VOA常速英语2008年-New Hope for Threatened 'Devil' Marsupials in A

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
01 April 2008

Researchers in Australia say a Tasmanian devil called Cedric could hold the key to the survival of the embattled species. The world's largest marsupial¹ carnivore is facing extinction² because of a mystery facial cancer. Cedric is rare - he appears to be naturally resistant³ to the contagious⁴ tumors which have killed half the devil population in the southern Australian state. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Cedric is the first Tasmanian devil to have shown any immunity⁶ from the disfiguring disease that is ravaging⁷ the population.

Infected animals become so consumed by the cancer they can no longer eat or see, and eventually die of starvation.

Cedric was captured in western Tasmania last year, along with his half-brother Clinky.

Both were injected by scientists with dead tumors. Clinky produced no antibodies, but Cedric did and appears to have built-in defenses against the mystery illness that first appeared in the mid-1990s.

The experiments have now moved up a gear.

Researcher Alex Kriess says the pair has had live cancer cells inserted into their faces.

"They haven't developed a tumor⁵ so far. We think that Cedric, that's the devil that has produced an immunity response, we hope that he won't produce any tumor. Clinky hasn't produced either and we haven't detected any immunity response," said Kriess. "What we think is happening, we injected very few cells so it might take a while until they develop anything that we can see."

Cedric's apparent resistant to the disease is considered a significant breakthrough.

The tumors are decimating devil numbers on Tasmania's east coast. Cedric is from a genetically⁹ different population on the other side of the island.

Scientists hope that marsupials that share his genetic⁸ pattern could also be immune to the cancer or capable of responding to a vaccine¹⁰.

If real progress is not made soon, experts worry that the Tasmanian devil could be extinct within 20 years.

The Tasmanian devil was given its name by early European settlers. Its raucous¹¹ screeches¹², dark fur and bad temper led explorers to call it the devil. Although only the size of a small dog, it can sound and look incredibly fierce. They pose a minimal¹³ risk to people.

Devils were found across the Australian continent and are thought to have become extinct on the mainland about 600 years ago. Today, these cantankerous¹⁴ creatures are found only in Tasmania.

1 marsupial   

adj.有袋的，袋状的

参考例句：

• Koala is an arboreal Australian marsupial.考拉是一种澳大利亚树栖有袋动物。
• The marsupial has been in decline for decades due to urban sprawl from car accidentsdog attacks.这种有袋动物其数量在过去几十年间逐渐减少,主要原因是城市的扩张、车祸和狗的袭击。

2 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

3 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

4 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

5 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

6 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

7 ravaging   

毁坏( ravage的现在分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• It is believed that in fatigue there is a repeated process of ravaging the material. 据认为，在疲劳中，有一个使材料毁坏的重复过程。
• I was able to capture the lion that was ravaging through town. 我能逮住正在城里肆虐的那头狮子。

8 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。

9 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

10 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

11 raucous   

adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的

参考例句：

• I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。
• They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

12 screeches   

n.尖锐的声音( screech的名词复数 )v.发出尖叫声( screech的第三人称单数 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• The boy's screeches brought his mother. 男孩的尖叫声招来了他母亲。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The woman's screeches brought the police. 这个妇女的尖叫声招来了警察。 来自辞典例句

13 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

14 cantankerous   

adj.爱争吵的，脾气不好的

参考例句：

• He met a crabbed,cantankerous director.他碰上了一位坏脾气、爱争吵的主管。
• The cantankerous bus driver rouse on the children for singing.那个坏脾气的公共汽车司机因为孩子们唱歌而骂他们。