VOA慢速英语2017 科学家发现埃博拉病毒的治疗办法

 

Scientists say they have discovered a possible cure for all five known Ebola viruses. Antibodies that are used in the cure were discovered in the blood of a survivor¹.

科学家说，他们已经发现了一种可能治愈所有5种已知埃博拉病毒的治疗办法。治疗中用到的抗体是在幸存者中的血液中发现的。

Kartik Chandran of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine helped discover the antibodies. They are described online in the journal Cell.

爱因斯坦医学院的卡蒂克·钱德兰(Kartik Chandran)帮助发现了了这种抗体，并将这一结果发布在了《细胞》杂志网络版上。

Chandran says studies of the antibody in non-human primates³ have shown positive results. He says he is optimistic that the antibodies can be used to protect and treat people, too.

钱德兰表示，这种抗体在对非灵长类动物的研究中已经显示出积极结果。他说，他对这种抗体可用于保护和治疗人类持乐观态度。

A challenging history

富有挑战性的历史

The virus was given the name Ebola because the first recorded outbreak of the disease took place along the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo -- then known as Zaire -- in 1976.

这种病毒被命名为埃博拉病毒，是因为这种疾病首次有记录的爆发发生在1976年刚果民主共和国(当时该国被称之为扎伊尔)的埃博拉河沿岸。

Since then, there have been about 24 Ebola outbreaks in Africa, including one happening now in the DRC. Nine people have been infected and three people have died.

此后非洲爆发了大约24次埃博拉疫情，其中包括刚果民主共和国目前正在发生的这次，有9人受到感染，3人死亡。

The most recent Ebola epidemic⁴ took place from 2013 to 2016. It killed more than 11,000 people and infected 29,000 in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

最近一次埃博拉疫情大爆发发生在2013年到2016年。这次大爆发导致在利比里亚、几内亚和塞拉利昂有2.9万人感染，并且有1.1万人死亡。

During that epidemic, researchers were studying an anti-Ebola drug called Zmapp. Doctors began using it even before the study was complete.

在这场大爆发中，研究人员开始研究一种名为Zmapp的抗埃博拉药物。医生们甚至在研究完成前就开始使用这种药物。

Zmapp uses antibodies discovered in mice. They use the body's natural immune system to fight infection. If the drug is given within five days after Ebola infection symptoms appear, it can cure the disease.

Zmapp使用了老鼠体内发现的抗体，它们利用身体自然免疫系统来抵抗感染。如果在埃博拉病毒感染症状出现5天内使用这种药物，就能治愈这种疾病。

Promising⁵ results

充满希望的结果

But researcher Kartik Chandran says Zmapp is effective only against Ebola Zaire. It does not fight the other four known Ebola viruses.

但是研究人员钱德兰表示，Zmapp只对扎伊尔埃博拉病毒有效，无法对抗其它4种已知的埃博拉病毒。

Chandran says the recently discovered human antibodies attack and destroy all five of the viruses. Researchers say the antibodies work by interfering⁶ with a process that the disease uses to infect and multiply inside cells.

钱德兰表示，最近发现的这种人类抗体能攻击和摧毁所有这5种病毒。研究人员表示，这种抗体通过干扰该疾病用于感染和细胞内繁殖的过程而起到效果。

Chandran says scientists discovered the antibodies in just six months.

钱德兰表示，科学家在短短六个月内发现了这些抗体。

The drug company Mapp Pharmaceutical⁷ Incorporated is now testing the antibodies in monkeys that have been exposed to Ebola. Spokespeople for the company say the antibodies have so far been safe and effective.

Mapp制药公司目前正在对已经暴露于埃博拉病毒的猴子测试这种抗体。该公司发言人表示，截至目前这种抗体是安全有效的。

Chandran says he hopes the antibodies can also be tested in people soon. And, he says, he hopes they can ultimately be used both as a treatment and as a vaccine⁸ to prevent people from getting Ebola in the first place.

钱德兰表示，他希望这种抗体可以很快进行人类测试。他还表示希望它们最终可以被用于治疗，并成为预防人类感染埃博拉病毒的首个疫苗。

Words in This Story

cure – n. recovery or relief from a disease

antibody – n. a substance produced by the body to fight disease

primate² – n. any member of the group of animals that includes human beings, apes, and monkeys

infected – adj. containing germs that cause disease

vaccine – n. a substance that is usually injected into a person or animal to protect against a particular disease

1 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

2 primate   

n.灵长类（目）动物，首席主教；adj.首要的

参考例句：

• 14 percent of primate species are highly endangered.14%的灵长类物种处于高度濒危状态。
• The woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas.绒毛蛛猴是美洲最大的灵长类动物。

3 primates   

primate的复数

参考例句：

• Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。
• Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。

4 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

7 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

8 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。