2022年经济学人 为什么大象很少患癌症？(1)

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Science & technology

科技板块

Oncology

肿瘤学

Protein shake-up

蛋白质重组

Why elephants so rarely get cancer

为什么大象很少患癌症

Elephants have always presented a paradox¹ to biologists.

对于生物学家来说，大象一直是一个悖论。

They are much larger than humans and live for a similar length of time, yet they only rarely develop cancer.

它们比人类大得多，寿命也差不多，但它们很少患上癌症。

That is odd.

这很奇怪。

Cancer, after all, is something of a numbers game: the more cells, the more replications.

毕竟，在某种程度上癌症是一个数字游戏：细胞越多，复制就越多。

The more replications, the greater the likelihood of random² dna³ damage and a cell going rogue⁴, failing to be detected and ultimately starting the runaway⁵ process towards a tumour⁶.

复制越多，随机DNA损伤和细胞失控的可能性就越大，无法被检测到，最终开始向肿瘤扩散的失控过程。

Work led by Konstantinos Karakostis of the Autonomous⁷ University of Barcelona and published in Molecular⁸ Biology and Evolution, points to an answer, for elephants at least, to Peto’s paradox.

巴塞罗那自治大学的Konstantinos Karakostis领导的研究发表在《分子生物学与进化》上，这项研究指出了皮托悖论的答案，至少对大象来说是这样。

This absence of size-to-cancer correlation⁹ is named after Sir Richard Peto, a British epidemiologist who first noted¹⁰ it in 1977.

大小与癌症之间没有相关性的现象，是以英国流行病学家理查德·皮托爵士的名字命名的，他在1977年首次发现这一现象。

Their investigations¹¹ began with p53, a transcription factor.

他们的研究始于转录因子P53。

These are the proteins that are in attendance as dna is transcribed¹² into rna, controlling which genes¹³ are switched on and for how long.

当DNA被转录成RNA时，这些蛋白质参与其中，控制着哪些基因被激活以及激活多长时间。

But p53 is also in the business of marshalling resources in the service of quality control.

但P53也在为质量控制服务中调集资源。

When it encounters damaged dna, it fails to bind¹⁴ to yet another protein called mdm2.

当它遇到受损的DNA时，它无法与另一种名为MDM2的蛋白质结合。

That in turn sets off a chain of events that stimulates¹⁵ a cell to repair any damage.

进而引发了一系列事件，刺激细胞修复任何损伤。

If that fails, p53 initiates¹⁶ a different chain that makes the cell destroy itself.

如果失败，p53会启动不同的链条，使细胞自我毁灭。

P53, then, is a potent¹⁷ anti-cancer agent in the body’s arsenal¹⁸.

因此，p53是人体基因库中一种有效的抗癌剂。

But cancer, in many creatures, is a potent adversary¹⁹.

但在许多生物体中，癌症是一个强劲的对手。

Cancer cells have damaged dna but have ways to ensure the binding²⁰ to mdm2 happens without a hitch²¹.

癌细胞破坏了DNA，但有办法确保与MDM2的结合顺利进行。

1 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

2 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

3 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

4 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

5 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

6 tumour   

n.(tumor)(肿)瘤，肿块

参考例句：

• The surgeons operated on her for a tumour.外科医生为她施行了肿瘤切除手术。
• The tumour constricts the nerves.肿瘤压迫神经。

7 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

8 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

9 correlation   

n.相互关系，相关，关连

参考例句：

• The second group of measurements had a high correlation with the first.第二组测量数据与第一组高度相关。
• A high correlation exists in America between education and economic position.教育和经济地位在美国有极密切的关系。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

12 transcribed   

（用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的过去式和过去分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音）

参考例句：

• He transcribed two paragraphs from the book into his notebook. 他把书中的两段抄在笔记本上。
• Every telephone conversation will be recorded and transcribed. 所有电话交谈都将被录音并作全文转写。

13 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

14 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

15 stimulates   

v.刺激( stimulate的第三人称单数 )；激励；使兴奋；起兴奋作用，起刺激作用，起促进作用

参考例句：

• Exercise stimulates the body. 运动促进身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Alcohol stimulates the action of the heart. 酒刺激心脏的活动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 initiates   

v.开始( initiate的第三人称单数 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员

参考例句：

• The booklet initiates us into the problems of living abroad. 这本小册子使我们对国外的生活情况有了初步了解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Everybody initiates and receives messages in some form or other. 每个人都以各种不同的方式发出并接收信息。 来自辞典例句

17 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

18 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

19 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

20 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

21 hitch   

v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉

参考例句：

• They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
• All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。