VOA慢速英语2018 中国科学家称:首例基因编辑婴儿诞生

Chinese Scientist Claims First Gene¹ Edited Babies

A Chinese scientist claims he successfully created the world’s first genetically-edited babies.

中国一位科学家称，他成功创造出全球首例经过基因编辑的婴儿。

Chinese researcher He Jiankui made the claim in interviews with the Associated Press. He also spoke³ about his research with organizers of an international conference on gene editing in Hong Kong, the AP reported.

中国研究人员贺建奎（He Jiankui）接受美联社采访时发表了上述声明。据美联社报道，他还与香港基因编辑国际会议的组织者提及这份研究。

He is a research professor at China’s Southern University of Science and Technology in the southern city of Shenzhen.

贺建奎是中国南方科技大学的一名研究教授，该校位于南方城市深圳。

He said he had edited the genetic² substance, or DNA⁴, of twin girls born a few weeks ago. There was no independent confirmation⁵ of He’s work and he did not provide written documentation of his research. Many scientists working in genetics say they believe such experimentation⁶ is dangerous.

他称，他编辑了数周前出生的一对双胞胎女婴的基因物质（DNA）。贺建奎的研究成果目前没有得到独立的证实，他也没有提供有关这项研究的书面文件。很多从事遗传学研究的科学家表示，他们认为这种实验有很高的风险。

He’s claims were immediately condemned⁷ by some scientists as unsafe and unethical. This kind of gene editing is banned in the United States and many other countries. Such changes to a person’s DNA can pass to future generations and risks harming other genes⁸.

他的声明立刻招致了一些科学家们的讨伐，称这是不安全和不道德的。这种基因编辑在美国等其它很多国家都被禁止。编辑后的人类基因会遗传给后代，而且有可能损害其它基因。

In interviews, He Jiankui defended his work. He said he had performed the gene editing to help protect the babies from future infection of HIV, the virus responsible for the disease AIDS. He said the process had “worked safely” and the twin girls were “as healthy as any other babies.”

贺建奎在采访中为自己的研究辩护。他说，他进行的这项基因编辑研究，旨在帮助婴儿免受艾滋病毒（HIV）的感染。艾滋病毒会导致艾滋病（AIDS）。他说，这一过程“十分安全”，这对双胞胎女婴“跟其他婴儿一样健康。”

He told the AP he felt a strong responsibility “not just to make a first, but also to make an example” for future research. “Society will decide what to do next,” he said.

贺建奎告诉美联社，他觉得有责任“开创历史先河，并且为未来的研究树立榜样。”他说：“社会将决定下一步的发展方向。”

China to investigate He’s activity

中国对编辑基因研究展开

He had studied in the past at Rice and Stanford universities in the United States. He then returned to his homeland China to open a laboratory at Southern University of Science and Technology.

贺建奎曾在美国赖斯大学以及斯坦福大学深造。之后，他回到了祖国，并在中国南方科技大学创建了一处实验室。

When He’s claims became public, the university issued a statement saying his work had “seriously violated academic ethics⁹ and standards.” University officials said they had no knowledge of his research and had launched an investigation¹⁰. A university spokesman said the professor had been on a break from teaching since early this year. But he remains¹¹ an employee and still works in the laboratory.

当贺建奎的声明公开后，中国南方科技大学发表声明称，他的研究“严重违反了学术伦理规范。”校方官员声称，对这一研究不知情，并已经对此展开调查。校方一位发言人表示，自年初以来，该教授一直暂停教学。但他仍然是该大学的员工，仍然在该实验室工作。

China’s National Health Commission said it was “highly concerned” about the claims and ordered local health officials “to immediately investigate” He’s activity. “We have to be responsible for the people’s health and will act on this according to the law,” the commission said in a statement.

中国国家卫生健康委员会对此表示高度重视，并责令当地卫生官员立即对贺建奎的研究展开调查。该委员会表示：“我们必须对广大人民的健康负责，并将依法采取行动。”

Limited use of gene-editing

基因编辑的限制

Scientists discovered in recent years a new way to edit genes that make up a person’s DNA throughout the body. The tool, called CRISPR-cas9, makes it possible to change DNA to supply a needed gene or take one away that is causing problems.

近年来，科学家们发现了一种新方法，可以编辑构成人体DNA的基因。这种名为CRISPR-cas9的工具或可以改变DNA来提供所需基因或是抹除某种致病基因。

So far the tool has only been used on adults to treat deadly diseases, and the changes only affected¹² that person. Editing sperm¹³, eggs or embryos¹⁴ is different because such changes can be passed down. In the U.S., the process is only permitted for lab research. China bans human cloning, but not specifically gene editing.

目前，该工具仅限于治疗成年人的致命疾病，并且这种改变只会影响本人。而编辑精子、卵子或是胚胎则另当别论，因为这种改变会遗传。在美国，该过程仅限于进行实验室研究。中国虽然禁止人类克隆，但是并未具体针对基因编辑。

Kiran Musunuru is a University of Pennsylvania gene editing expert and editor of a genetics journal. He told the Associated Press that if such an experiment had been carried out on human beings, it could not be “morally or ethically¹⁵ defensible.”

基兰（Kiran Musunuru）是宾夕法尼亚大学的基因编辑专家，也是遗传学杂志的编辑。他对美联社表示，如果这类实验在人类身上进行，就不可能在“道德和伦理上”站得住脚。

Julian Savulescu, a medical ethics expert at Britain’s University of Oxford¹⁶, agreed. “If true, this experiment is monstrous,” he told Reuters.

牛津大学医学伦理专家朱利安（Julian Savulescu）对此表示认同。他说：“如果这是真的，那这个实验太可怕了。”

However, one well-known geneticist, Harvard University’s George Church, defended the attempt to edit genes to prevent infections of HIV. He told the AP that since HIV is “a major and growing public health threat” he finds such experiments “justifiable¹⁷.”

然而，哈佛大学一位著名的遗传学专家乔治（George Church）对编辑基因防止艾滋病感染的意图进行了辩护。他告诉美联社，鉴于艾滋病毒是“一种日益严重的重大公共卫生威胁，”他认为这种实验是“合理的。”

Words in This Story

unethical – adj.morally bad

standard – n.level of quality considered acceptable

sperm – n.male reproductive fluid

clone – v.an exact copy of a plant or animal made by scientists removing one of its cells

justifiable – adj.having a good reason

1 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。

2 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。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 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。

5 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

6 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

7 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。

8 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

9 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

14 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

15 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。

16 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

17 justifiable   

adj.有理由的，无可非议的

参考例句：

• What he has done is hardly justifiable.他的所作所为说不过去。
• Justifiable defense is the act being exempted from crimes.正当防卫不属于犯罪行为。