2018年经济学人 寻找新抗生素:巨蜥血的48种功效(1)

 

Science and Technology

科技

Finding new antibiotics¹: The 48 uses of dragon's blood

寻找新抗生素：巨蜥血的48种功效

Komodo dragons could be the source for a new generation of antibiotics

科莫多巨蜥可成为新一代抗生素的来源。

Mythology² is rich with tales of dragons and the magical properties their innards possess.

神话中有许多关于龙的传说，以及它们体内器官所具有的奇妙功效的故事。

One of the most valuable bits was their blood. Supposedly capable of curing respiratory and digestive disorders³, it was widely sought.

其中最有价值的部分是它们的血液。据称可以治愈呼吸和消化系统疾病，因此被广泛追捧。

A new study has provided a factual twist on these fictional⁴ medicines.

一项新的研究为这些虚构的药物提供了一个真实依据。

Barney Bishop⁵ and Monique van Hoek, at George Mason University in Virginia, report in The Journal of Proteome Research that the blood of the Komodo dragon,

弗吉利亚州的乔治梅森大学的Barney和Monique在JPR上发表了一份报告，

the largest living lizard⁶ on the planet, is loaded with compounds that could be used as antibiotics.

他们发现这种地球上现存的最大蜥蜴的血液里充满了可用以开发抗生素的化合物。

Komodo dragons, which are native to parts of Indonesia, ambush⁷ large animals like water buffalo⁸ and deer with a bite to the throat.

科莫多巨蜥，生活于印度尼西亚部分地区，它们经常对水牛和鹿等大型动物致命一击。

If their prey⁹ does not fall immediately, the dragons rarely continue the fight.

如果它们的猎物没有很快倒地，巨蜥很少继续战斗。

Instead, they back away and let the mix of mild venom¹⁰ and dozens of pathogenic bacteria found in their saliva¹¹ finish the job.

而是闪到一边，等待它们唾液中的温和毒液和致病细菌完成后半程。

They track their prey until it succumbs¹², whereupon they can feast without a struggle.

它们会跟踪受伤的猎物直到猎物挂掉，然后不费力的享受一顿大餐。

Intriguingly¹³, though, Komodo dragons appear to be resistant¹⁴ to bites inflicted¹⁵ by other dragons.

有趣的是，它们似乎对同类的咬伤免疫。

Most animals—not just Komodo dragons—carry simple proteins known as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as general-purpose weapons against infection.

大多数的动物–不仅仅是科莫多巨蜥–体内有一种简单蛋白质，称抗菌肽，用来抵御外界感染。

But if the AMPs of Komodo dragons are potent¹⁶ enough to let them shrug¹⁷ off otherwise-fatal bites from their fellow animals, they are probably especially robust¹⁸.

如果科莫多巨蜥体内的抗菌肽足够强力，让它们能够抵御同类的出乎意料的致命咬伤，那么它们必然特别的强健。

And that could make them a promising¹⁹ source of chemicals upon which to base new antibiotics.

这可能使它们作为一种有前途的化合物来源，用于制造新型抗生素。

1 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

2 mythology   

n.神话，神话学，神话集

参考例句：

• In Greek mythology,Zeus was the ruler of Gods and men.在希腊神话中，宙斯是众神和人类的统治者。
• He is the hero of Greek mythology.他是希腊民间传说中的英雄。

3 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

5 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

6 lizard   

n.蜥蜴，壁虎

参考例句：

• A chameleon is a kind of lizard.变色龙是一种蜥蜴。
• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect.蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。

7 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

8 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

9 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

10 venom   

n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨

参考例句：

• The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。
• In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上，毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。

11 saliva   

n.唾液，口水

参考例句：

• He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。
• Saliva dribbled from the baby's mouth.唾液从婴儿的嘴里流了出来。

12 succumbs   

不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的第三人称单数 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死

参考例句：

• Eventually the virus prevails and the infected person succumbs to the infection. 最终病毒体会战胜药物，而导致感染者死亡。
• A German lender succumbs to perverse incentives. Who's next? 一德国贷方受制屈服于非正当（投资）动机。谁将步其后尘？

13 intriguingly   

参考例句：

• Intriguingly, she gave to the music a developed although oddly malleable personality. 最神奇的是，她的音乐具有成熟却又很奇怪地极富可塑性。 来自互联网
• Intriguingly, the patients brains were riddled with tangles, but not amyloid plaques. 有趣的是，患者的大脑中充满了各缠结，但并没有粉斑。 来自互联网

14 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

15 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

16 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

17 shrug   

v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)

参考例句：

• With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。
• I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

18 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

19 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。