TED演讲:个体DNA检测的时代来了(2)

 DNA¹ is the fundamental molecule² the carries genetic⁴ instructions that help build the living world. DNA是携带遗传指令最基本的分子，帮助建造了生机勃勃的世界。

Humans have DNA. Pigs have DNA. Even bacteria and some viruses have DNA too. 人类有DNA。猪有DNA。甚至细菌和一些病毒都有DNA。

The genetic instructions encoded in DNA inform how our bodies develop, grow, function. 编码在DNA中的遗传指令，告诉我们的身体如何发育，成长和发挥机能。

And in many cases, that same information can trigger disease. 而且在很多情况下，同样的信息还能引发疾病。

Your genetic information is strung into a long and twisted molecule, 你的遗传信息串成了一段长而扭曲的分子，

the DNA double helix, that has over three billion letters, beginning to end. 即DNA双螺旋结构，它有着超过三十亿个碱基，从开始到结束。

But the lines that carry meaningful information are usually very short -- a few dozen to several thousand letters long. 但是携带有意义的信息的那几行，通常却很短--只有几十到几千个字母那么长。

So when we're looking to answer a question based on DNA, we actually don't need to read all those three billion letters, typically. 所以当我们在寻找基于DNA问题的答案时，我们实际上并不需要去读完所有的那三十亿个字。

That would be like getting hungry at night and having to flip⁵ through the whole phone book from cover to cover, 这会像在晚上觉得很饿，然后不得不翻阅整个电话簿，从头到尾，

pausing at every line, just to find the nearest pizza joint⁶. 一行不落，只是为了找到最近的披萨店。

Luckily, three decades ago, humans started to invent tools that can find any specific line of genetic information. 幸运的是，三十年前，人类开始发明工具，使我们能找到任何一种特定的遗传信息。

These DNA machines are wonderful. They can find any line in DNA. 这些DNA检测器非常棒。它们能查找出DNA中任何一行的信息。

But once they find it, that DNA is still tiny, and surrounded by so much other DNA, 但虽然它们找到了它，DNA仍然很小，而且周围那么多其他的DNA，

that what these machines then do is copy the target gene³, and one copy piles on top of another, 那么这些机器接下来做的便是复制目标基因，复制一份又一份，

millions and millions and millions of copies, until that gene stands out against the rest; 成千上万次，直到那个与众不同的基因出现；

until we can visualize⁷ it, interpret it, read it, understand it, until we can answer: Does my pig have the flu? 直到我们能看见它，解释它，读懂它，理解它，直到我们能回答：我的猪得了流感吗？

Or other questions buried in our own DNA: Am I at risk of cancer? 或者其他埋藏在我们自己DNA中的问题：我有患癌症的风险吗？

Am I of Irish descent? Is that child my son? 我有爱尔兰血统吗? 那孩子是我亲生的吗？

1 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

2 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

3 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

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 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 visualize   

vt.使看得见，使具体化，想象，设想

参考例句：

• I remember meeting the man before but I can't visualize him.我记得以前见过那个人，但他的样子我想不起来了。
• She couldn't visualize flying through space.她无法想像在太空中飞行的景象。