纽约时报 令人爱恨交加的转基因作物(4)

 

Despite that, plant geneticists tend not to be overly concerned about the risks of G.M.O.s, as long as the modifications³ are made with some care. As a 2016 report by the National Academy of Sciences found, G.M.O.s were generally safe, though it allowed that minor⁴ impacts were theoretically possible. Fred Gould, a professor of agriculture who was chairman of the committee that prepared the 600-page report, noted⁵ that genetic² changes that alter a metabolic⁶ pathway — the cellular⁷ process that transforms biochemical elements into a particular nutrient⁸ or compound — were especially important to study because they could cause cascading⁹ effects.

尽管如此，只要修改是谨慎进行的，植物遗传学家往往不会过度担心转基因生物的风险。正如美国国家科学院2016年一份报告所发现的那样，转基因生物总体上是安全的，尽管它允许理论上产生轻微影响的可能性。农业教授、编写这份600页报告的委员会主席弗雷德·古尔德指出，改变代谢途径的基因变化——将生化元素转化为特定营养物质或化合物的细胞过程——对他们的研究非常尤其重要，因为它们可能会引起级联效应。

If we don't find these sorts of distinctions very reassuring¹⁰, it's in part because our extravagant¹¹ concern about G.M.O.s reflects something more fundamental: the fact that most of us don't really understand how genes¹² work. As several scientists I spoke¹³ with pointed¹⁴ out, a gene¹ is just a narrow set of biological instructions, many of which appear across a wide range of species. That something could be anthocyanin, or it could be a dangerous toxin¹⁵, but the knob itself isn't the problem, nor is the process by which it was added.

如果我们认为这些区别不太令人放心，部分原因是我们对转基因生物的过度担忧反映了一些更基本的东西：我们大多数人并不真正了解转基因的原理。正如我采访的几位科学家所指出，基因只是一套狭窄的生物学指令，其中许多指令出现在各种各样的物种中。它可能是花青素，也可能是一种危险的毒素，但基因本身不是问题，添加它的过程也不是问题。

In practice, of course, almost everything we grow and eat today has had its DNA¹⁶ altered extensively. For millenniums, farmers, discovering that one version of a plant — usually a random¹⁷ genetic mutant — was hardier¹⁸, or sweeter, or had smaller seeds, would cross it with another that, say, produced more fruit, in hopes of getting both benefits. But the process was slow. Simply changing the color of a tomato from red to yellow while preserving its other traits could take years of crossbreeding. And tomatoes are one of the easiest cases. Introducing even a minor change to a cherry through crossbreeding, I was told, could take up to 150 years.

当然，在实践中，我们如今种植和食用的几乎所有东西的DNA都发生了广泛变化。几千年来，如果农民发现一种植物的某个版本——通常是随机的基因突变——更耐寒、更甜或种子更小，他们就会将其与另一个生产更多果实的版本进行植物杂交，以期两者兼得。但这一过程很慢。仅仅将番茄的颜色从红色变为黄色，同时保留它的其他特性，可能就需要进行数年的杂交才能实现。番茄是最容易改变的作物之一。我了解到，通过杂交育种使樱桃发生哪怕是很小的变化，也可能需要长达150年的时间。

 

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 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。

3 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

5 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。

6 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。

7 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

8 nutrient   

adj.营养的，滋养的；n.营养物，营养品

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The roots transmit moisture and nutrient to the trunk and branches.根将水分和养料输送到干和枝。

9 cascading   

流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流

参考例句：

• First of all, cascading menus are to be avoided at all costs. 首先，无论如何都要避免使用级联菜单。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Her sounds began cascading gently. 他的声音开始缓缓地低落下来。

10 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

11 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

12 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

13 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

14 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

15 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

16 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。

17 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。

18 hardier   

能吃苦耐劳的，坚强的( hardy的比较级 )； （植物等）耐寒的

参考例句：

• Theoretically, experiments with genes that confer resistance to disease or herbicides could create hardier weeds. 从理论上说，用含有抗病或抗除草剂的基因进行试验，可能产生更难于对付的杂草。
• Similar fruit to Black Mission, but hardier and a smaller size tree than Mission. 类似加洲黑，但比加洲黑强壮，果比加洲黑更小的尺寸。