英语听力文摘 English Digest 210、细菌里的防护栏

　　Fencing in Bacteria
绿脓杆菌（p.aeruginosa）或称铜绿色假单胞菌，是一种致病力较低但抗药性强的杆菌。广泛存在于自然界，是伤口感染较常见的一种细菌。能引起化脓性病变。感染后因脓汁和渗出液等病料呈绿色，故名。绿脓杆菌（p.aeruginosa）属假单胞菌属(pseudomonas)，广泛分布于自然界及正常人皮肤、肠道和呼吸道，是临床上较常见的条件致病菌之一。
What do you do when infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa? You'll want to know! Find out on this Moment of Science.
You know how they say good fences make good neighbors? Well, this adage¹ might have some applications in medicine. Imagine that you go in for major surgery, and get a post-op infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. What do you do?
Pseudomonas is especially virulent² in that it slides right by your immune system, and is resistant³ to antibiotics⁴. But the thing is that Pseudomonas bacteria live contentedly⁵ in the bowels⁶ of about three percent of all people, which adds up to almost nine million Americans.

　　But when your body undergoes major stress, like surgery, the Pseudomonas bacteria may respond to the changes in your body’s chemistry, and to the erosion of the mucus that coats the intestines⁷ that occurs whenever you’re hooked up to an IV and nutrients⁸ bypass the digestive system. When that happens, Pseudomonas go on the attack, boring through the intestines’ lining⁹ and into the bloodstream. It’s best to avoid agitating¹⁰ the bacteria in the first place.
Well,in one study, scientists were able to prevent post-op infection in mice by coating their intestines with a high-molecular-weight polymer. This worked as a bio shield to prevent the chemical signs of stress from reaching the bacteria, while also acting¹¹ as a barrier, like mucus. Mice that normally would have died managed to survive with no noticeable side effects.
It’s a promising¹² study, and scientists hope to refine it so that one day we’ll be able to fight off infections by preventing them in the first place.

1 adage   

n.格言，古训

参考例句：

• But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
• Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！

2 virulent   

adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的

参考例句：

• She is very virulent about her former employer.她对她过去的老板恨之入骨。
• I stood up for her despite the virulent criticism.尽管她遭到恶毒的批评，我还是维护她。

3 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。

4 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。

5 contentedly   

adv.心满意足地

参考例句：

• My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe.父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。
• "This is brother John's writing,"said Sally,contentedly,as she opened the letter.

6 bowels   

n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处

参考例句：

• Salts is a medicine that causes movements of the bowels. 泻盐是一种促使肠子运动的药物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cabins are in the bowels of the ship. 舱房设在船腹内。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 intestines   

n.肠( intestine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perhaps the most serious problems occur in the stomach and intestines. 最严重的问题或许出现在胃和肠里。 来自辞典例句
• The traps of carnivorous plants function a little like the stomachs and small intestines of animals. 食肉植物的捕蝇器起着动物的胃和小肠的作用。 来自辞典例句

8 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

10 agitating   

搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论

参考例句：

• political groups agitating for social change 鼓吹社会变革的政治团体
• They are agitating to assert autonomy. 他们正在鼓吹实行自治。

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

12 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。