科学美国人60秒 SSS 检测的重要性（打印版）

This is Scientific American's 60-second Science, I'm Steve Mirsky.

这里是科学美国人——60秒科学系列，我是史蒂夫·米尔斯基。

"We have more cases than anybody in the world.

“我们国家的病例比世界上任何国家都多。

But why? Because we do more testing. When you test, you have a case.

可是为什么呢？因为我们进行了更多的检测。做了检测，就会发现病例。

When you test, you find something is wrong with people. If we didn't do any testing, we would have very few cases."

做了检测，就会发现人们生病了。如果我们不进行任何检测，我们的病例就会很少。”

The logic is unassailable.

这个逻辑无懈可击。

As writer Quinn Cummings tweeted almost immediately after the President's remarks,

总统发表此番讲话后，作家奎因·卡明斯几乎立即在推特上发文称，

"Remember kids: You don't want a baby? Stay away from pregnancy tests!"

“孩子们，记住：你不想要孩子吗？那就远离妊娠检测！”

But think about what this no-testing idea could really mean.

但想想这个不进行检测的想法到底意味着什么。

Have you had a colonoscopy? I have. Have you had a mammogram? I have not, but I hear they're pretty rough.

你做过结肠镜检查吗？我做过。你做过乳腺钼靶摄片吗？我没做过，但我听说这个检查相当难受。

So think about what we could do to cut colon and breast cancer cases by simply doing away with those tests.

因此，想一下如果仅废除这些检查，那我们可以做些什么来减少结肠癌和乳腺癌的病例？

And think of all the poor children who are tested for various conditions, especially the newborns and their genetic tests.

想想那些接受各种疾病检测的贫困儿童，尤其是新生儿和其基因检测。

Why put the little tykes through it?

为什么要让这么小的孩子经历这些呢？

And have you considered the impact on sports?

你考虑过这对运动的影响吗？

I mean, without testing for performance enhancing drugs, if baseball is ever played again the records could just be demolished.

我的意思是，要是不进行兴奋剂检测，如果再比一场棒球比赛，那记录就会被销毁。

And what kind of an Olympics could we have without testing for drugs.

如果不进行兴奋剂检测，我们的奥运会会变成什么样子？

Swimming records, track and field records—these would just be absolutely decimated.

游泳记录，田径记录，所有这些记录绝对都会被毁灭。

It would be a wonder to behold. But anything wind-aided would still be disqualified. Because, hey, rules are rules.

这会是个奇迹。但任何风助记录仍会被取消资格。因为，嘿，规则就是规则。

And obviously if we stop testing for the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,

显然，如果我们停止检测大气中二氧化碳的含量，

there won't be any noticeable increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

那大气中二氧化碳的含量不会有任何明显的增加。

And need I even mention the annoying interruptions to our television programming with the emergency broadcast test.

我甚至需要提一下干扰电视节目的烦人的紧急状态广播测试。

Let's do away with those. And never have to deal with the possibility of a national emergency.

让我们废除这些测试。那就再也不必应对国家紧急情况的可能。

"And we have prevailed. We will continue to prevail."

“我们获胜了。我们将继续取得胜利。”