2021年经济学人 基因一小步,世界一大步(4)

Dr Wonkam’s vision for 3MAG, as outlined in Nature, a scientific journal, is for 300,000 African genomes to be sequenced per year over a decade. That is the minimum needed to capture the continent’s diversity. He notes that the UK biobank is sequencing 500,000 genomes, though Britain’s population is a twentieth the size of Africa’s. The plummeting¹ cost of technology makes 3MAG possible. Sequencing the first genome cost $300m; today the cost of sequencing is around $1,000. If data from people of African descent in similar projects, like the UK biobank, were shared with 3MAG, that would help. So too would collaboration² with genetics firms, such as 54Gene, a Nigerian start-up.

旺坎博士在科学杂志《自然》上概述了对3MAG的设想，即在未来十年内，每年要对30万个非洲基因组进行测序。这是捕捉非洲大陆多样性所需的最低限度。他指出，英国生物库正在对50万个基因组进行测序，尽管英国的人口是非洲的二十分之一。技术成本的急剧下降使3MAG的开展成为可能。第一个基因组的测序花费了3亿美元；如今测序的成本约为1000美元。如果类似项目（英国生物库）中的非洲人后裔的数据能与3MAG共享，那将有所帮助。与基因公司的合作也是如此，比如尼日利亚初创公司54Gene。

The 3MAG project is building on firm foundations. Over the past decade the Human Heredity and Health in Africa consortium, sponsored by America’s National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust, a British charity, has supported research institutes in 30 African countries. It has funded local laboratories for world-class scientists such as Dr Wonkam and Christian⁴ Happi, a Nigerian geneticist.

3MAG项目正在坚实的基础上开展着。在过去的十年里，由美国国立卫生研究院和英国慈善机构惠康信托基金会赞助的“非洲人类健康与遗传新方案协会”为30个非洲国家的研究机构提供了支持。它为旺坎博士和尼日利亚遗传学家克里斯蒂安·哈皮等世界级科学家所在的当地实验室提供了资金支持。

There are practical issues to iron out. One is figuring out how to store the vast amounts of data. Another is rules around consent and data use, especially if 3MAG will involve firms understandably keen to commercialise the findings. Dr Wonkam wants to see an ethics⁵ committee set up to review this and other matters.

有一些实际问题需要解决。一个问题是找出存储大量数据的方式。另一个是关于同意和数据使用的规则，特别是如果3MAG让热衷于将研究结果商业化的公司（这是可以理解的）参与进来。旺坎博士希望成立一个伦理委员会来审查这个问题和其他问题。

At times he has wondered whether his plan is “too big, too crazy and too expensive”. But similar things were said about the Human Genome Project. Its researchers used the Rosetta Stone as a metaphor⁶ for the initiative and its ambition. In a subtle nod, Dr Wonkam has a miniature of the obelisk⁷ on a shelf in his office. It is also a reminder⁸ of how understanding African languages, whether spoken or genetic³, can enlighten all of humanity.

有时他会怀疑自己的计划是否“过于庞大、疯狂和昂贵”。但人类基因组计划也有类似的说法。其研究人员用罗塞塔石碑来比喻这一举措及雄心壮志。默默认同的旺坎博士在办公室架子上放了一个方尖碑微型模型。它也提醒我们，了解非洲语言，无论是口头语言还是遗传语言，都能启发全人类。

1 plummeting   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Prices are rising, falling, going up, going down, shooting up, plummeting, etc. 物价在上涨、下跌、上升、下落、猛然上涨、骤然下跌等。 来自辞典例句
• The enemy plane went plummeting into the sea. 敌机直直掉进海里。 来自辞典例句

2 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

3 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。

4 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

5 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

6 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

7 obelisk   

n.方尖塔

参考例句：

• The obelisk was built in memory of those who died for their country.这座方尖塔是为了纪念那些为祖国献身的人而建造的。
• Far away on the last spur,there was a glittering obelisk.远处，在最后一个山峦上闪烁着一个方尖塔。

8 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。