科学家最新研究 人类寿命上限120岁

 The number of people living past 100 has soared by 71 per cent in the past decade. And while one expert believes this figure will continue to rise, he stated that anyone hoping to live for double or triple this time will be disappointed. Speaking at a gerontology conference, Professor Sir Colin Blakemore, 70, a British neurobiologist and was formerly¹ chief executive of the British Medical Research Council, claimed there is a ceiling on how long humans can live, and 120 years ‘might be a real absolute limit to human lifespan.’

过去十年，寿命达到100岁以上的老人数量激增71%。而这个数字还有望增加，并且人类寿命会成倍增加。70岁的英国神经生物学家、英国医学研究委员会前任主席柯林·布雷克莫尔近期在一个老年医学会议上提出，人类寿命是有上限的，而120岁“很可能就是这个上限”。

A panel of gerontologists and scientists discussed the future of medicine, global health concerns and life expectancy². It agreed that medicines will have a limited effect on extending human life, and it was more important to improve the health and quality of life for older people, rather than prolonging it. The panel also stated it was key to improve the life expectancy in poorer regions, or areas where people typically die much younger than other areas.

老年医学家和科学家们探讨了药物的未来，环球健康隐忧和人类寿命等问题。无疑，药物对于延长人类寿命的影响是有限的，对于老年人来说，与其延长寿命，不如改善健康情况，提升生活质量。小组成员同样认为，贫困地区老人寿命通常较短，提升他们的寿命长度也刻不容缓。

The 2014 Global Age Watch Index, which ranks 96 nations on the quality of life for the elderly, recently stated that by 2050, the number of over 60s will be 21 per cent of the global population. This is almost double the current figure of 12 per cent. The proportion of over-80s is growing fastest, too – projected to rise from two per cent now to four per cent of the global population by 2050.

2014全球年龄指数衡量了96个国家的老年人生活质量。结果表明，到2050年，60岁以上人群将占据全球人口的21%，比起当下的12%来说是成倍的增长。而80岁以上的老人数量也将急剧增长，从目前的2%上升到4%。

While it could take years of research to extend humans’ lives in the same way, the study raises the prospect³ of anti-ageing treatments informed by genetic⁴ interactions, according to Dr Kapahi. ‘In the early years, cancer researchers focused on mutations in single genes⁵, but then it became apparent that different mutations in a class of genes were driving the disease process,’ he said.

研究如何延长人类寿命并非易事，然而卡帕利博士的研究表明可以通过基因作用提高抗老化治疗的可能性。“今年，癌症研究者注重单一基因的突变性，但是很明显，同类基因的突变是导致病情加重的原因。”

The research, reported in the journal Cell Reports, involved blocking key molecules⁶ that affect the action of insulin and a nutrient⁷ signalling pathway called Target of Rapamycin (TOR). Single mutations in the TOR pathway were known to extend the lifespan of C. elegans by 30 per cent, while insulin-signalling mutations could double the amount of time they lived.

医学期刊报道称，有研究专门针对影响胰岛素和营养物质的关键分子，即对雷帕霉素标靶（以下称TOR）的抑制。TOR的单一变异可以将线虫生命延长30%，而以胰岛素为标志的变异可以将寿命延长一倍。

Adding the two together might have been expected to extend longevity⁸ by 130 per cent, but the combined impact turned out to be much greater. The research may explain why it has proved so difficult to identify single genes responsible for the long lives enjoyed by humans. ‘It's quite probable that interactions between genes are critical in those fortunate enough to live very long, healthy lives,’ said Dr Kapahi. Future research is expected to use mice to see if the same effects occur in mammals.

而将两者结合可以讲人类寿命提升130%，但是两者若实际结合，其效力将不可预估。研究同样解释了判断长寿秘诀的单一基因的困难性，“这些基因之间的互相作用对于长寿、健康来说都有可能是至关重要的。”卡帕利博士说道。而未来的研究将实验于小白鼠，以验证它对哺乳动物的作用。

1 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

2 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

3 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

7 nutrient   

adj.营养的，滋养的；n.营养物，营养品

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The roots transmit moisture and nutrient to the trunk and branches.根将水分和养料输送到干和枝。

8 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。