What exactly happens in the heart when it's flooded with too much adrenaline?

那当心脏里的肾上腺素太多的时候到底心脏里发生了什么？

Adrenaline from the nervous system lands on receptors of cardiac myocytes (heart-muscle cells), and this causes calcium channels in the membranes of those cells to open. Calcium ions rush into the heart cells and this causes the heart muscle to contract. If it's a massive overwhelming storm of adrenaline, calcium keeps pouring into the cells and the muscle just can't relax.

神经系统的肾上腺素到达心肌细胞的感觉器官，会引起这些细胞上面的钙通道打开。钙涌向心脏细胞并引起心肌收缩。如果是巨多的肾上腺素，钙涌向这些细胞，肌肉就不能放松了。

There is this specially adapted system of muscle and nerve tissue in the heart—the sinoatrial (SA) node, the atrioventricular node, and the Purkinje fibers—which sets the rhythm of the heart. If this system is overwhelmed with adrenaline, the heart can go into abnormal rhythms that are not compatible with life. If one of those is triggered, you will drop dead.

心脏中一般有肌肉调节系统和神经组织----窦房结，房室结，和浦肯雅纤维----这些控制着心率。如果这个系统里的肾上腺素太多，心脏就会出现不适应生命的非正常心率。如果这三个当中有一个不正常，人就会死亡。

What is an example of one of these deadly heart rhythms?

由心率致死的例子是什么？

In most cases, it's probably ventricular fibrillation that causes these sudden deaths from fear. Ventricular fibrillation basically causes the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) to vibrate in a way that hampers their ability to deliver blood to the body.

在大多数情况下，可能是心室颤动引起人在恐惧中暴亡。心室颤动从根本上引起心室以一种方式震动，阻碍了血液向身体供血的能力。­­­­

What other emotional states besides fear could lead to these fatal heart rhythms?

除了因恐惧引起致命的心率问题之外还有其他情绪原因吗?

Any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness. There are people who have died in intercourse or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, "I can die now"—and then he dropped dead. A study in Germany found an increase of sudden cardiac deaths on the days that the German soccer team was playing in the World Cup. For about seven days after the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon there was an increase of sudden cardiac death among New Yorkers.

任何强烈的正面的或者负面的情绪比如幸福或者悲伤（都会引起心率问题）。有人死于性交中或者宗教激情中。有个案例说一个高尔夫球员一杆进洞之后，转身告诉他的同伴说：“我开心死了”——随后便扔掉球杆死掉了。一向在德国的研究发现德国足球队在世界杯比赛的几天里因心脏原因暴亡的人数增加了。在9.11恐怖袭击世贸大楼和五角大楼之后的7天里，在纽约人中因心脏问题暴亡的人数增多了。

Who is most likely to suffer from sudden death?

什么样的人最有可能遭遇暴亡？

A predisposition to heart disease would probably increase your risk of sudden death, but it happens at all ages and can happen to otherwise healthy people.

易患心脏疾病的体质可能会增加暴亡的危险，并且在任何年龄段都可能发生，并且会因其他原因发生在健康的人身上。

Vocabulary：

Elude：逃避

Cop：（口语）警察

Botched：糟糕的；搞砸的

Fugitive：逃亡的

Prosecutor：检察官

Felony：重罪

Neurology：神经（病）学

Physiology：生理学

Dilate: 放大

Pupil: 瞳孔

Jaguar: 美洲豹

Primitive: 原始的

Rev up: 增大；提高

Hormone: 荷尔蒙

Adrenaline: 肾上腺激素

Neurotransmitter: 神经递质

Visceral: 内脏的

Receptor: 受体

Cardiac: 心脏的

Myocyte: 肌细胞

Sinoatrial: 窦房的

Atrioventricular: 心房与心室的

Ventricle: 心室

Predisposition: 倾向性

（来源：天星教育网 实习生许雅宁 英语点津Yvonne编辑）

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