VOA慢速英语2019 德国科学家3D打印透明人体器官

German Scientists Create See-Through Human Organs

Scientists in Germany say they have used new technology to create see-through human organs. They say the technology could lead to production of three-dimensional (3D) body parts for use in transplant operations.

德国科学家称，他们利用一项新技术创造出透明的人体器官。他们表示，这项技术可以生产出用于移植手术的3D人体器官。

The scientists are with Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. They said they developed a process that uses a solvent¹ to make transparent² organs, such as the brain and kidneys.

这些科学家任职于慕尼黑的Ludwig Maximilians大学。他们表示，他们研发出一种利用溶剂制造透明器官的方法，例如，大脑和肾脏。

The German researchers use lasers in a microscope to scan the organ to be replaced. The laser light helps them see the blood vessels³ and every single cell inside.

这些德国研究员在显微镜中使用激光扫描待替换的器官。激光有助于他们观察血管以及血管内的每个细胞。

The researchers use this information to print out the structure of the whole organ. For this, they need special equipment. They use a 3D printer to manufacture the structure – one that has height, width and length.

研究人员利用这一信息打印整个器官结构。为此，他们需要特殊的设备。他们使用3D打印机制作出有高、宽和长的（器官）结构。

The researchers then load the printer with stem cells, which can become any kind of cell in the body. The stem cells act as “ink” in the printer. They are injected into the correct position, making the organ fully⁴ operational.

然后，研究人员将干细胞装入打印机，干细胞可以转换为人体中的任何一种细胞。干细胞在打印机中充当“墨水”。他们被注射到正确的位置，使器官完全正常运转。

The leader of the study, Ali Erturk, described the new technology as a major development for 3D printing in the medical field.

领导这项研究的阿里·埃尔特克（Ali Erturk）称这项新技术为：3D打印在医学领域的一个重大发展。

Until now 3D-printed organs lacked detailed⁵ cellular⁶ structures because they were based on two kinds of medical scanning technology, he explained. The two are computed⁷ tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance⁸ imaging.

他解释说，到目前为止，3D打印器官缺乏详细的细胞结构，因为它们毕竟是基于两种医学扫描技术的图像。这两种技术分别是计算机断层扫描（CT）和磁共振成像。

“We can see where every single cell is… we can actually replicate⁹ it exactly the same,” Erturk said. “I believe we are much closer to a real human organ for the first time now,” he added.

“我们能够看到每个细胞的位置……实际上我们可以完全复制它，”埃尔特克表示。“我相信我们现在第一次离真正的人体器官更近了，”他补充说。

Erturk and his team plan to start by creating a transparent, bioprinted pancreas over the next two to three years. They hope to develop a human kidney within 5-6 years.

埃尔特克和他的团队计划在接下来的两三年内先制造一个透明的生物打印胰腺。他们希望在未来五六年内培育出人类肾脏。

The researchers will first test to see if animals can live with bioprinted organs and could start tests within five to 10 years, he predicted.

研究员们将首先测试动物能否在生物打印器官下存活，并且可能在五到十年内开展临床测试。

Words in This Story

three-dimensional – adj. having length, height and depth

transplant - v. to perform a medical operation in which an organ or other part that has been removed from the body of one person is put into the body of another person

transparent – adj. something one can see through completely

solvent – n. a liquid used for breaking down other substances

scan – v. to look at the inside of (something) by using a special machine

ink – n. a colored liquid used for writing

replicate – v. to recreate something exactly

1 solvent   

n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
• A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。

2 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

3 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

6 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

7 computed   

adj.[医]计算的，使用计算机的v.计算，估算( compute的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He computed that the project would take seven years to complete. 他估计这项计划要花七年才能完成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Resolving kernels and standard errors can also be computed for each block. 还可以计算每个块体的分辨核和标准误差。 来自辞典例句

8 resonance   

n.洪亮；共鸣；共振

参考例句：

• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments.一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。
• The areas under the two resonance envelopes are unequal.两个共振峰下面的面积是不相等的。

9 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。