Kids don't try this at home!
小孩子不要在家尝试以下实验！
Here is a question for mom and dad.
这里有一个给老爸老妈准备的问题。
Have you ever dipped your toe into a very hot bath and felt a flash of icy cold just before you realize that its really burning?
你是否尝试过把脚趾伸进很烫的浴盆里却感到瞬间的冰冷，回过神来才意识到水是滚烫的？
After you pull your toe out, you might wonder what causes very hot water to feel cold.
也许抽出脚趾之后你很想知道，是什么原因让人觉得这滚烫的热水很冷。
This odd sensation is called paradoxical cold.
这种怪异的感受称为诡冷觉，
It is when something very hot feels cold and painful.
一些非常热的事物感到寒冷和痛苦。
It is caused by the temperature receptors in the skin.
其实是皮肤内的温度感受器在作祟。

There are separate, specific receptors that respond to decreases or increases in skin temperature.
皮肤内分布着独立的专门感受器，能对皮肤温度的升降作出反应。
If skin temperature drops, the cold receptors fire and if it increases, the warmth receptors fire.
如果皮肤温度下降了，冷感受器就发出警告，如果皮肤温度上升了，暖感受器则发出警告。
However, if a strong stimulus, like very hot water, can stimulate not only the warmth receptors but also stimulate the pain receptors.
可是，如果遇到很强烈的外部刺激，比如很烫的水，不仅能激发暖感受器，而且会激发痛感受器。
These warn us that we are doing ourselves damage, and should take action to prevent it.
这些反应提醒我们，我们正在伤害自己，应该马上采取措施制止伤害的继续。
The strong stimulus can also cause the abnormal stimulation of the cold receptors.
这种强烈的刺激也会导致冷感受器被异常激发。
So over-stimulation can cause the confusing sensation of cold, hot and pain,
过度刺激会使人体对冷、暖和痛觉的感受发生错乱，
but as long as we're clear about pulling the toe out to safety, paradoxical cold is just another strange trick of the senses.
但只要我们清醒地意识到应该把脚趾挪到安全的地方，诡冷觉也只是一种奇怪的感官游戏而已。