经济学人17:社会地位与健康 贫困指数

 　　Science and Technolgy.

　　科技。

　　Social status and health.

　　社会地位与健康。

　　Misery¹ index.

　　贫困指数。

　　Low social status is bad for your health. Biologists are starting to understand why.

　　社会地位低对身体不好，生物学家开始理解此中的奥秘。

　　ONCE upon a time the overstressed executive bellowing² orders into a telephone, cancelling meetings, staying late at the office and dying of a heart attack was a stereotype³ of modernity. That was before the Whitehall studies, a series of investigations⁴ of British civil servants begun in the 1960s. These studies found that the truth is precisely⁵ the opposite. Those at the top of the pecking order actually have the least stressful and most healthy lives. Cardiac arrest-and, indeed, early death from any cause-is the prerogative⁶ of underlings.

　　曾今，人们对现代化的一个根深蒂固的印象是，领导们在巨大压力的折磨之下，对着电话狂吼，下达命令，取消会议，待在办公室到很晚，最后死于心脏病。可是，自1960年代开始的英国白厅对英国政治家们展开的一系列调查之后，这种印象开始改变，因为调查发现事实却完全不是那么回事。实际上处于社会高层的人们承受的压力最小，生活最健康。心跳骤停——而且，确实是，不管是出于什么原因的早死——那都是做下属的才有的事。

　　Such results have since been confirmed many times, both in human societies and in other primate⁷ species with strong social hierarchies⁸. But whereas the pattern is well-understood, the biological mechanisms⁹ underlying¹⁰ it are not. A study just published in the Proceedings¹¹ of the National Academy of Sciences, however, sheds some light on the matter.

　　在人类社会，还有等级严格的其他的灵长类物种中，都已多次验证这种结果的正确性。但是，虽然这种模式很容易理解，潜在的生物学机制却并不这么认为。杂志《国家科学院》最新出版的专题里，对此现象有相关阐述。

　　In it, a group of researchers led by Jenny Tung and Yoav Gilad at the University of Chicago looked at the effects of status on rhesus macaques. Experience has shown that these monkeys display the simian¹² equivalent of the Whitehall studies' findings. The high risk of disease among those at the bottom of the heap in both cases suggests that biochemical responses to low status affect a creature's immune system. Those responses must, in turn, depend on changes in the way the creatures' genes¹⁴ are expressed. To investigate this phenomenon means manipulating social hierarchies, but that would be hard (and probably unethical) if it were done to human beings. You can, however, do it to monkeys, and the researchers did.

　　专题里，詹妮东和要吉拉德领导的研究小组在芝加哥大学，研究地位之于恒河猴的影响。实验经过表明，这些猴子所表现出来的是英国白厅研究发现的猴子版本。社会地位低的患病风险高，这既适用于人类界也同样适用于猴子。这暗示了社会地位低的物种的生物化学反应影响其免疫系统。反过来，这种生物化学反应又取决于物种生物基因的变化方式。若要调查这种现象，那就意味着需要控制社会等级，在人类身上进行，很困难（而且很可能不道德）。但是，你可以在猴子身上做实验，而且研究人员也是这么做的。

　　Unhappy minds in unhealthy bodies.

　　不健康的身体，不快乐的心情。

　　Dr Tung and Dr Gilad took 49 middle-ranking female macaques (females were chosen because a lot of previous work on animal hierarchies has been done on female macaques) and split them into groups of four or five. The researchers were able to control where in a group an individual ranked by the order in which it was introduced into its group (newly introduced monkeys almost always adopt a role subordinate to existing group members). The hierarchies thus established, the team conducted tests on cells in the monkeys' blood, in an attempt to determine the effect of a macaque's rank on her biochemistry and, in particular, on how rank influences the activity of various genes.

　　博士东和吉拉德，用49个中等地位等级的女性猴子做实验（用女性猴子的原因是，前期大量动物地位等级的准备工作都是在女性猴子身上做的），并把他们分为四到五组。根据猴子们加入研究群体的时间顺序，研究人员给她们的地位等级编号（新来的都是要听前辈的，这是潜规则）。等级于是得以建立。研究团队采集猴子血液做细胞研究，试图搞清楚恒河猴的地位等级对其生物化学的影响，特别是地位等级是如何对各种基因活动起作用的。

　　The answer is, a lot. Dr Tung and Dr Gilad looked at the expression in each animal of 6,097 genes (30% of the total number in a monkey genome-or, for that matter, in a human one). They were searching for correlations¹⁵ between social rank and gene¹³ activity, and in 987 genes they found one. Some genes were more active in high-ranking individuals; others were more active in low-ranking ones. The relationship was robust¹⁶ enough to work the other way round, too. Given a blood sample and no other information, it was possible to predict an individual's status within her group with an accuracy of 80%.

