Long live the last of the summer wine, as it turns out that your nightly tipple¹ could be more of a life-saver than you thought.

夏日美酒万岁！每晚小酌一杯葡萄酒，它的延年益寿效果远超你想象。

A glass or two of wine every evening could cut your risk of developing various life-shortening diseases and illnesses by 25 per cent, a US study has found.

美国的一项研究发现，每晚喝一到两杯葡萄酒可以降低患各种缩短寿命的疾病的风险，使发病率降低25%。

It claims that those who regularly consume moderate amounts of alcohol lessen² the likelihood of early death and developing cardiovascular disease.

据称，那些经常饮用适量小酒的人群，早逝及患心血管疾病的可能性较低。

Naturally the study, which was carried out by the American College of Cardiology, was quick to assert that heavy drinking is incredibly detrimental³ to our cardiovascular health and can increase the risk of early death over time.

这项由美国心脏病学会进行的研究很自然地断言，重度饮酒对心血管健康极其有害，而且随着时间的推移会增加过早死亡的风险。

A delicate balance exists between the beneficial and detrimental effects of alcohol consumption, which should be stressed to consumers and patients, Bo Xi, the study’s lead author explained.

该书的主要作者Bo Xi称，饮酒量的利弊之间存在着微妙的平衡，这一点应当向消费者和病人强调。

The research accounted for 333,247 participants between 1997 and 2009, during which time patients were regularly required to divulge⁴ details on their alcoholic⁵ consumption.

1997年至2009年期间，研究人员对333,247名参与者进行了调查，在此期间，患者定期被要求透露他们饮酒的细节。

The study classified a “light drinker” as someone who consumed less than three drinks a week, whilst a male “moderate drinker” will have between three and 14 drinks each week. A female will have between three and seven. Anything above that is considered “heavy” by drinking standards.

这项研究将“轻度饮酒者”归类为每周饮酒量不足3杯的人，而男性“适度饮酒者”每周饮酒3至14杯。女性则为3到7杯。超过以上量的，按标准视为“酗酒”。

The research found that male heavy drinkers were 25 percent more likely to die early than those who drank more moderately. They were also 67 per cent more at risk of dying from cancer.

研究发现，酗酒的男性比那些适度饮酒的人早逝的机率要高25%，死于癌症的机率更是高67%。

A glass of wine a night might also increase creativity, a similar study conducted in Austria found. Exploring the links between creativity and mild alcoholic consumption, the research published inConsciousness & Cognition by Dr Mathias Benedek revealed that a moderate amount of alcohol can enhance the brain’s ability to think laterally⁶ and consequently boost capabilities⁷ for creative activities such as writing.

在奥地利进行的一项类似研究也发现，每晚一杯红酒还能提高创造力。探索创造力和轻度饮酒之间的联系，Mathias Benedek博士在《意识与认知》杂志上发表的一项研究表明，适量饮酒可以增强大脑的横向思维能力，从而提高创造性活动(如写作)的能力。