Cloning Humans

                            05 关于克隆人计划的争论

DATE=2-21-01
TITLE=SCIENCE REPORT - Cloning Humans
BYLINE=George Grow

(start at 59") This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT.
A (1)private group of scientists has announced plans to make an (2)exact copy of a human being. An American member of the team says he and the others will soon begin a serious effort to clone humans. Panos Zavos says the team hopes to produce the world's first cloned baby within the next two years.
He (3)announced the project at a (4)conference last month in the American city of (5)Lexington, Kentucky. Doctor Zavos is an expert on human (6)reproduction at the University of Kentucky. He works¹ at the Kentucky Center for Reproductive Medicine and Invitro (7)Fertilization.
In recent years, scientists have produced exact (8)genetic² copies of sheep and a few other animals. They created these clones from a single cell of an adult animal.
Three years ago, another American doctor, Richard Seed, announced plans to clone a human being. However, there is no evidence that he was successful.
Doctor Zavos says the new (9)international group plans to offer human cloning only to women currently³ not able to become pregnant⁴ and produce children. He says the effort will be to (10)assist people who want to have their own (11)biological child.
The (12)technology would be similar to that used to clone animals. It would involve clearing genetic (13)material from a woman's egg. Doctors then would place genetic material from the woman's husband into the egg before putting it in the woman's (14)uterus.
Doctor Zavos says his group plans to do its work in a country near the Mediterranean⁵ Sea. He did not name the country. He says an Italian reproductive expert, Severino Antinori, is leading the team. Doctor Antinori has led successful efforts to help many older women become (15)pregnant. He is known for establishing pregnancies⁶ in women as old as sixty.
Many medical experts and other groups are opposed to the idea of (16)cloning humans. Several countries ban or (17)restrict work on human cloning.Several doctors criticized⁷ the announcement by Doctor Zavos. They say doctors do not know if cloning humans is possible or safe. They say it would be irresponsible to attempt to clone a human being. That is because the chances of success are too small and the risks are too great.
This VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT was written by George Grow.

(1) private[ 5praivit ]adj.私人的, 私有的, 私营的, 秘密的n.士兵
(2) exact[ i^5zAkt ]adj.精确的, 准确的, 原样的, 精密的, 严格vt.强求, 急需, 要求
(3) announce[ E5nauns ]vt.宣布, 通告
(4) conference[ 5kCnfErEns ]n.会议, 讨论会, 协商会
(5) Lexington[ 5leksiNtEn ]列克星敦(①美国 Kentucky 州中北部一城市 ②美国 Massachusetts 州东部一城市)
(6) reproduction[ 7ri:prE5dQkFEn ]n.繁殖, 再现, 复制品
(7) fertilization[ 7fE:tilai5zeiFEn ]n.肥沃, 施肥, 授精
(8) genetic[ dVi5netik ]adj.遗传的, 起源的
(9) international[ 7intE(:)5nAFEnEl ]adj.国际的, 世界的n.国际性组织, 国际比赛
(10) assist[ E5sist ]v.援助, 帮助
(11) biological[ baiE5lCdVikEl ]adj.生物学的
(12) technology[ tek5nClEdVi ]n.工艺, 科技, 技术
(13) material[mE5tIErIEl]n.材料, 原料, 物资, 素材, 布料adj.物质的, 肉体的, 具体的, 重要的, 实质性的
(14) uterus[ 5ju:tErEs ]n.[解]子宫
(15) pregnant[ 5pre^nEnt ]adj.怀孕的, 重要的, 富有意义的, 孕育的
(16) cloning[ 5klCniN ]无性（繁殖）系化， 纯系化
(17) restrict[ ris5trikt ]vt.限制, 约束, 限定

1 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

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 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

4 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

5 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

6 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

7 criticized   

vt.批评(criticize的过去式)v.评论，批评( criticize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The decision was criticized by environmental groups. 这个决定受到了环保团体的批评。
• The movie has been criticized for apparently legitimizing violence. 这部电影因明显地美化暴力而受到了指责。