VOA常速英语2015--试管小狗的成功可拯救濒临灭绝动物

Test Tube Pups May Help Rescue Endangered Species 试管小狗的成功可拯救濒临灭绝动物

Scientists at Cornell University have proudly presented the first litter of dogs successfully born through in vitro fertilization, or IVF. The breakthrough may help in combating inherited diseases that affect canines¹ as well as humans.

These playful pups are part of litter of Seven, born July 10, out of 19 embryos³ implanted in the same female dog.Five are beagles and two are beagle-cocker spaniel mixes.

这些活蹦乱跳的小狗都是塞文的小崽，出生于7月10日，塞文曾被植入19个受精卵。它产下5只毕格尔猎犬和2只毕格尔与史宾格混种猎犬。

Other animals, as well as humans, have been successfully bred through artificial insemination,but perfecting the process in dogs took decades because of the critical timing⁴ in fertilization of the female dog’s eggs.

一些其他动物，包括人类都成功实现了人工受精，而小狗人工受精技术一直没取得成功，主要是由于母狗受精的时间很难把握。

Previously⁵, only one dog was born from a frozen embryo², in 2012, at the same Cornell University lab.

2012年，同样在康奈尔大学实验室中，为小狗植入冷冻受精卵，却仅有一只小狗顺利诞生。

Scientists say the new success opens the door to saving endangered species of dogs.

科研人员表示，这一技术的成功打开了保护濒于灭绝动物的大门。

“Like the African painted dog, if we want to breed them in captivity⁶ and we collect, say, their eggs and sperm,we have to be able to do IVF to create new members of that species.”

“比如说非洲的一种野狗，如果我们想圈养这种野狗，可以采集其精子和卵子，通过体外受精，成功之后会就会诞生同品种的小狗。”

Successfully fertilizing⁷ eggs in the lab could also help eliminate many of the disease traits in dogs.

小狗体外受精的成功对减少小狗疾病将有很大的好处。

“It opens up the possibility that we could identify certain genes⁸ that cause disease and then fix those, replace them with a good copy of the gene⁹, before those dogs are even born.So instead of trying to cure disease, we can help prevent it from happening in the first place.”

“这项实验的成功标志着我们能识别致病基因并修复基因，在小狗未出生前，即可更换其缺陷基因。所以与其说我们治疗疾病，不如说我们从源头上预防疾病。”

Cornell University scientists say that the complete understanding of in vitro fertilization of dogs will also help unveil the genetic¹⁰ basis of some of the more than 350 disorders¹¹ that humans share with dogs.

康奈尔大学的科研人员还表示，人类和小狗有着350多项相同疾病，小狗体外受精技术的成熟也将帮助揭开人类基因未解之谜。

1 canines   

n.犬齿( canine的名词复数 )；犬牙；犬科动物

参考例句：

• For example, the teeth are more primitive. There are large canines and unusually shaped incisors. 譬如，牙齿更为原始，有大的犬齿和非常合适的门齿。 来自辞典例句
• Well-to-canines can attend doggy daycare centers while their owners work. 富人家的狗在主人上班的时候可以去狗狗托管中心。 来自互联网

2 embryo   

n.胚胎，萌芽的事物

参考例句：

• They are engaging in an embryo research.他们正在进行一项胚胎研究。
• The project was barely in embryo.该计划只是个雏形。

3 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

4 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

7 fertilizing   

v.施肥( fertilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Sometimes the preliminary step must be taken of reducing weed population before fertilizing. 有时候，在施肥之前，必须采取减少杂草密度的预备性步骤。 来自辞典例句
• The self fertilizing garden can also be planted in raised beds. 自我施肥的菜园也可以在苗圃床中种植。 来自互联网

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 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。

10 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。

11 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》