英语听力精选进阶版 10462（在线收听）

It appears that when it comes to choosing our friends, much of our choice depends on genes. We are more genetically similar to our friends than we are to strangers.

在选择朋友时，我们的选择其实大部分是由基因决定的。和陌生人相比，我们和朋友在遗传学上更加相似。

The theme tune to Friends, a 90s American sitcom about a bunch of best mates. Two of the characters were related, but if they’ve been real life friends, the rest of them could have been as biologically close as cousins. Researchers from the University of California have analyzed gene variation in around 2000 people, comparing pairs of unrelated friends with pairs of unrelated strangers. They found that the friends had about 0.1% more DNA in common on average than strangers did. It’s a small fraction that makes a big difference.

这是讲述好朋友之间故事的90年代情景喜剧《老友记》的主题曲。剧中两位主角有血缘关系，但如果这些人在现实生活中也是朋友的话，他们在生物学上的亲近关系相当于表亲。加利福尼亚大学研究人员分析了2000人左右的基因变异，同时，将没有血缘关系的朋友和没有血缘关系的陌生人比较。他们发现，朋友比陌生人平均多出0.1%的共同DNA，这个小数据意义却很大。

It’s sort of like their family members. And in fact the number of genes they share in common is so large. And that is almost that they share a common ancestor. It’s like their fourth cousins.

这有点像是亲属关系。实际上，他们拥有的相同基因数量很大，几乎相当于他们拥有同一个祖先，互为第四代表亲。

The friends were most alike when it came to their sense of smell but the study suggests that we could be drawn to people with similar traits because it helps us to survive.

朋友之间拥有相似的嗅觉，但研究表明，我们容易接近拥有相似特质的人，因为这有助于我们生存。

If you are the first person that has a mutation and you don’t have any friends, you need surround yourself with other people who also have that trait. This is not just the case that people with the best trait, it’s the people we have similar genes so they are friends.

如果你是第一个拥有一种突变的人，而且你没有朋友，那么你身边需要相同特质的人。不是说身边要有最好特质的人，而是要拥有相似的基因，才能成为朋友。

When it comes to our immunities though, the friends’ genes were more different than that of the strangers. The scientists say this trend could also give us an evolutionary edge though because if your friends can fight different diseases than you, you are less likely to spread infections. It gives a new meaning perhaps to being their bio-friends.

但是，和陌生人相比，朋友之间的免疫性更加不同。但科学家说，这个趋势可以为我们的进化增加优势，因为如果你的朋友们比你更能抵抗各种疾病，那么你传播传染病的几率就会小很多。也许这能为“生物学朋友”增加新的意义。

President Putin has ordered a criminal investigation into a crash on a Moscow underground system which left 21 passengers dead. Scores of people were injured, 40 of them seriously when a train derailed. The cause of derailment is not yet known but the authorities have ruled out a terrorist attack. The mayor of Moscow has declared Wednesday a day of mourning. BBC Russian spoke to some of the survivors.

近日，俄罗斯总统普京下达刑事侦查令，要求调查致21名乘客死亡的莫斯科地铁撞车事件。列车脱轨导致数人受伤，其中40人重伤。脱轨原因尚不清楚，但是俄罗斯当局排除了恐怖袭击的嫌疑。莫斯科市长宣布周三为哀悼日。BBC俄罗斯频道采访了一些幸存者。

I was inside the carriage. I fell down. The light went off. Everyone was on the floor.

我当时在车厢内，跌到了。灯全部熄灭，所有人都跌倒了。

The whole train?

整列车厢吗？

I don’t know. I’ve only seen my carriage. I was in the front carriage.

我不知道，我只看见我所在车厢的情况，我在前面的车厢里。

Was it full?

车厢坐满了吗？

Not full but half full for sure.

没有，但肯定有一半坐满了。