在残酷的大自然中生存下去不是件易事，如果有一天你不得不荒野求生，不要盲目相信所谓的“生存技能”，有一些甚至可能置你于死地。
1
▌Myth:
You can suck the venom out of a snakebite.
千万别信：被蛇咬之后，可以用嘴吸出毒汁。
▌Fact:
If a bite delivers venom, it'll immediately enter the bloodstream. Putting your mouth on the bite will deliver extra bacteria to the wound and may simply get venom into your mouth and esophagus.
事实：如果被毒蛇咬了一口，毒汁就会立即渗入血液。用你的嘴去吸蛇咬处会让伤口感染更多细菌，而且只会让毒汁进入你的口腔和食道。
If someone gets bitten, try to keep the person's heart rate low and hold the affected limb below heart level while getting to a hospital.
如果有人被蛇咬了，在送医的路上应尽力让受伤者的心跳平静下来，让被咬的肢体低于心脏的位置。
2
▌Myth:
Always play dead when you are attacked by a bear.
千万别信：被熊攻击就装死。
▌Fact:
If you are out in the woods and you see a bear, the general advice is to quietly back away. If it's in your yard or around your campsite, make yourself large and loud, which hopefully will scare it off.
事实：如果你在森林里看到一头熊，一般建议安静地向后撤退。如果熊在你家院子或露营地周边，装出强大的样子大声喊叫也许能把它吓走。
But in the case of an actual attack, your reaction strategy should depend on the bear and on the type of attack. Never play dead if a black bear attacks — always fight back.
如果熊真的要攻击你，你的应对策略取决于哪一种熊以及熊所采取的攻击方式。如果一头黑熊攻击你，永远不要装死，一定要奋起反击。
In most cases, a brown or grizzly bear attacks to defend itself or its cubs. At these times it will warn you off by making noise and pretending to charge.
大多数情况下，棕熊或灰熊攻击人类是为了自卫或保护它的幼崽。在这种时候，熊会通过发出声音或假装要进攻来把你吓走。
Back away from a defensive attack slowly. If the bear makes contact, play dead lying on your stomach with your hands over your neck.
在自卫性攻击前要慢慢地后退。如果这只熊和你发生肢体接触，你可以趴在地上装死，把手放在脖子上。
But in the rare case of a predatory attack, which comes with no warning (or if the bear seems to be stalking you), fight for your life.
不过如果遇见了罕见的掠食性攻击（这种攻击是没有警告的），或者当你发现熊在跟踪你时，就要全力反击。
3
▌Myth:
You need to find a food supply immediately if you are lost in the wilderness.
千万别信：如果你在荒野中迷失，你需要立即找到食物来源。
▌Fact:
Not even close. You can survive up to six weeks without food. The exact amount of time might vary, depending on starting point and other health issues, but water and shelter from the elements are far more important.
事实：远非如此。没有食物你可以存活六周之久。存活的时间长短取决于你起初的身体状况和其他健康因素，但水和遮风挡雨的住所比食物重要得多。
4
▌Myth:
The fluid in a cactus can save you from dying of thirst.
千万别信：仙人掌的汁液可以让你免于渴死。
▌Fact:
If you're experienced enough to pick out the one kind of barrel cactus that you can filter water from safely, this may work.
事实：如果你很有经验，能够挑出可安全过滤出水的桶形仙人掌，仙人掌的汁液也许有用。
But most of the time, cactus fluid will make you sick, causing you to vomit up precious liquid and leaving you more dehydrated.
但大多数情况下，仙人掌的汁液会让你恶心和呕吐，导致你失去体内宝贵的水分，从而让你脱水更严重。
5
▌Myth:
Moss grows on the north side of a tree.
千万别信：苔藓生长在树的北面。
▌Fact:
Moss can grow on all sides of a tree, depending on environmental conditions. Don't depend on this bit of folklore for navigation.
事实：苔藓会在大树的四面生长，取决于周围的环境条件。不要靠这种谣传来指导方向。
6
▌Myth:
If an animal eats something, it’s safe for you to eat it.
千万别信：动物能吃的东西，你也能吃。
▌Fact:
Birds and squirrels can eat certain berries and mushrooms that would kill a person.
事实：鸟和松鼠能吃的一些浆果和蘑菇会让人丧命。
7
▌Myth:
Rub someone's skin or put them in a hot tub to warm them up if they're freezing.
千万别信：如果被冻伤，摩擦皮肤或者在热水中浸泡可以缓解。
▌Fact:
Rubbing frostbitten skin can damage it even more, and hot water can be shocking or damaging for someone dealing with frostbite and hypothermia.
事实：摩擦生了冻疮的皮肤反而会进一步损伤皮肤，对于受到冻伤或体温过低的人来说，热水会造成刺激，带来伤害。
You need to warm someone back up slowly, preferably with blankets and some warm water bottles under their armpits.
这个时候要慢慢地帮助冻伤的人暖和过来，最好是盖上毯子，把暖水袋放在腋窝之下。
8
▌Myth:
If a shark attacks you, punch it in the nose.
千万别信：如果鲨鱼攻击你，就重击它的鼻子。
▌Fact:
It's really hard to land a solid punch on the nose of a moving shark.
事实：想要打到移动中鲨鱼的鼻子确实很难。
In the rare cases in which a shark comes in for a bite, try to put a solid object between you and animal. If that fails, claw at its eyes and gills.
万一有鲨鱼要咬你，设法在你和鲨鱼之间放一块固体，如果做不到，就抓鲨鱼的眼睛和鳃。
9
▌Myth:
Always swim parallel to shore if you are caught in a rip current.
千万别信：如果你被卷入激流，记住要沿着和海岸平行的方向游动。
▌Fact:
A rip current is scary, but swimming directly parallel to shore works best if the current goes directly out to sea.
事实：激流很可怕，但如果激流将你直直地卷入海洋，你最好是和海岸平行游动。
This isn't wrong, but it's good to know that many rip currents come in at an angle — your general idea should be to stay alongside the shore, but swim perpendicular to the current as much as you can "at an angle away from the current and towards the shore," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
这个做法没有错，但许多激流的方向都是和海岸成角度的，普遍想法是和海岸平行，但根据美国国家海洋和大气管理局的建议，你应该尽力向和激流相垂直的方向游去，“在和激流成角度的情况下向海岸游去”。
It might be easier to swim one direction instead of the other. And don't tire yourself out too much; it shouldn't feel as if you are going upstream. If you can't swim out, tread water until you can.
可能朝一方向游去比向另一个方向更容易。不过不要让自己的身体太疲劳，你不应该有逆流而上的感觉。如果你游不出去，就一直踩水直到你能游出去。
10
▌Myth:
A lean-to is a great shelter.
千万别信：坡屋是绝佳的庇护所。
▌Fact:
The right shelter depends on surrounding conditions. In high heat you need shade, but in cooler climates, staying warm is a priority.
事实：找什么地方容身取决于周围的环境。在高温下你需要阴凉处，但在寒冷天气里，保暖是要优先考虑的。
This means protecting yourself from wind, but it also means building up a layer to insulate you from the cool ground at night. A lean-to might help protect you from wind and the elements, but may not be enough to provide warmth.
这意味着你要找一个防风的处所，也意味着你要多盖一层来让自己在夜里免受地表寒气入侵。坡屋也许能防风和抵御恶劣天气，但可能不足以保暖。
编辑：丹妮
英文来源：商业内幕网
