Throughout history, people have attributed warts to contact with things like sea foam, boiled egg water, and, of course, toads.
有史以来，人们将疣归因于与海洋泡沫、煮蛋水，当然，还有蟾蜍等物的接触。
We now know that toads are totally innocent in the matter.
我们现在知道蟾蜍在这件事上完全是无辜的。
They're bumpy because mucus- and poison- secreting glands dot their skin.
它们看起来疙疙瘩瘩的，是因为皮肤上布满了分泌粘液和毒液的腺体。
And we've figured out that warts are actually caused by papillomaviruses.
我们已经清楚疣其实是由乳头状瘤病毒引起的。
They form a broad virus family that infects various species, including us.
它们形成了一个广泛的病毒家族，感染包括我们在内的各个物种。
There are more than 200 different types of specifically human papillomaviruses, or HPVs.
有200多种不同类型的特定人乳头状瘤病毒简称 HPV。
As is the case with all viruses, HPVs can't multiply independently.
与所有病毒一样，HPV不能独立繁殖，
Instead, HPVs use our skin cells to replicate.
而是利用我们的皮肤细胞进行复制。
They do this by infecting the basal cells that constantly produce new skin cells and line the base of our skin's outermost layer, the epidermis.
它们通过感染基底细胞进行复制。基底细胞不断产生新的皮肤细胞，排列形成皮肤最外层，既表皮的基底。
Your skin is your largest organ.
皮肤是最大的器官。
It functions like a waterproof, active immune barrier that protects your body from the many pathogens perpetually poised to penetrate it.
它就像一个防水、活跃的免疫屏障，保护身体免受许多随时可能穿透皮肤的病原体的侵害。
If any HPVs do make it past the skin's outermost surveillance system, it can activate a barrage of defenses.
如果有 HPV 穿过了皮肤最外层的监视系统，就能激活一连串的防御。
But sometimes, HPVs still make it through.
但有时，HPV还是能成功。
They have a better chance of getting all the way to the skin's basal cell layer when your skin is wet, softened, or injured,
HPV 更有可能一路进到皮肤的基底细胞层，当皮肤潮湿、软化或受伤时，
even with the tiniest of cuts.
即使是最细微的伤口。
You're most likely to develop warts on your hands and feet because they're most likely to encounter foreign surfaces and get superficially injured,
手和脚最有可能长疣，因为它们最有可能碰到异物表面受皮外伤，
especially in shared, wet environments like shower rooms.
特别是在像淋浴房那样共享、潮湿的环境中。
Once HPV reaches your skin's basal cell layer, it unleashes its genome, which instructs the basal cells to multiply at higher rates, defer cell death,
HPV 一旦到了皮肤的基底细胞层，就会释放其基因组，从而指令基底细胞以更快的速度繁殖，延迟细胞死亡
and replicate the virus.
并复制病毒。
From there, the infected skin cells proliferate, piling up as they move towards the skin's surface, forming that telltale wart.
由此，被感染的皮肤细胞迅速繁殖，朝皮肤表面堆积，形成显示HPV感染的疣。
But what exactly the wart looks like depends on a few factors.
但疣究竟长什么样取决于几个因素。
It's not totally clear why, but different HPV types tend to infect different parts of the body, cause unique-looking warts, and range in seriousness.
虽然原因尚不完全清楚，但是不同的HPV类型往往会感染身体的不同部位，导致样子独特、严重程度不一的疣。
Common warts are often domed and found on hands, elbows, and knees; plantar warts occur on the soles of feet, where walking may flatten them;
寻常疣通常为圆顶状，见于手、肘和膝盖；跖疣发生在足底，走路可能会使它们变平；
filiform warts, around the mouth and eyes; and flat warts, on the legs and face.
丝状疣发于唇周和眼周；扁平疣发于腿部和面部。
Warts can also feature little black dots, which are actually tiny blood clots where capillaries in the skin have become obstructed.
疣还可能有小黑点，这些黑点实际上是极小的血块，皮肤里的毛细血管堵塞的地方。
Regardless of how exactly the wart forms, when the infected skin cells it's made of die, they release thousands of HPVs.
不管疣到底是如何形成的，当构成疣的受感染的皮肤细胞死亡时，它们会释放成千上万的 HPV。
This is why one wart can theoretically infect other parts of someone's body— or other people, directly or indirectly.
这就是为什么一个疣理论上可以直接或间接地感染其它身体部位或其他人的原因。
However, the likelihood of this happening depends on what kind of HPV is involved and what part of the body it's best at infecting.
但是，感染的可能性取决于涉及哪种 HPV，以及它最擅长感染身体的哪个部位。
Most HPVs infect different areas of the skin and cause benign warts.
大多数HPV感染不同部位的皮肤并导致良性疣。
However, some HPVs prefer the body's mucosal epithelia, the soft, moist tissues that line our reproductive, digestive, and respiratory tracts.
但是，一些HPV更喜欢人体的粘膜上皮，既我们生殖道、消化道和呼吸道内柔软、湿润的组织。
These HPVs are the most common sexually transmitted infections.
这些HPV是最常见的性传播感染。
And while they're also usually benign, they're more likely to be persistent and some types can cause cancers.
虽然它们通常也是良性的，但它们更有可能持续存在，一些类型可能导致癌症。
Doctors might recommend topical or surgical treatment for these infections.
医生可能会建议对这些感染进行局部或手术治疗。
And HPV vaccines that are almost 100% effective in preventing infections from the riskiest HPV types became available in 2006.
HPV 疫苗于2006问世， 几乎可以100%预防感染风险最高的HPV类型。
The body often keeps HPV at bay or resolves infections within a couple of years.
人体通常可以控制HPV或在几年内消除感染。
But some people are more susceptible, and some HPV types are more persistent.
但有些人更易受感染，有些HPV类型更顽固。
Handling meat and fish puts people in contact with specific HPV types.
处理肉和鱼会使人接触特定类型的HPV。
Children and elderly people are thought to be more vulnerable to HPV infections because their skin tends to be thinner and have less organized immune defenses.
儿童和老年人被认为 更易受 HPV 感染，因为他们的皮肤往往更薄，免疫防御能力也更弱。
And compromised immunity or skin flora— caused by things like smoking, chemotherapy, HIV,
由吸烟、化疗、艾滋病病毒
and genetic variation— can make it harder for the body to suppress HPV infections.
和基因变异等因素引起的免疫力或皮肤菌群受损会使人体更难阻止HPV感染。
And although most warts are harmless and go away without intervention, they're still contagious,
虽然大多数疣是无害的，无需干预也会消失，但它们仍然有传染性，
and dermatologists have methods to help the body clear them.
皮肤科医生有办法帮助身体将它们清除。
Some treatments work by stimulating the immune system directly, while others— like salicylic acid and cryotherapy— irritate the infected area,
一些疗法通过直接刺激免疫系统起作用，而另一些疗法，如水杨酸和冷冻治疗，会刺激感染区域，
indirectly activating an immune response.
间接激活免疫反应。
Thankfully, there are lots of options available in addressing our wart worries— and simply no need to slander toads.
值得庆幸的是，我们有很多选择来解决对疣的担忧，而且根本没有必要诽谤蟾蜍。
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