VOA常速英语2013--亿万肠道细菌助健康

 

Staying Healthy Takes Guts² Full of Microbes 亿万肠道细菌助健康

Everywhere you go, the trillions of microbes in your gut¹ go too. And that's a comforting thought. Because according to a new study, a more diverse population of intestinal³ bacteria is linked to better health. The work is in the journal Nature. [Emmanuelle Le Chatelier et al, Richness of human gut microbiome correlates with metabolic⁴ markers]

无论走到哪儿，你肠道里数以亿万计的细菌都如影随形。据《自然》期刊中一项研究表明，人体内细菌种类越多，越健康。【艾曼纽·李·与夏特里 及其他作者：丰富的肠道细菌促进新陈代谢】

Danish researchers gathered gut microbes from almost 300 obese⁵ and non-obese adults. The intestines⁶ of roughly one in four participants contained fewer and less diverse bacteria than average. And members of this group were more likely to be obese and to suffer from gut inflammation.

丹麦研究者对300位胖瘦均有的成年人进行研究，从他们体内收集的肠道细菌发现，约四人中有一人肠道细菌在数量上和种类上均低于平均数，这类人更易肥胖或患肠炎。

By looking for only a few specific bacteria, researchers could predict whether a subject fell into the low-diversity group. Certain species could even indicate whether an individual was slim or overweight. And these microbial markers might also serve as signs of future health risks—because low-diversity participants who were obese were more likely to gain additional weight over time.

只需寻找几种特殊菌类，研究者就能预测人体菌类减少与否。某些菌类甚至能预示一个人未来体重变化。研究中含有菌类数量少的人更易长胖。故此类细菌同样是人体健康与否的标志。

But a low-diversity gut won't necessarily doom⁷ your health. According to another study in the same journal, it's possible to increase microbial diversity by developing a decent diet. Remember, you’re eating for trillions.

但体内菌类少并不一定意味着不健康。期刊中另一项研究表明，养成良好的饮食习惯，能够增加体内细菌种类。注意：你是为了数以亿万计的细菌在吃饭。

—Sophie Bushwick

 

[The above text is a transcript⁸ of this podcast]

 

Scientific American is part of the Nature Publishing Group.

1 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

2 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

4 metabolic   

adj.新陈代谢的

参考例句：

• Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。
• A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。

5 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

6 intestines   

n.肠( intestine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perhaps the most serious problems occur in the stomach and intestines. 最严重的问题或许出现在胃和肠里。 来自辞典例句
• The traps of carnivorous plants function a little like the stomachs and small intestines of animals. 食肉植物的捕蝇器起着动物的胃和小肠的作用。 来自辞典例句

7 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

8 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。