What happens when you drink alcohol?

喝酒以后身体会有什么反应？

It doesn't matter what type of alcohol you drink – or even whether you mix drinks – the effects are basically the same with the same amount of alcohol.

不管喝什么酒，也不管是否掺着喝，喝等量的酒的影响基本是相同的。

When you drink alcohol it goes into the stomach and passes into the small intestine¹ where it's quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.

喝酒以后，酒会进入胃里，然后进入小肠，快速被血液吸收。

If you have eaten something, it slows the absorption of alcohol so you don't get drunk so quickly. That's why it's a good idea to eat before and during drinking.

要是吃点东西，就会减缓酒精被吸收的速度，不会很快喝醉。所以最好在饮酒之前和饮酒期间吃点东西。

It takes your body about an hour to metabolise 10 g, or one standard drink, of alcohol.

身体大概需要一小时代谢掉10 g，或者一份标准量的酒精。

(There are calculators that help you estimate your blood alcohol level but everybody breaks down alcohol at a different rate. So these calculators should only be used as a guide.)

（有计算方法能帮你估算出血液酒精含量，但每个人代谢酒精的速度不同，所以这些计算方法只能作为参考。）

What causes memory blackouts?

为什么会出现记忆中断？

We all have that friend who has woken up after a big night out and not been able to remember half the night. That's a "blackout".

我们都有这样的朋友，在外面睡一觉醒来，半个晚上的事都不记得了，这就叫“记忆中断”。

It's different to "passing out" – you're still conscious and able to carry out conversation, you just can't remember it later.

这和“昏倒”不一样，醉酒时你还有意识，能和人聊天，就是过后想不起来了。

The more alcohol you drink and the faster you drink it, the more likely you are to experience blackouts.

你喝的酒越多越快，就越有可能出现记忆中断。

Once alcohol in your blood reaches a certain level, your brain simply stops forming new memories. If you think of your brain like a filing cabinet, files are going straight to the bin², so when you later try to look for them they are lost.

一旦血液中的酒精达到一定水平，大脑就会停止形成新的记忆。如果你把大脑想像成文件柜，文件就是直接被扔进垃圾箱了，所以过后想要找的时候，就都没有了。

How do I sober up?

我是怎么清醒的？

If you've had too much, there's no way to sober up quickly. The only thing that can sober you up is time, so that the alcohol can be eliminated from your body.

如果你喝太多了，就不能很快清醒。唯一能帮你清醒的就是时间，过一段时间后酒精可以从体内排出。

The caffeine in coffee may make you feel more awake, but it doesn't help break down alcohol. You will be just as intoxicated³ and impaired⁴, even if you feel a little less drunk.

咖啡里的咖啡因会使你更清醒，但不能帮你分解酒精。即使你感觉清醒一点了，但其实醉酒和身体受损的程度还是一样的。