VOA慢速英语20061017b

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Americans Win All the Nobel Prizes for Science in Two Thousand SixBy Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Tuesday, October 17, 2006

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty¹.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. This week 鈥?we tell about the Nobel Prizes. We also tell about the winners of the two thousand six prizes in chemistry, physics and medicine.

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VOICE ONE:




The Nobel Prizes are presented each year on December tenth. The Peace Prize is given in Oslo, Norway. The others are given in Stockholm, Sweden.

December tenth is the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel. He died in eighteen ninety-six. The Swedish engineer held legal rights to more than three hundred inventions. One is for the explosive dynamite².

Alfred Nobel left nine million dollars to establish yearly prizes in his name. He said they should go to living people who have worked most effectively to improve human life. He said the physics and chemistry prizes should be given by the Swedish Academy of Sciences. He asked the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm to present the medical prizes.

VOICE TWO:

The first Nobel prizes were presented in nineteen-oh-one. Each award includes a gold medal and ten million Swedish kronor. Today, that is worth more than one million three hundred thousand dollars. The money is shared if more than one person wins a prize. However, a prize may not be divided among more than three persons.

Scientific groups in Sweden choose the winners from among those nominated by past winners and specially³ chosen university professors. How the choices are made is a secret among the committee members. The names of those nominated are not made public for fifty years.

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Craig C. Mello, right, from Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Massachusetts Medical School and Andrew Z. Fire of School of Medicine at Stanford University in California, pose next to statue of German scientist Paul Ehrlich

VOICE ONE:

The Karolinska Institute this year chose two Americans to share the Nobel Prize in Physiology⁴ or Medicine. Craig Mello is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts. Andrew Fire is a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California.

The scientists did their prize-winning work in the nineteen nineties for the Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C. At the time, the two men worked at laboratories in Baltimore, Maryland. They performed experiments with very small worms. They found they could control genes⁵ in the creatures with injections of specially designed ribonucleic acid, or RNA.

VOICE TWO:

All living cells need molecules⁶ of RNA and another chemical, called deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA⁷. DNA makes copies of itself for new cells. RNA makes other chemicals necessary for these cells.

The RNA used in the experiments needed to possess two lists of genetic⁸ orders, or strands⁹. The scientists found that this double-stranded RNA stopped the action of targeted genes within cells more effectively than other methods. This discovery of the way cells control individual genes is known as RNA interference, or RNAi.

VOICE ONE:

The discovery was made just eight years ago. That is considered very recent for a Nobel Prize. But scientists say the Nobel Committee probably recognized the work so quickly because it changed the science of genetics. They say Professors Fire and Mello opened up a whole new area of research.

Later experiments showed that RNAi is present in cells of nearly all organisms. Scientists have begun working on ways to use it to get cells to control genes responsible for causing diseases. The discovery already is being used to develop possible treatments for diseases such as macular degeneration and hepatitis.

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John Mather

VOICE TWO:

Two Americans are the winners of the two thousand six Nobel Prize for physics. John Mather and George Smoot won for producing what scientists say is the strongest evidence yet that the universe began with a great explosion. The two men are being honored for their work with the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite, or COBE.

The American space agency launched the satellite into Earth's orbit in nineteen eighty-nine. An instrument on COBE was designed to receive energy waves from the first big explosion, also known as the Big Bang. It measured the temperature of the energy waves. The measurements confirmed the main idea of the Big Bang theory -- that the explosion created a huge number of microwaves that have continued to expand and cool.

VOICE ONE:

John Mather is an unusual Nobel Prize winner because he works for the United States government. He is a top scientist with the National Aeronautics¹⁰ and Space Administration, NASA. He was the main investigator¹¹ in developing the COBE satellite. George Smoot works at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in Berkeley, California. He led the team that studied the information provided by the satellite.

Mister Mather explained their work by calling it an attempt to solve the mystery of the beginning of the universe. He said COBE found small amounts of the earliest moment of time. Scientists have used the findings to estimate the age of the universe as more than thirteen thousand million years old.

The chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee for Physics said the two Americans did not prove the Big Bang theory, but gave it very strong support. Per Carlson called their work one of the greatest discoveries of the century. He said it increases our knowledge of our place in the universe.

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Roger Kornberg (file photo)

VOICE TWO:

Still another American won the two thousand six Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Roger Kornberg is being honored for his work in genetic research. The Nobel Prize committee said he showed how information in the nucleus¹² of genes is copied and moved to other parts of a cell. The committee said he was the first to show pictures of this process taking place.

The process involves copying information from a cell's DNA into what is called messenger RNA. The messenger RNA then moves the information from the nucleus to other areas of the cell where it builds proteins that control cell action.

Scientists say this transcription is what keeps living things alive. Any interference causes cancer, heart disease or other disorders¹³.

VOICE ONE:

Roger Kornberg told the New York Times newspaper that his work has influenced the development of drugs and treatments for medical conditions. He said understanding transcription is central to research into using stem cells to cure diseases like diabetes¹⁴.

Professor Kornberg works at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. Reports say he is the sixth Nobel Prize winner to have a father who also won a Nobel. Arthur Kornberg shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in nineteen fifty-nine, also for work in genetics. He and Severo Ochoa were honored for discovering how cells produce DNA.

Roger Kornberg said he clearly remembers visiting Stockholm when he was twelve years old to see his father receive the Nobel Prize. And he expressed happiness that he can take his family there for the ceremonies this year.

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VOICE TWO:

It must be noted¹⁵ that Americans won all the scientific Nobel Prizes this year. An Associated News report says Nobel officials were not surprised. The permanent secretary for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences reportedly said the United States is leading Europe in scientific research. Gunnar Oquist also said European governments are not providing scientists with the money they need to carry out good research.

Other Nobel Prize committee members said money to pay for research is extremely important to producing good scientific work. Anders Liljas is a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. He reportedly said American universities often have more creative environments than those in other countries. He said American scientists talk to each other a lot instead of working separately.

VOICE ONE:

This is not the first time that Americans have won the Nobel Prizes in medicine, physics and chemistry all in the same year.

In nineteen eighty-three, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar and William Fowler shared the physics prize for increasing the understanding of the universe. Henry Taube won the chemistry prize for work on electron transfer reactions. And, Barbara McClintock won the medicine prize for discoveries in genetics.

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VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Nancy Steinbach. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Internet users can download transcripts¹⁶ and audio files at www.unsv.com. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 dynamite   

n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)

参考例句：

• The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。
• The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。

3 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

4 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

5 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

6 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

7 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

8 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。

9 strands   

n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

11 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

12 nucleus   

n.核，核心，原子核

参考例句：

• These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
• These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。

13 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句