又中又英｜Abstinence

Scientific studies have long suggested that moderate drinking, such as two daily glasses of wine, is better for health than abstinence. I have read many studies that said a glass or two of wine is good for the heart. I have religiously followed this advice even though I normally drink more than two glasses. A recent New York Times article said a new analysis of over 40 years of research has debunked conclusions that moderate drinking benefits health. The analysis found that previous conclusions on the benefits of moderate drinking were wrong. The word “abstinence” means not doing something harmful, such as drinking alcohol.

If you religiously follow something, it means you do it regularly and are serious about it. If you debunk something, you expose it as not true. Many drinkers like me are now torn between two beliefs. If you are torn between two things, it means you find it difficult to choose between the two. Do you want to believe the studies that concluded moderate drinking benefits health or the new analysis that said moderate drinking has no health benefits? The new analysis found that women have a higher risk of dying prematurely even if they drink less than two cocktails or glasses of wine daily. Men’s risk of dying prematurely increases if they have a little over three drinks daily.

For me, abstinence is impossible. Having a few drinks with dinner relaxes me. I usually have about three drinks daily, but I believe God decides when a person dies, not alcohol. That doesn’t mean people should follow my belief. They must decide themselves if they want to drink or not.

早有科學研究表明，適量喝酒，例如一天喝兩杯葡萄酒，比起完全戒酒（abstinence），對身體健康更好。我讀過多份研究，皆說一兩杯酒對心臟有益。我篤信地恆常遵守（religiously followed）這個建議，雖然我通常會喝多於兩杯酒。最近《紐約時報》一篇文章說，一個最新分析報告分析了超過四十年的研究，駁斥（debunked）了適量喝酒對身體有益的結論。該分析指，之前有關適量喝酒是有益的結論都是錯的。Abstinence是指去節制、禁戒做有害的事，例如喝酒。

若你 religiously follow something，意即你會十分認真、有規律地去做某事。若你 debunk某事，意即你去拆穿某事不是真的。許多像我一般的喝酒者現正 torn between two beliefs——若你是 torn between two things，意即你在兩個事物之間難於抉擇、左右為難。你想相信那些認為適量飲酒對健康有益的研究，抑或那個說適量飲酒沒有任何健康裨益的新分析？新分析報告發現，女人即使每天喝少於兩杯雞尾酒或葡萄酒，仍有更高風險會過早死亡；男人若每天喝比三杯酒多一點的分量，過早死亡的風險則會增加。

對我來說，禁戒（abstinence）喝酒、滴酒不沾是不可能的。晚餐時喝幾杯酒，有助我鬆馳神經。我通常每天喝大約三杯酒，但我相信是神去決定一個人何時死亡，而非酒精。那不代表人人都要遵從我所信的。要不要喝酒，還得由人自己決定。