VOA慢速英语2019--豚鼠用于研究与交谈

Guinea Pigs: Useful in Research, Conversation

Now, the VOA Learning¹ English program Words and Their Stories.

Each week, we explain where American English expressions come from and how to use them.

Today, we turn once again to the animal world. We talk about an animal that has been a great service to humanity²: the Guinea pig.

Guinea pigs are native to South America. Some people say the small, very social creatures got their name from the fact that they make noises like a pig. Another reason, they say, is that guinea pigs first left their homeland on ships that sailed between South America, Guinea and Britain.

Other experts suggest that guinea pigs look like the young of another animal: the Guinea hog³, also called the "river pig.”

Over the years, guinea pigs have earned our respect. They have, after all, played an important part in keeping people healthy.

For two centuries, they have been used for medical research. Their natural defenses against disease⁴ are similar to that of human beings. Scientists used guinea pigs in early studies of infectious⁵ diseases⁶, such as tuberculosis⁷ and diphtheria. Today they are often used in studies of sexually⁸ transmitted⁹ and other infectious diseases.

Rats are also used for laboratory¹⁰ experiments. But, as it turns out, Guinea pigs have more in common with people than rats do. So they are a better choice for some studies.

These experiments have led to the use of “guinea pig” in the English language.

Some say that the term guinea pig, meaning “one subjected to an experiment,” was first used in the 1920s. And this expression is still very common today.

If someone calls me a “guinea pig,” it means that new ideas or methods are tested on me. I am part of some kind of experiment and it does not have to be one in a laboratory.

Let’s hear this expression used in some examples.

I have some new dishes to serve at my big dinner party! But I’ve never made them before. What if they don’t taste good?

How about if I come over this weekend and you can cook them for me?

Great idea! You can be my guinea pig!

You can call me whatever you want. As long as I get to eat your great cooking!

This milk smells funny. Will you try it and see if it’s old?

Ew. No! I’m not your guinea pig. Try it yourself!

The city government is trying out a new recycling program. It is the first of its kind in the nation.

Argh. Not again! Why must our city be a guinea pig for every ‘great’ idea our politicians hear about? And yes, I said ‘great’ with quotes because they’re not great at all!

Yes. I heard your quotation¹¹ marks.

Good.

The expression, “guinea pig” carries a lot of meaning with only two words. Calling yourself a “test subject,” sounds way too scientific. And we just do not use it that way.

A similar term, “lab rat,” is rarely used and it does not sound very nice. And saying that you “are being experimented on to see if something works” is so very…long.

Guinea pig is much more common and you can use it in any situation.

Well, the only time you may not want to use “guinea pig'” to mean a lab animal, is when speaking to someone from PETA, People for the Ethical¹² Treatment of Animals. They may not like it.

Another person who may not like this expression is someone who takes care of one as a pet. That’s right. These animals do much more than help in scientific research. In the United States, many people own one or more guinea pigs, much like you would a dog or cat!

And that’s all the time we have for Words and Their Stories.

Until next time! I’m Anna Matteo.

Dr. Heckyll is his own little guinea pig

'Cause they all think he's mad

Sets his sights on the search of a lifetime

And he's never, never sad

Whoa oh, its off to work he goes

In the name of science and all its wonders ...

Words in This Story

recycling – v. to process (something, such as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain¹³ material for human use

ethical – adj. following accepted rules of behavior : morally right and good

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。

3 hog   

n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占

参考例句：

• He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
• Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。

4 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

5 infectious   

adj.传染的，有传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。
• What an infectious laugh she has!她的笑声多么具有感染力啊！

6 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

7 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

8 sexually   

adv.性别上地；按性别地；性欲地；两性之间地

参考例句：

• to be sexually promiscuous 性生活淫乱
• I was depressed,withdrawn and sexually frigid. 我郁郁寡欢，离群索居，没有什么性要求。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 transmitted   

v.发射，播送，广播( transmit的过去式和过去分词 )；传播；传导；传（热、声等）

参考例句：

• signals transmitted from a satellite 从卫星传送来的信号
• The power which an engine develops is transmitted to the wheels. 引擎产生的动力传递到车轮。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 laboratory   

n.实验室，化验室

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a laboratory.她捐款成立了一个实验室。
• Our laboratory equipment isn't perfect,but we must make do.实验室设备是不够理想，但我们只好因陋就简。

11 quotation   

n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情

参考例句：

• He finished his speech with a quotation from Shakespeare.他讲话结束时引用了莎士比亚的语录。
• The quotation is omitted here.此处引文从略。

12 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

13 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。