2018年经济学人 寻找新抗生素:巨蜥血的48种功效(2)

寻找新抗生素:巨蜥血的48种功效(2)

With that in mind, and working with the St Augustine Alligator¹ Farm Zoological Park in Florida, Dr Bishop² obtained fresh Komodo dragon blood.

有了这种想法，Bishop博士和弗罗里达圣奥古斯丁的短吻鳄农场动物园合作，获得了新鲜的科莫多蜥蜴血液！

He examined the blood for peptides with molecular³ weights, lengths, electrical charges and chemical characteristics that were similar to those from known AMPs.

他检查了血液中的肽的分子量，长度，电荷和化学性质，发现其与AMPs中的肽的性质相似。

He then analysed the peptides using a mass spectrometer and a combination of commercial and home-brewed software to identify which of the newly discovered peptides were likely to have medicinal potential.

他接着利用质谱仪分析了提取的多肽，并利用商用和自用软件分析了这些新发现的肽，以辨别哪些有合成药物的潜质。

The team identified 48 potential AMPs that had never been seen before.

该团队识别了48种可能是AMPs的蛋白质，此前从未发现过。

Their initial tests were equally promising⁴.

他们的试验起初看来是同样的有希望。

Dr Van Hoek exposed two species of pathogenic bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, to eight of the most promising peptides they had identified.

Van博士将两种致病菌，铜绿假单胞菌和金黄葡萄球菌，暴露于他们发现的其中8种最可能的的多肽。

The growth of both species of bacteria was severely⁵ hampered⁶ by seven of the eight; the remaining peptide was effective against only P. aeruginosa.

在其中7种多肽前，两种细菌的生长被明显的限制；剩下的一种只对铜绿假单胞菌有抑制作用。

There results are noteworthy. Antibiotic-proof bacteria are an increasing problem in hospitals.

结果值得注意。耐药菌是医院日益增加的一个问题。

Such bugs⁷ are now thought to kill some 700,000 people each year around the world, and P. aeruginosa and S. aureus are parental⁸ strains for some of the most menacing types.

这些细菌每年在全世界造成700，000人死亡，铜绿假单胞菌和金葡菌一些最具威胁类型的亲代菌株。

On February 27th the World Health Organisation⁹ named both in its first-ever list of “priority pathogens”, for which drug-resistance is a serious problem.

2月27号，WHO在它的第一份优先病原体名单中对上述两种细菌点过名，因为耐药已是一个严重问题。

Dr Bishop’s findings hint that the blood of dragons may yet prove to be as useful against disease as myths suggest.

Bishop博士的发现暗示巨蜥血液可能还没有被证明像神话传说的那样，对疾病的抵御那么有效。

1 alligator   

n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)

参考例句：

• She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。

2 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。

3 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

4 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。

5 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

6 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

7 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

9 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。