　　研究结果有很多。每个动物有6097个基因，博士东和吉拉德观察每个动物的基因（一个猴子基因组总数的30%??——这也适用于人类），寻找社会等级与基因活动之间的相互关系。在987个基因中，他们找到了一个。某些基因在等级高的个体中更活跃，而其他的基因则活跃于等级低的个体中。这一结果很牢靠，倒过来看也成立。只提供血液样本而没有其他相关信息，就可以预测个体在群体里的地位等级，且精确度达到80%。

　　The next question was what all these genes actually do. Sure enough the answer, for a substantial fraction of them, was that they regulate aspects of the immune system. In particular, low-status individuals showed high levels of activity in genes associated with the production of various immune-related cells and chemical signalling factors, as well as those to do with inflammation (a general immune response that involves tissue swelling¹⁷ and increased immune-cell activity in the affected¹⁸ area). Although the researchers did not explicitly¹⁹ examine the health of their simian charges, chronic²⁰, generalised inflammation is a risk factor, in people, for a long list of ailments²¹ ranging from heart trouble to Alzheimer's disease.

　　下一个问题，所有这些基因，真正起的是什么作用。答案很显然，对大部分基因而言，它们起着调节着免疫系统的作用。这非常明显地体现在，社会地位低的个体，产生各种与免疫相关的细胞和化学信号基因的活动更为明显，还有那些有关于炎症的基因（一种普通的免疫反应，包括细胞组织的膨胀，还有增加免疫细胞在疫区免疫细胞活动）。虽然研究人员没有仔细分析参与实验的猴子们的健康状况，但是慢性的、全身性的炎症对猴子们来说是危险因素，人类的部分，就是从心脏病到老年痴呆症等一大长系列疾病。

　　Finally, the team investigated the mechanisms behind these differences in gene expression. In keeping with previous work, they found that high- and low-rank individuals showed different levels of responsiveness to a class of hormones²² called glucocorticoids, which regulate immune-system activity and response to stress. They also found changes in the mix of cells within the animals' immune system itself. But what is new, and intriguing²³, is that they discovered, for the first time, evidence that a phenomenon called epigenetic change is at work.

　　最后，研究小组用基因表达调查造成这些不同的机理原因。与之前工作结果一致，他们发现地位高和地位低的个体，对被称为糖皮质激素的一组基因，表现出的反应级别不一样。糖皮质激素控制免疫系统活动和对压力的反应。同时他们发现，在动物免疫系统自身，混合细胞有发生改变。但是最为新奇的是，他们头一次发现了后天改变在起作用的证据。

　　Epigenetics—currently one of molecular²⁴ biology's hottest topics—is a process by which genes are activated²⁵ or deactivated²⁶ by the presence or absence of chemical structures called methyl and acetyl groups. Dr Tung and Dr Gilad found that methylation patterns were systematically²⁷ different in high- and low-ranking animals. Crucially, these changes are generally passed on to the daughter cells produced when a cell divides, and are thus perpetuated²⁸ throughout an animal's life. To the extent that epigenetic marking is involved in creating social status, then, status may be being maintained by the animal's cells as they replicate²⁹.

　　表现遗传学——目前分子生物学最热的话题之一——是这样一个过程，基因的激活或是失效取决于被称为甲基和乙酰基的化学结构的存在或是消失。博士东和吉拉德发现甲基模式在地位高级和地位低级的动物之间是不一样的，且这种不一样是系统性的不一样。至关重要的一点是，这些变化一般在细胞分裂的同时传递给子细胞，因此这些变化将贯穿动物的一生。从此意义上讲，后天标记参与社会地位的形成，社会地位的维持靠动物细胞的复制。

　　Destiny's child?

