2019年经济学人 肠道、大脑和孤独症(1)

 

Paradigm¹ shift is an overused term. Properly, it refers to a radical² change of perspective on a topic,

范式转换是一个被过度使用的术语。准确的是，它指的是对一个话题观点的彻底改变，

such as the move from the physics of Newton to the physics of Einstein, or the introduction of plate tectonics into geology.

比如从牛顿物理学转变到爱因斯坦物理学，或是将板块构造学引入到地质学。

Such things are rare. Something which history may come to regard as a true paradigm shift does,

这种转变很少见。但历史上可能认为属于真正的范式转换的事情

however, seem to be going on at the moment in medicine.

似乎此刻正发生在医学领域。

This is a recognition that the zillions of apparently³ non-pathogenic bacteria on and in human bodies,

这是一种认识，即人体和体内有着无数非致病菌，

hitherto largely ignored, are actually important for people's health.

迄今为止这一点被很大程度的忽略了，这些病菌对人类健康非常重要。

They may even help to explain the development of some mysterious conditions.

它们甚至可能有助于解释一些神秘疾病的形成。

One such condition is autism—these days often called autism-spectrum disorder⁴ (ASD).

其中之一就是孤独症—如今经常被称为自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）。

ASD is characterised by repetitive, stereotypical⁵ and often restricted behaviour such as head-nodding,

ASD的特征是重复的、刻板的以及经常性的限制行为，如点头，

and by the difficulties those with it have in reading the emotions of, and communicating with, other people.

患者有无法读懂别人情绪以及和他人沟通的困难。

These symptoms are noticeable in children from the age of two onwards. Currently, in America, about one child in 59 is diagnosed with ASD.

这些症状在两岁以上的儿童中很明显。目前，在美国约每59个孩子中就有一个被诊断为ASD。

What causes ASD has baffled psychiatrists⁶ and neurologists

自20世纪中期，汉斯·阿斯伯格和利奥·坎纳首次对这种综合症状进行描述以来，

since the syndrome⁷ was first described, in the mid-20th century, by Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner.

ASD的病因就一直困扰着精神病学家和神经学家。

But the evidence is pointing towards the bacteria of the gut⁸.

但证据正指向肠道细菌。

That suggestion has been reinforced by two recently published studies—one on human beings and one on laboratory rodents⁹.

最近发表的两项研究进一步证实了这一观点—一项是针对人类，另一项是针对啮齿类实验动物。

The human study, the latest results of which came out a few weeks ago in Scientific Reports,

人类研究，其最新结果几周前发表在《科学报告》上

is being conducted by Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown of Arizona State University and her associates.

由亚利桑那州立大学的Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown及其合作人共同进行。

It was prompted by earlier work in which Dr Krajmalnik-Brown and James Adams, a colleague at Arizona State,

该研究由Krajmalnik-Brown和一位亚利桑那州同事James Adams的早期作品促成，

sequenced the DNA¹⁰ of gut bacteria from 20 autistic children to discover which species were present.

研究将20个孤独症孩子的肠道细菌DNA进行排序以发现其呈现出的是哪些种类。

They found that the children in their sample were missing hundreds of the thousand-plus bacterial¹¹ species

他们发现样本儿童的千种细菌种类中缺失了有数百种

that colonise a "neurotypical" person's intestine¹². One notable absence was Prevotella.

千种细菌种类在“典型发育的”人体内进行殖民。一个值得注意的缺失是普雷沃氏菌属。

This bug¹³, which makes its living by fermenting¹⁴ otherwise-indigestible carbohydrate¹⁵ polymers in dietary fibre,

这种细菌通过在膳食纤维中发酵其他不能消化的碳水化合物聚合物为生，

is abundant in the alimentary¹⁶ canals of farmers and hunter-gatherers in places like Africa,

非洲等地的农民和狩猎采集者的消化道中有大量的普氏菌，

rare in western Europeans and Americans, and nearly nonexistent in children with ASD

在西欧人和美国人消化道很少，在ASD儿童患者体内几乎不存在。

Their discovery led Dr Krajmalnik Brown and Dr Adams to the idea that restoring the missing bacteria might alleviate¹⁷ autism's symptoms.

他们的发现引导Krajmalnik Brown博士和Adams博士产生了一种想法：修复缺失的细菌或许可以减轻自闭症的症状。

Two years ago they tested a process called microbiota transfer therapy (MTT) on 18 autistic children aged¹⁸ between seven and 16.

两年前，他们对18名7到16岁的孤独症儿童患者进行了一种名为微生物群转移治疗（MTT）的测试。

Of their participants 15 were regarded, according to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, as having "severe" autism.

其中15名参与者，根据《儿童孤独症评定量表》，被评定为重度自闭症。

1 paradigm   

n.例子，模范，词形变化表

参考例句：

• He had become the paradigm of the successful man. 他已经成为成功人士的典范。
• Moreover,the results of this research can be the new learning paradigm for digital design studios.除此之外，本研究的研究成果也可以为数位设计课程建立一个新的学习范例。

2 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 stereotypical   

n.常规

参考例句：

• Personas should be typical and believable, but not stereotypical. 人物角色应该是典型和可信赖的，但不是一成不变的。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Anything could be stereotypical, so I guess it could be criticism. 任何东西都可以变的老套，所以我猜那就是一种批评。 来自互联网

6 psychiatrists   

n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
• Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分

7 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

8 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。

9 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

10 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。

11 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

12 intestine   

adj.内部的；国内的；n.肠

参考例句：

• This vitamin is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine.这种维生素通过小肠壁被吸收。
• The service productivity is the function,including external efficiency,intestine efficiency and capacity efficiency.服务业的生产率是一个包含有外部效率、内部效率和能力效率的函数。

13 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

14 fermenting   

v.（使）发酵( ferment的现在分词 )；（使）激动；骚动；骚扰

参考例句：

• The fermenting wine has bubbled up and over the top. 发酵的葡萄酒已经冒泡，溢了出来。 来自辞典例句
• It must be processed through methods like boiling, grinding or fermenting. 它必须通过煮沸、研磨、或者发酵等方法加工。 来自互联网

15 carbohydrate   

n.碳水化合物；糖类；(plural)淀粉质或糖类

参考例句：

• You should not have too much carbohydrate in your diet.你日常饮食中不该有过多碳水化合物。
• Cashew nuts are rich in carbohydrate.腰果含丰富碳水化合物。

16 alimentary   

adj.饮食的，营养的

参考例句：

• He had the disease of alimentary canal.他患了消化道疾病。
• This system is mainly a long tube,called the alimentary canal.这一系统主要是一根长管，称作消化道。

17 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

18 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。