2018年双语新闻 “基因编辑婴儿”打开了潘多拉魔盒？

Breakthrough or bad science?

“基因编辑婴儿”打开了潘多拉魔盒？

It's long been a scientific dream: to inoculate¹ people against terrible diseases before birth.

令人类先天对重疾免疫是科学界长久以来的梦想。

Recently a Chinese biological researcher brought that possibility in front of the whole world.

最近，中国的一位生物科学研究者将这种可能性展现在了世人面前。

On Nov 26, He Jiankui from Shenzhen, Guangdong province announced the birth of healthy twin girls, Lulu and Nana, earlier in the month.

11月26日，来自广东深圳的贺建奎宣布，一对名为露露和娜娜的双胞胎于11月初健康诞生。

They came into being via in vitro fertilization with gene² editing technology that protected them from HIV infection.

这对双胞胎在体外受精时采用了基因编辑技术，使她们出生后即能天然抵抗艾滋病。

The reaction to his announcement was explosive.

贺建奎宣布的这一消息引起了轩然大波。

China's Ministry³ of Science and Technology has cooperated with other departments to investigate He's project.

中国科技部已联合相关部门对该项目进行调查。

In a signed open letter released on Nov 27, 140 Chinese researchers in HIV/AIDS from China and abroad condemned⁴ the "unethical" research.

11月27日，140多位海内外华裔艾滋病研究专业人士发表署名公开信，谴责这项研究“无视伦理道德底线”。

They questioned the need for He's project. The letter said that there are many treatments that prevent babies born to HIV-positive parents from being infected.

信中还表示，在防止新生儿被携带艾滋病病毒的父母感染方面，有多种有效的医学干预手段。

In fact, there are many drugs for this. Until now, there has only been gene editing research on faulty embryos⁶.

事实上，目前已有许多这方面的有效药物。到目前为止，人类只在畸形胚胎上进行过基因编辑研究。

The research only went ahead when it was clear that children would have terrible diseases. But even this research is controversial.

只有在明确孩子将患有严重疾病的前提下，这项研究才能继续下去。但尽管如此，这项研究也充满争议。

The idea that research could find ways to switch off genes⁷ that cause cancer may be exciting, but it is also troubling.

研究能够找到敲除致癌基因的想法或许令人感到激动，但同时也令人感到不安。

There are worries about babies that are designed to be superior, with better looks and above average skills.

有人担心将会出现更漂亮、更聪明的超级“定制宝宝”。

People are also concerned that gene editing changes the human genome, which means that changes will be handed onto future generations and spread through the population.

还有人担心基因编辑将会改变人类基因组，从而传递给后代，并在全人类中传播开来。

Such research also raises ethical⁵ questions. If successful baby alteration⁸ gene technology becomes available, who will be able to use it?

这项研究也引发了道德伦理问题。如果我们能够成功地运用编辑婴儿基因的技术，那么谁能够使用这项技术呢？

Will it be only the wealthy, who can afford it? And if people live much longer lives, will there be an effect on the size of the world population?

只有那些支付得起高昂费用的富人才能使用吗？如果人类的寿命变得更长了，对全球人口的数量是否也会产生影响呢？

Those questions are difficult to answer.

这些问题都很难回答。

But one thing is certain: If the cures have the potential to affect not just those who are treated, but the human population as a whole, it's important to ensure that scientific advances aren't getting too far ahead of our understanding of how to use them.

但有一件事是确定的：如果这些治疗方法影响到的不只是接受治疗的人，而是整个全人类，那么，确保科学进步不会太过超前于我们对其的认知，这点至关重要。

1 inoculate   

v.给...接种，给...注射疫苗

参考例句：

• A corps of doctors arrived to inoculate the recruits.一队医生来给新兵打防疫针。
• I was just meant to come out here and inoculate some wee babies.我是过来这边给小孩子们接种疫苗的。

2 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。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

7 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

8 alteration   

n.变更，改变；蚀变

参考例句：

• The shirt needs alteration.这件衬衣需要改一改。
• He easily perceived there was an alteration in my countenance.他立刻看出我的脸色和往常有些不同。