　　命运的产物？

　　Those who believe in progress will, however, be pleased to know that epigenetics is not necessarily destiny. Methyl groups may help maintain the status quo, but if that status quo is interrupted by outside events they can be wiped away and a new lot put in place.

　　但是，相信事物是发展变化的人们会很高兴，因为表现遗传学并不是上天注定，难以改变的。甲基或许可以帮助维持现状，但是如果外来事件打断了它，那么甲基将被移除，新的一批上任。

　　Dr Tung and Dr Gilad discovered this because a few of their monkeys did change status within their groups. When that happened, changes in gene expression appropriate to the new status quickly followed. Those who do break free from their lowly station, then, may begin to reap the health benefits almost immediately.

　　博士东和吉拉德能够发现了这一点，是因为，参与实验的几个猴子确实改变了她们在群体中的地位等级。地位等级一旦发生改变，与之相应的基因表达随即改变。那些确实改变了它们之前卑贱地位的猴子们，身体状况几乎都立刻获得改善。

　　As with any animal study, this one cannot simply be mapped straight onto humans. But it does provide pointers that researchers who work on people can use. In particular, the experiment ensured that social rank was the only factor being changed, providing strong evidence that the chain of causality runs from low social status, through a disrupted immune system to worse health, and not the other way around. The best medicine, then, is promotion³⁰. Prosper³¹, and live long.

　　不管以什么动物为研究对象，结果都不能直接简单地运用于人类，这个也不例外。但它确实给研究人类的学者们提供了一些建议。该实验的独特之处是，它确保了实验中社会等级是唯一发生改变的因素。它为因果关系链的正确模式提供了一个强有力的证据，正确模式是低等的社会等级通过被破坏了的免疫系统损害健康。而不是反过来的顺序。晋升是疗效最好的药物。因为成功，所以活得长久。

1 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

2 bellowing   

v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫

参考例句：

• We could hear he was bellowing commands to his troops. 我们听见他正向他的兵士大声发布命令。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He disguised these feelings under an enormous bellowing and hurraying. 他用大声吼叫和喝采掩饰着这些感情。 来自辞典例句

3 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

4 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

5 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

6 prerogative   

n.特权

参考例句：

• It is within his prerogative to do so.他是有权这样做的。
• Making such decisions is not the sole prerogative of managers.作这类决定并不是管理者的专有特权。

7 primate   

n.灵长类（目）动物，首席主教；adj.首要的

参考例句：

• 14 percent of primate species are highly endangered.14%的灵长类物种处于高度濒危状态。
• The woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas.绒毛蛛猴是美洲最大的灵长类动物。

8 hierarchies   

等级制度( hierarchy的名词复数 )； 统治集团； 领导层； 层次体系

参考例句：

• That's a trip of two hierarchies. 那是两个领导层之间的互访。
• Hierarchies of authority, spans of control, long-range plans, and budgets. 等级森严的权力机构，控制范围，长期计划，预算。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

9 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

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。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

11 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

12 simian   

adj.似猿猴的；n.类人猿，猴

参考例句：

• Ada had a wrinkled,simian face.埃达有一张布满皱纹、长得像猿猴的脸。
• Curiosity is the taproot of an intellectual life,the most valuable of our simian traits.好奇是高智生命的根源，也是我们类人猿特征中最有价值的部分。

13 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。

14 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

15 correlations   

相互的关系( correlation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One would expect strong and positive correlations between both complexes. 人们往往以为这两个综合体之间有紧密的正相关。
• The correlations are of unequal value. 这些对应联系的价值并不相同。

16 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

17 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

18 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

19 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

20 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

21 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

22 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

23 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 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。

25 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

26 deactivated   

v.解除动员( deactivate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；复员；使不活动

参考例句：

• \"The brain can be deactivated. It can be yours to command.\" “大脑计算机可以被停止。如果你下达命令的话。” 来自互联网
• He successfully deactivated a nuclear reactor in a laboratory before meltdown. 他成功停用一个核反应堆在实验室之前崩溃。 来自互联网

27 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

28 perpetuated   

vt.使永存（perpetuate的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• This system perpetuated itself for several centuries. 这一制度维持了几个世纪。
• I never before saw smile caught like that, and perpetuated. 我从来没有看见过谁的笑容陷入这样的窘况，而且持续不变。 来自辞典例句

29 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。

30 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

31 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。