经济学人285:转基因树木 进军森林

 　　Science and technology

　　科学技术

　　Genetically³ modified tree

　　转基因树木

　　Into the wildwood

　　进军森林

　　A GM species may soon be liberated⁴ deliberately⁵

　　一种转基因树木不久或将大量种植，但很审慎

　　ONCE upon a time, according to folklore⁶, a squirrel could travel through America's chestnut⁷ forests from Maine to Florida without ever touching⁸ the ground.

　　民间流传有这样的故事：很久很久以前，松鼠在穿过美国缅因州到福罗里达州的栗树林时，可以一直不触碰地面。

　　The chestnut population of North America was reckoned then to have been about 4 billion trees. No longer.

　　估计北美那时的栗树约有40亿棵。现在却不复存在了。

　　Axes and chainsaws must take a share of the blame.

　　必须说，斧头锯子不乏其罪，

　　But the principal culprit is Cryphonectria parasitica, the fungus⁹ that causes chestnut blight¹⁰.

　　但栗疫病菌才是罪魁祸首，是这种真菌致栗树感染了栗疫病。

　　In the late 19th century, some infected saplings from Asia brought C. parasitica to North America. By 1950 the chestnut was little more than a memory in most parts of the continent.

　　19世纪后期，一批亚洲来的感染栗疫病菌的树苗把该病菌带到了北美。到了20世纪50年代，北美大陆大部分地区的栗树便全部消失，成为了回忆。

　　American chestnuts¹¹ may, however, be about to rise again—thanks to genetic² engineering.

　　但有了基因工程，美国栗树有望再次繁茂起来。

　　This month three experimental patches will be planted, under the watchful¹² eye of the Department of Agriculture, in Georgia, New York and Virginia.

　　在美国农业部的密切看护下，将于本月在乔治亚州、纽约州和弗吉尼亚州分别栽种一片栗树林进行实验。

　　Along with their normal complements¹³ of genes¹⁴, these trees have been fitted with a handful of others that researchers hope will protect them from the fungus.

　　这些栗树除携带正常的附加基因外，还添加了少数不同寻常的附加基因。研究者希望通过添加这些基因来防止栗树被真菌感染。

　　The project has been organised by the Forest Health Initiative, a quango set up to look into the idea of using genetic engineering to rescue species of tree whose populations have been devastated¹⁵ by fungal diseases or insect pests.

　　该项目的组织者是一个半官方机构—森林健康行动，该机构的创立是为了检查用基因工程来拯救被真菌病或害虫摧毁的树木种群的可行性。

　　It has sponsored research at several universities, and this month's trial is the first big field test.

　　FHI已在几所大学发起了研究倡议，并于本月迈出大型实地试验的第一步。

　　If it works, the FHI will ask the government for permission to plant transgenic chestnuts in the wild, with the intention of re-establishing the species in America's woodlands.

　　如果可行，FHI则会向政府申请在自然环境中种植基因改良栗树，以重建美国林地的栗树林。

　　And if that goes well, it could provide a model for projects to re-establish elm trees, ash trees and a fir tree known, confusingly, as the eastern hemlock¹⁶.

　　如果这也可行，那就能为榆树、白蜡树和杉树重建项目提供示范。

　　The search for genetic protection for the chestnut was begun in 1990 by William Powell of the State University of New York, in Syracuse, and Scott Merkle of the University of Georgia, in Athens.

　　栗树基因保护研究始于1990年，由锡拉丘兹市纽约州立大学的威廉·鲍威尔和爱森斯市乔治亚大学的斯科特·默克尔共同进行。

　　Dr Powell knew that many of the symptoms of chestnut blight are caused by the oxalic acid that C. parasitica generates as it grows.

　　鲍威尔确信，栗疫病的很多症状都由栗疫病菌生长时产生的草酸引起。

　　He also knew that wheat has an enzyme¹⁷ called oxalate oxidase, which detoxifies oxalic acid.

　　他也清楚，小麦有一种草酸氧化酶，能够分解草酸。

　　He and his team therefore transferred the gene¹ that encodes oxalate oxidase from wheat to chestnut.

　　于是，鲍威尔和他的团队将小麦中能够编码草酸氧化酶的基因转移到了栗树的基因中。

　　Last summer they showed that oxalate oxidase can indeed enhance blight-resistance.

　　去年夏天，他们证明了，草酸氧化酶的确能够增强栗树的抗枯萎性。

　　A few years ago the Forest Health Initiative asked Dr Powell and some other researchers doing related studies to look at the work of the American Chestnut Foundation, a group which had been crossbreeding Chinese and American chestnuts.

　　几年前，FHI邀请了正在进行相关研究的鲍威尔博士和另一些研究者研究美国栗树研究基金会的工作。

　　Since C. parasitica is Asian, Asiatic trees have evolved resistance to it. The foundation hoped to make a hybrid¹⁸ sufficiently¹⁹ Chinese to be protected, but sufficiently American to pass muster²⁰ as local.

　　由于栗疫病菌发于亚洲，亚洲树种已经形成了对该真菌的抗性。

　　With the aid of the genomes of the two species, Dr Powell and his collaborators began testing 27 Chinese chestnut genes in the American tree.

　　借助两种栗树的基因组，鲍威尔博士及其合作伙伴开始在美国生长的树上测试27种板栗基因。

　　The 800 trees to be planted this month will contain various combinations of these genes, the original wheat gene and six further genes from other tree species.

　　本月将栽种800棵树，这些树包含了原小麦基因以及其他树种6种基因的各种组合基因。

　　And results should come quickly.

