【轻松英文阅读】献血者

 How often do you donate blood? Once a year? Once every few years? Never? Would you be willing to do it every few weeks? That is what James Harrison of Australia has been doing for almost 60 years. In that time he has donated blood over 1,000 times.

 

James Harrison has very special blood—so special he has been called the man with the golden arm. When James was a teenager it was discovered that his blood contained a rare antibody. After it was detected James volunteered to help scientists create the Anti-D vaccine¹, which required the antibody in his blood.

 

At the time, thousands of babies were dying or suffering severe brain damage from Rhesus disease every year in Australia. Rhesus disease or Rh disease, as it is also known, occurs when the mother’s blood is incompatible² with the unborn child’s; one has Rh-positive blood and the other has Rh-negative. With the Anti-D vaccine developed from James’ blood Rh-disease became treatable. Babies stopped dying from Rh-disease.

 

It is estimated that James has saved over 2 million babies with his donations. He truly is the man with the golden arm and a golden heart.

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。