker, reusable condoms therefore remained commonplace in New Zealand in the 1950s. And in Japan during World War Two, many of the women who worked in the brothels noted that the most degrading job was "cleaning the condoms at the end of the day." Your job doesn't sound so bad now, does it?

然而，你根本无法想象当时这种可重复使用的避孕套的风靡程度。1844年，由查尔斯·古德伊尔和汉考克·托马斯发明的通过橡胶硫化法制备避孕套的方法一经普及，便彻底改变了整个避孕套制造行业。这使得避孕套的生产流程变得更加快速便捷，也使得避孕套的成本更加低廉亲民。但这种方式无法在世界范围内普及——因为橡胶这种物质会在海运至偏远地区的过程中损坏。在20世纪50年代的新西兰，使用厚的、可重复使用的避孕套依然司空见惯。第二次世界大战期间，日本妓女说到，最具侮辱性的工作就是"每日结束时清洗避孕套"。这样看来，你的工作就不那么糟不可言了吧？

审校：喵喵 编辑：listen 来源：前十网