在采集的所有家用品样本中，研究人员发现鞋子里的梭状芽胞杆菌比马桶表面的还要多，这也证实了脏鞋子在家里传播细菌的能力。

　　But despite the horrifying picture this paints of microbe-infested interiors, the research doesn't actually give us anything too serious to worry about. While many of us might want to launch into a house-cleaning frenzy at the thought of a wayward shoe, the reality is that the load of bacteria our shoes bring indoors isn't typically high enough to make the average healthy person very sick.

　　尽管这幅微生物入侵的画面很可怕，但这项研究实际上并没有给我们带来任何值得担心的严重问题。许多人也许一想到鞋上的细菌就想来一场大扫除，但事实是，我们的鞋子带进室内的细菌数量一般都不足以让普通的健康人生病。

　　"For a healthy individual, bacteria on shoes likely pose no or minimal risk," said Kevin Garey, the author on the 2014 study and professor at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. Usually, a healthy person would need to come into contact with thousands of microbes from one harmful bacterial strain to actually become infected with something, Sexton added.

　　美国休斯敦大学药学院教授凯文·加里说：“对于健康的人来说，鞋子上的细菌并不会构成风险，或者说风险很小。”凯文·加里也是前述2014年研究报告的作者。塞克斯顿说，健康的人通常需要接触很多有害细菌菌株才会真正感染。

　　Another point is that most of us don't spend a lot of time on the ground, where shoe bacteria dwell. "The exposure makes the poison. So if you're not exposed to it, you're not going to get sick from it," Sexton said. In some cases, layers of bacteria coating the floor can become "re-aerosolized" and enter the air we breathe, lifted by the draft from a window, for instance, Sexton explained. That might increase infection risk. But the greatest threat really lies on the ground. "I'd be more worried about a child crawling around on the floor. For a healthy adult, it's not too big of an issue," Sexton said.

　　另一点是，大多数人不会在地面上待很久，而地面正是鞋子携带细菌的主要聚集场所。塞克斯顿说：“接触才会导致感染。所以如果你没有接触，就不会因此生病。”他解释说，在某些情况下，地面上覆盖的一层细菌可能会因从窗外进来的一股气流而“重新雾化”，从而进入我们呼吸的空气。这可能增加感染风险。但最大的威胁实际上还是在地面上。他说：“我更担心的是在地板上爬来爬去的孩子。而对于健康的成年人来说，这不是太大的问题。”

　　Another group of people who may need to take extra precautions are those who are immunocompromised, meaning their defenses against infection are lower than usual. "In a person who is at risk for infections — usually someone recently hospitalized — attention to good household cleaning can be important," said Garey.

　　免疫功能不全的人们也需要格外防范，他们抵抗感染的能力比普通人要低。加里说：“对于可能被传染(一般最近住过院)的人来说，注意室内卫生很重要。”

　　immunocompromised: adj. [ɪmjʊnoʊ'kəmprəmɪst] 免疫系统受损伤[削弱]的

　　In summary, if you're at risk of infection, or you have a small child, "it would be a good idea to take your outdoor shoes off when you enter your home," Garey told Live Science. "For most healthy persons, however, you can make the decision as much based on preference and habit, as potential health concern."

　　总而言之，加里告诉趣味科学网站说，如果你有感染的风险，或者你有年幼的小孩，“那么你在进屋时最好把鞋子脱掉，不过对大多数健康人来说，你可以根据潜在的健康考量来做决定，也完全可以按照个人喜好和习惯”。

　　And it's worth remembering that bacteria exist elsewhere than on our shoes: They're in the air, on our skin, in our hair and inside our very guts. In fact, we live in a constantly swirling bacterial soup that would be impossible to completely disinfect.

　　要记住，细菌不仅存在于鞋子上：它们还存在于空气中、我们的皮肤上、头发上、还有肠道里。实际上，我们一直与细菌共存，完全彻底的消毒是不可能的。

　　"Healthy bacteria in our gut, skin and elsewhere keep us healthy and protect us from other bacteria that can cause us illness," Garey said. "I don't think everyone appreciates that some bacteria are also good for us."

　　加里说：“我们的肠道和皮肤等处都有有益健康的细菌，使我们保持健康，免遭致病细菌的侵害。我并不认为所有人都知道有些细菌对我们是有好处的。”