VOA慢速英语2019 科学界新争论：摄入过多红肉是否危害人类健康？

How Risky¹ Is Eating Red Meat?

Many studies have tied red meat food to cancer and heart disease. But are the risks big enough to stop eating foods like lamb chops and hamburgers?

多项研究认为，红肉类食物与癌症和心脏病有关。但摄入红肉类食物的风险是否高到人们要停止吃羊排和汉堡的地步呢？

A team of international researchers says probably not.

一组由国际科学家组成的团队认为很有可能不是这么回事儿。 

Their findings, published as a series of papers Monday, go against established advice. A group of well-known U.S. scientists even took the unusual step of trying to stop publication until their criticisms were answered.

他们周一通过一系列论文的发表公布了自己的发现成果，他们的发现成果与已经根深蒂固的建议相反。一组知名的美国科学家甚至一反常态——他们试图停止发表论文内容，等批评内容收到反馈后再发表。

The new work does not say that red meat and processed meats such as hot dogs and bacon are healthy. It also does not suggest that people should eat more of such foods.

他们新发表的论文认为，红肉和经过加工的肉类——比如热狗和培根——都是不健康的。论文还建议人们不要摄入太多这类食物。

The new work examined past studies on red meat and health problems. The researchers involved generally support the finding that red meat is tied to cancer, heart disease and other serious health risks.

新研究审视了过往关于红肉和一些健康问题的研究。参加研究的人大体都支持发现结果——红肉与癌症、心脏病等严重健康风险有关。

But the researchers also say the evidence is weak. They say there could be other causes for the apparent link -- including a person’s other food choices and lifestyle.

但这些研究人员也认为，证据不够充分。他们说，这样明显的联系可能是由其他原因导致的——比如一个人对其他食物的选择和他/她的生活方式。

There was disagreement even among the writers. Three of the 14 panelists said they support reducing red and processed meats in the human diet. And, a co-writer of one the papers also called for a publication delay.

本文的诸位作者之间也存在观点上的分歧。14位专家中，有3位表示他们支持减少红肉和经加工肉类的摄入。此外，本文的一名合著者也呼吁推迟发表此文。

The journal Annals of Internal Medicine defended the new work. It said the request to have it pulled before publication is not how scientific debate is supposed to happen.

《内科学年鉴》站队这项新研究。该期刊认为，在此文发表之前百般批评并非科学讨论应有的方式。

Experts from Harvard, Yale, Stanford and other top American universities sent a letter to the journal asking that it retract² publication of the papers. The experts said recommendations that could lead people to eat more red and processed meat were "irresponsible and unethical."

来自哈佛、耶鲁、斯坦福等高等美国大学的专家给该期刊发了一封信，要求该期刊取消相关论文的发表。这些专家认为，有些推荐会让人们摄入更多的红肉和加工肉类，这种推荐是“不负责任的、不道德的。”

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) both say red and processed meat may or can cause cancer.

世界卫生组织（WHO）下属的国际癌症研究机构（IARC）以及世界癌症研究基金会（WCRF）都认为，红肉和加工肉类可能会引发癌症。

1 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

2 retract   

vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消

参考例句：

• The criminals should stop on the precipice, retract from the wrong path and not go any further.犯罪分子应当迷途知返，悬崖勒马，不要在错误的道路上继续走下去。
• I don't want to speak rashly now and later have to retract my statements.我不想现在说些轻率的话，然后又要收回自己说过的话。