　　预计结果很快就可以得出。

　　Field tests for blight-resistance are typically done when trees are a few years old, but Dr Powell's team have devised a test of the sapling's leaves that they believe can tell whether a tree is resistant²¹ when it is less than a year old.

　　抗枯萎性的实地试验一般要当树木生长几年之后才能进行，但鲍威尔博士研究小组想出了一个测试树苗叶子的办法，他们认为可以在树龄不满一年的情况下测试出树的抗性。

　　The trial itself will last three years, and the researchers running it will monitor how the modified chestnuts fit in to the local ecosystem²², as well as how healthy they are.

　　这项试验会进行三年，进行该试验的研究者将持续观察记录改良过的栗树在当地生态系统的适应程度以及它们的健康状况。

　　If they both do fit and are fit, a decision will then have to be made about whether to release them into the wild. That will be up to the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration.

　　如果能够适应并且长势良好，那是否要在自然环境中大量种植就得由农业部、环境保护署和食品药品监督管理局来决定了。

　　Until now, the genetic modification²³ of trees has had strictly²⁴ commercial aims: speeding up the growth and extending the environmental tolerance²⁵ of species intended for plantations²⁶.

　　迄今为止，改良树木基因带有明确的商业目的：一是催长，二是为了造林增加物种对环境的容忍度。

　　This use of genetic modification has been opposed by environmentalists, who fear that such supertrees may escape and damage wild forests.

　　为达到该商业目的使用转基因，遭到了环保主义者的反对，他们担心这样的超级树会疯长进而危害到野生丛林。

　　The Forest Health Initiative's goal, though, is to heal wild forests, not hurt them.

　　但FHI的目标是为了恢复而不是危害野生丛林。

　　If its experiments do produce a strain of chestnut that could do the job, it will be interesting to see how enthusiastically greens embrace it.

　　如果试验成功，真能培育出抗栗疫病菌的新品种，那看看环保党在欣然接受时会表现出怎样的欢欣鼓舞，还挺有意思的。

　　1.according to 根据，按照

　　Again this is according to recently declassified²⁷ information.

　　这也还是根据最近解密的信息得知的。

　　It did not go according to plan.

　　这个妥协方案并没有按计划执行。

　　2.fit with 适应

　　Many of the rome sundials will fit with this pedestal base.

　　罗马日晷许多人会适应这个底座。

　　The pattern has to be very liquid so that it can fit with the individual.

　　模式必须灵活机动，这样它才能适应个人需要。

　　3.look into 在…里查资料；深入地检查

　　Pfizer recently hired braun research inc.to look into the leading causes of sleeplessness²⁸.

　　辉瑞制药公司最近聘请了布劳恩调查公司就造成失眠的主要原因开展研究。

　　A commission would be set up to look into complaints of anti-competitive behaviour.

　　香港将成立一个委员会，对反竞争行为的投诉进行调查。

　　4.provide for 为…提供生活费；为…作准备

　　Even if egypt's islamists refrain from scrapping²⁹ the peace treaty, israel fears they will seek to amend³⁰ the clauses that provide for sinai's demilitarisation.

　　就算埃及的伊斯兰当政者没有废除戴维营和平协议，以色列依然害怕埃及将修改那些规定西奈半岛非军事化的条款。

　　It takes a lot to provide for 7 billion humans.

　　地球为了供养70亿人口付出了很多代价。

1 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。

2 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。

3 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

4 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

5 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

6 folklore   

n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中国的民间传说中蝙蝠是好运的象征。

7 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

8 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

9 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

10 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

11 chestnuts   

n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马

参考例句：

• A man in the street was selling bags of hot chestnuts. 街上有个男人在卖一包包热栗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Talk of chestnuts loosened the tongue of this inarticulate young man. 因为栗子，正苦无话可说的年青人，得到同情他的人了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

12 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

13 complements   

补充( complement的名词复数 )； 补足语； 补充物； 补集（数）

参考例句：

• His business skill complements her flair for design. 他的经营技巧和她的设计才能相辅相成。
• The isoseismal maps are valuable complements to the instrumental records. 等震线图是仪器记录有价值的补充资料。

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 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

16 hemlock   

n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉

参考例句：

• He was condemned to drink a cup of hemlock.判处他喝一杯毒汁。
• Here is a beech by the side of a hemlock,with three pines at hand.这儿有株山毛榉和一株铁杉长在一起，旁边还有三株松树。

17 enzyme   

n.酵素，酶

参考例句：

• Above a certain temperature,the enzyme molecule will become unfolded.超过一定温度，酶分子将会展开。
• An enzyme that dissolves the fibrin of blood clots.能溶解血凝块中的纤维的酶。

18 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

19 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

20 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

21 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。

22 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

23 modification   

n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻

参考例句：

• The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的，它需要修改。
• The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。

24 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

25 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

26 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

27 declassified   

adj.解密的v.对（机密文件等）销密( declassify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Thousands of classified documents have now been declassified. 数以千计的保密文件现在被解密了。
• The software used for Siemens S7-300 encryption logic block declassified. 此软件用于对西门子S7-300加密逻辑块解密。

28 sleeplessness   

n.失眠，警觉

参考例句：

• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness. 现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. 医生们对他的奇异的不眠感到疑惑。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

29 scrapping   

刮，切除坯体余泥

参考例句：

• He was always scrapping at school. 他在学校总打架。
• These two dogs are always scrapping. 这两条狗总是打架。

30 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。