Two years after a scientific study on cockroach¹ milk first made headlines, the creepy-crawly non-dairy alternative is back in the news: When an old article resurfaced last week, the Internet pounced-reacting with horror, fascination², and sometimes a little bit of both.

科学家对蟑螂奶研究了两年，终于出了成果成为头条新闻。这个令人毛骨悚然的非乳制品替代物再次成为热门话题：上周一篇旧的文章重又被人翻了出来，互联网立马造势--以恐惧、着迷的态度报道，有时候既表现出恐惧、又表现出着迷。

So what is cockroach milk? The buzz all started back in 2016, when an international team of researchers conducted a nutritional³ analysis of the milk-like substance that female Pacific beetle⁴ cockroaches⁵ produce and feed to their offspring. According to NPR, the scientists discovered that cockroach milk (which is not technically⁶ milk, by the way, but a yellowish fluid that solidifies⁷ into crystals in the offspring's stomachs) is one of the most nutritious⁸ substances on the planet.

那什么是蟑螂奶？这可以追溯到2016年，当时一个国际研究小组对牛奶样物质进行了营养分析，雌性的太平洋甲虫蟑螂分泌这种牛奶样物质，并用其喂养后代。美国国家公共电台表示，科学家发现蟑螂奶（从技术层面而言，并不是牛奶，顺便说一下，它是一种淡黄色的液体，会在蟑螂后代的胃里凝固成晶体）是地球上最有营养的物质之一。

The study, published in the Journal of the International Union of Crystallography, found that cockroach milk contains three times more calories than the equivalent mass of buffalo⁹ milk, which currently holds the prize for the most calorie-rich milk from a mammal. Cockroach milk also contains protein and amino acids, which could potentially be valuable to human health.

研究发表于《国际晶体学联合会杂志》（Journal of the International Union of Crystallography）上，研究发现：蟑螂奶含有的卡路里量是同等质量水牛奶的三倍多，而水牛奶是目前哺乳动物中卡路里含量最丰富的奶。蟑螂奶也含有蛋白质和氨基酸，可能对人体健康有益。

As disgusting as it may sound, the idea of cockroach milk is appealing to many scientists, and even to some consumers. After all, there is a growing demand for dairy-free alternatives to cow's milk and ice cream-for people with dairy allergies¹⁰ or intolerances, for those who follow a vegan lifestyle, and for anyone looking for more sustainable, environmentally friendly food sources.

虽然听起来很恶心，但蟑螂奶的概念却吸引了一大批科学家，甚至吸引了一些客户。毕竟，人们对牛奶和冰淇淋替代品的需求正不断增长--对于乳糖不耐症和乳制品过敏人士而言、对于追求纯素生活方式的人士而言、对于寻找更可持续的环保食品源的人士而言。

At the time of their study's publication, the authors said there still was no evidence that cockroach milk was safe for people to eat. (Although, one of them reportedly tried it and said it tasted "like pretty much nothing.") They also pointed¹¹ out that cockroaches only make a tiny amount of this fluid and that producing enough to sell it commercially could pose a serious challenge.

研究发表之际，作者表示：尚未有证据表明人类可以安全食用蟑螂奶。（尽管其中一位作者称自己尝过蟑螂奶，尝起来"几乎像没吃东西一样。"）他们还指出蟑螂只会分泌少量的这种液体，所以要生产足够量的商品可能是一项严峻挑战。

Researchers may still not be any closer to a solution to these particular obstacles. In an email to Health, one of the study's authors explains that it's not actually possible to "milk" cockroaches in the same way as cows or other mammals.

研究员尚未得出合适的方法以解决这些障碍。在写给《健康》杂志的一封电子邮件中，该研究的一位作者解释道，我们可能很难像挤奶牛或其它哺乳动物那样挤蟑螂奶。