VOA常速英语2016--胡须上的细菌帮助发现新抗生素（在线收听）

胡须上的细菌帮助发现新抗生素

Widespread use of antibiotics for conditions that don't require them has spurred mutations in bacteria strains, turning them into so-called superbugs.

抗生素的滥用引发细菌产生变异，成为所谓的“超级细菌”。

As a result, some of the diseases that once were easily treatable with antibiotics, such as pneumonia and kidney infections, are becoming deadly again. But a recent lab test in Britain showed that men's facial hair is teeming with a variety of bacteria, all fighting for survival. Some of them produce substances with antibiotic properties.

结果，一些以前可以被抗生素轻松治愈的疾病如肺炎和肾感染，又变成致命治病了。但最近英国的实验室测试表明男性面部毛发上满是各种为生存而努力挣扎的细菌，其中一些制造出具有抗生性质的物质。

"So from 20 beards we managed to isolate at least a hundred different isolates from them, and around 25 percent of these showed antibiotic activity against our indicator strain,” said Adam Roberts, senior lecturer in microbial diseases at University College London.

英国伦敦大学学院微生物疾病资深讲师亚当·罗伯特说，“我们从20个胡须中隔离出至少100种细菌来，其中大约25%的细菌对我们的指示菌株表现出抗生性。”

The research at University College London was spurred by media reports saying that there are more germs in a man's beard than on a toilet seat. These sparked a debate on whether beards are good or bad for men's health.

伦敦大学学院的研究是受到媒体报道的启发，有媒体报道称男性胡须上的细菌比马桶坐垫上的细菌还要多，这就引发了胡须对男性健康是否有益的辩论。

"We wanted to either disprove or prove that that was actually correct, and we could find no evidence of that. So we have no real conclusion to say that beards are bad for you. Likewise, we can't really say that they're good for you,” Roberts said.

“我们想证明我们到底是对还是错，我们发现没有证据表明这一点。所以我们没有得出所谓胡须有害的结论，同样我们也没有说胡须对人有益。”

Drug-resistant strains

But the tests showed that certain species of bacteria produce toxins that kill other bacteria, in one case even a particularly drug-resistant strain of E. coli, which can cause deadly diseases.

但是测试表明一些种类的细菌制造出能杀死其他细菌的毒素，其中一个测试甚至制造出一种抗药性的大肠杆菌，大肠杆菌能引发致命疾病。

The finding is crucial at a time when existing antibiotics are less and less effective, and new ones have not been discovered. Scientists say they are testing bacteria from various sources.

这一发现很重要，因为现在现有的抗生素的药效越来越差，而新的抗生素还没有被发现，科学家称他们通过各种途径来测试细菌。

"So we don't need any more beards. And we've got other samples from all over the country -- from child's trampolines, to fridges, to cats. We've now got a selection of around 50 different bacteria which can kill multiple indicator strains."

“我们不需要更多的胡须，我们从全国各地得到其他的样本，从孩子的蹦床上、冰箱上、猫身上。我们现在得到大约50种不同的细菌，这些细菌能杀死多种指标菌株。”

But don't expect a new miracle drug anytime soon. Scientists warn that properly testing and purifying a novel antibiotic is a long and expensive process, riddled with failures.

但不要指望很快就能出现一种神奇的药物，科学家警告称适当的测试和净化一种新型抗生素是一个漫长和代价昂贵的过程，而且充满了失败。