经济学人14:善待小鼠 它们可能会知恩图报

 　　Science and technology.

　　科技。

　　Animal testing.

　　动物实验。

　　Be nice to mice.

　　善待小鼠。

　　and they may return the favour.

　　它们可能会知恩图报。

　　Home, sweet home.

　　家，舒适的家。

　　ONLY one drug of every ten successfully tested in laboratory animals ends up working in people. One reason, of course, is that mice are not men. Another, though, might have to do with the fact that whereas human patients are afforded all manner of creature comforts, their animal proxies¹ are not.

　　用实验动物试验成功的药物最终只有十分之一对人体起效。原因之一当然是：老鼠毕竟不是人。但另一个原因可能是，患病的实验动物无法像人类患者一样能够得到方方面面的呵护。

　　Although medical science's favourite critters relish² temperatures of a little over 30°C, laboratories routinely keep them at five or ten degrees below that. This is not in order to torture the beasts but, rather, because when kept warm they are unmanageably aggressive. The downside is that they have to eat more than they otherwise would, in order to keep their bodies warm. That changes their physiology³. And that in turn alters the way they metabolise drugs, with possibly confusing results.

　　虽然老鼠这种医学实验最喜欢使用的啮齿动物偏爱呆在稍高于30摄氏度的环境里，但实验室却常被控制在比这低5到10摄氏度的温度上。这并不是要存心虐待这些动物，而是因为当环境暖和了，它们会变得十分好斗，很难应付。而这样做的弊端是动物们为了保持体温，要比平常吃得更多。这样动物的生理机能就会有所改变，因此会影响到药物在动物体内的代谢，出来的实验结果也可能会很费解。

　　Joseph Garner⁴, of Stanford University, thinks the answer is to keep the labs cool, but let mice cope with the low temperatures as they do in their natural habitat: not by eating more but by building nests. So far, though, no one has a clear idea of how much nesting material is needed to keep mice happy. Dr Garner and his colleagues therefore decided⁵ to find out. They have just reported their results in the Public Library of Science.

　　斯坦福大学的约瑟?加纳（Joseph Garner）认为，解决办法就是令实验室保持低温，但让老鼠们像在自然环境中一样通过筑巢（而非吃得更多）来自行应对低温。不过至今都没有人清楚到底需要多少材料才能让老鼠们筑一个舒适的窝。于是约瑟?加纳博士及其同事决定要弄清这点，他们的实验结果刚刚发表在《公共科学图书馆》上。

　　Dr Garner and his team let each of their mice, 36 males and as many females from three strains commonly used in trials, roam free in two cages connected by a narrow tube. One cage was kept constant at one of six temperatures between 20°C and 35°C. The other was maintained at 20°C but was stocked with up to ten grams of finely shredded⁶ paper, which the mice could use to weave a nest. The idea was to check whether the animals would rather build a nest in the cooler cage or move to the warmer one, possibly tugging⁷ nesting material along with them strand⁸ by strand.

　　约瑟?加纳博士及其实验小组让所有老鼠（公鼠、母鼠各36只，属于三个常用于实验的品系）在两个由一条窄通道相连的笼子里自由活动。其中一个笼子的温度保持在20-35摄氏度之间（总共有六档温度）。另一个温度保持在20摄氏度，但里面储有多达十克撕得很碎的纸条，以供老鼠们用来筑窝。实验目的是看看老鼠们是会在更冷的笼子里筑巢还是会移居到更暖的笼子里（可能还会将筑巢用的纸条一条条拖过去）。

　　The researchers found that the rodents⁹' preferences varied¹⁰ slightly between strains, as well as between sexes (with females partial to higher temperatures, possibly because of their thinner protective layer of fat), confirming that there is no single set of conditions in which all mice feel cosy¹¹. In general, though, with little nesting material around, the animals laboriously¹² carried strands¹³ of paper over to the warmer spot, one or two at a time. But leave at least six grams of paper in the chilly¹⁴ cage, and many mice will prefer instead to brave the cold and build a nest there. That seems a small price to pay for better drug trials.

　　研究者发现，老鼠们的偏好稍有差别，与性别和品系都有关（母鼠偏爱较暖和的环境，可能是由于其脂肪保护层比较薄），这就证明没有一个温度能让所有老鼠都感觉舒适。但通常在周围没什么筑窝的材料时，老鼠们会费力地将纸条拖至更暖的地方，每次一到两条。不过如果在温度较低的笼子里放至少六克纸条，那么会有很多老鼠宁愿忍受寒冷，在那里筑窝。用六克纸条就能让药物试验有更好的效果，这个代价看来微不足道。

1 proxies   

n.代表权( proxy的名词复数 )；（测算用的）代替物；（对代理人的）委托书；（英国国教教区献给主教等的）巡游费

参考例句：

• SOCKS and proxies are unavailable. Try connecting to XX again? socks和代理不可用。尝试重新连接到XX吗？ 来自互联网
• All proxies are still down. Continue with direct connections? 所有的代理仍然有故障。继续直接连接吗？ 来自互联网

2 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。

3 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

4 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 shredded   

shred的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Serve the fish on a bed of shredded lettuce. 先铺一层碎生菜叶，再把鱼放上，就可以上桌了。
• I think Mapo beancurd and shredded meat in chilli sauce are quite special. 我觉得麻婆豆腐和鱼香肉丝味道不错。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 tugging   

n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. 汤姆捏住一个钮扣眼使劲地拉，样子显得很害羞。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• She kicked him, tugging his thick hair. 她一边踢他，一边扯着他那浓密的头发。 来自辞典例句

8 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

9 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

10 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

11 cosy   

adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的

参考例句：

• We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
• It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。

12 laboriously   

adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地

参考例句：

• She is tracing laboriously now. 她正在费力地写。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is laboriously copying out an old manuscript. 她正在费劲地抄出一份旧的手稿。 来自辞典例句

13 strands   

n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。