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You've probably heard of superbugs: infectious microbes that become resistant to our most effective treatments.
大家可能都听说过超级细菌：对最有效治疗产生抵抗力的传染性细菌。
So with the COVID-19 pandemic, when the whole world became obsessed with alcohol-based hand sanitizers,
所以在COVID-19疫情期间，当全世界都沉迷于酒精洗手液时，
you might have started to wonder whether using too much of them could make the superbug problem worse.
你可能开始思考，使用过多的酒精洗手液是否会使超级细菌问题变得更加糟糕。
But, as far as researchers can tell, that's not really a concern.
但据研究人员所知，这其实没什么好担心的。
And that's because alcohols chemically attack molecules that are fundamental to all cells.
这是因为酒精是通过化学方式攻击对所有细胞都很重要的分子。
Bacteria generally can find ways to resist antibiotics because these drugs use focused strategies to kill or hinder those microbes.
细菌通常可以找到抵御抗生素的方法，因为这些药物使用集中战略杀死或阻碍那些细菌。
Like, they block the action of one protein or something.
比如，它们会阻碍某个蛋白质等的行动。
But if the bacteria tweak that protein bit, or find a way to get rid of the antibiotic itself quickly, then the drug won't work.
但如果细菌对该蛋白质点进行稍微改动，或是找到了快速摆脱抗生素的方法，那么药物就不起作用了。
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is different because it messes with a lot of things.
酒精洗手液不同，因为它会妨碍很多东西。
They usually contain isopropanol the same stuff as rubbing alcohol and/or ethanol, the alcohol found in booze.
它们通常含有异丙醇，一种与外用酒精和/或乙醇（酒中发现的酒精）一样的物质。
Both of these rip cells open and destroy the proteins inside.
两种物质会将细胞撕裂开，并在蛋白质内部进行摧毁。
See, cells are surrounded by a membrane: a double layer of fatty molecules which keeps their insides in and their outsides out.
细胞被一层细胞膜包围：这是一种双层脂肪分子，将内外分隔开来。
But ethanol and isopropanol are teeny. They are almost nothing compared to them.
但是乙醇和异丙醇很小，和它们相比几乎微乎其微。
Just two or three carbon atoms, a hydroxyl group, and some hydrogens.
只有两个或三个碳原子、一个羟基以及一些氢原子。
And, in part because of that, they can slip their way in between the membrane's layers.
正因为如此，在某种程度上，它们可以在细胞膜的各个层之间滑动。
There, they mess with the fatty molecules a bit, ultimately making the barrier more porous.
在那里，它们稍微搅乱了脂肪分子，最终使屏障更容易渗透。
This may be damaging enough on its own, as cells with weakened membranes tend to leak important things, or get over-filled with water.
这本身就有足够的破坏性，因为细胞膜脆弱的细胞会泄漏重要的物质，或者被灌满水。
But also, it lets lots of alcohol get fully inside the cell, where it wreaks havoc on the proteins that keep the microbe functioning.
但同时，它也让大量的酒精完全进入细胞，在那里它会破坏维持微生物正常工作的蛋白质。
And not just, like, one protein, like an antibiotic would. These alcohols can react with different parts of many proteins,
和抗生素不一样，可不仅仅是一个蛋白质。这些酒精可以和很多蛋白质的不同部分产生反应，
disrupting the bonds that hold them together, and ultimately breaking them down in a process known as denaturation.
破坏将它们结合在一起的化学键，并最终将其分解，这一过程称为变性。
This is actually a major reason why the concentration of alcohol in hand sanitizer is so important.
这其实是洗手液中酒精浓度如此重要的一个主要原因。
Below sixty percent or so, and it can't destroy the microbe effectively. But, you don't want to go overboard, either.
浓度在60%以下，就无法有效消灭细菌。但浓度也不能太高。
Ninety percent is usually the recommended maximum, because water helps speed up the reactions between alcohols and proteins.
90%其实就是通常推荐的最高度数，因为水有助于加速酒精和蛋白质之间的反应。
In the right concentration, these alcohols can kill most bacteria, although there are some holdouts -
在正确的浓度中，这些酒精可以杀死大部分细菌，虽然也有一些顽固细菌——
namely, the few that can hunker down in tough structures called endospores.
也就是那些可以隐藏在坚固内孢子中的少数派。
Hand sanitizers can even destroy viruses that have a fatty outer layer, like coronaviruses, for similar reasons.
出于同样的原因，洗手液甚至可以消灭拥有脂肪外层的病毒，比如冠状病毒。
And becoming fully resistant to this level of destruction would involve much more than just a couple random mutations.
要想完全抵抗这种程度的破坏，需要的不仅仅是几个随机的突变。
The microbe would have to change fundamental parts of its structure - like, suddenly develop the ability to create endospores.
细菌将不得不改变其结构的重要部分——比如突然发育出创造内孢子的能力。
And scientists don't think that's very likely to happen. Now, one study published in Science Translational Medicine in 2018
科学家认为这是非常不可能发生的。2018年发表于《Science Translational Medicine》的一项研究
did find that a species of bacteria was becoming more tolerant of the alcohol in hand sanitizers.
确实发现有一种细菌对洗手液中酒精的耐受性越来越强。
That led to a whole bunch of headlines about how microbes were becoming resistant to alcohol and maybe we shouldn't use it anymore.
因此出现了大量关于细菌如何对酒精产生抗药性，以及我们不应该再继续使用洗手液的头条新闻。
But that's not what the study's authors actually said.
但其实该研究的作者并不是这么说的。
The microbes increasing in prevalence were tolerant of about twenty-three percent alcohol.
越来越普遍的细菌对大约23%酒精耐受。
They did not claim - and still don't - that microbes able to withstand seventy percent alcohol had evolved.
他们过去没有——现在仍然没有表示——能够抵抗住70%酒精的细菌已经进化了。
Rather, their concern was that improper use of sanitizers or unreliable formulations
相反，他们担心的是，不恰当地使用杀菌剂或不可靠的配方
could mean dangerous bacteria aren't exposed to high enough concentrations of alcohol, or aren't exposed for long enough to fully kill them.
可能意味着危险的细菌没有暴露在足够高浓度的酒精中，或暴露的时间不够长，不足以完全杀死它们。
And that may mean hospital staff may believe surfaces are sterile when they actually aren't.
这可能意味着医院工作人员可能会将有菌表面误当成无菌的。
In fact, they stressed that people should continue using alcohol-based sanitizers, as they save millions of lives every year.
实际上，他们强调大家应该继续使用酒精洗手液，因为它们每年拯救了是百万人的生命。
They just urged more careful review of the products and protocols.
他们只是敦促对商品及条款进行更仔细的审查。
The point is, as far as we can tell, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer is not creating superbugs. So go forth and sanitize!
关键是，就我们所知，使用含酒精的洗手液不会产生超级细菌。所以赶紧去消毒吧！
Thanks to Paul, Fred, and Lorraine for asking us about hand sanitizers, and to everyone else who supports us on Patreon!
感谢以上三人关于洗手液的提问，也感谢每一位支持我们的人。
If you're a patron and you've got questions about how the world works, be sure to make good use of that QQ inbox.
如果你是我们的赞助人，如果你对这个世界有很多疑问，一定要好好利用提问框。
We love hearing what you're curious about, and hey you might just get your questions answered in an episode!
我们愿意听到大家的好奇，或许下一期我们就会解答你的提问！
And if you're not a patron, you can learn more about how to become one at Patreon.com/SciShow.
如果你还不是我们的赞助人，你也可以在Patreon.com/SciShow了解如何成为我们的赞助人。
