The Ghost In Your Genes - 15 基因外遗传现象

The work of these scientists is at last throwing a spotlight¹ onto the mysterious hidden world of epigenetics. They appear to show that the lives of our ancestors have a capacity to affect us directly.

These results are provocative². Some find them, them, very difficult to accept. But it's quite clear now that a number of laboratories are finding similar findings in the various systems that they are interested in. So the phenomena³ are there.

Epigenetics has the capacity to reach into every aspect of our lives and links our past, present and future in previously⁴ unimagined ways.

I think this will be the next revolution in molecular⁵ biology. This is, this really could be a paradigm⁶ shift we did not expect, could explain a lot of things.

There are many diseases, very common diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, of the, of the brain, diabetes⁷, which are very difficult to explain currently genetically⁸. Maybe a lot of this kind of very common diseases are actually caused by epigenetic switches.

We are just at the beginning. There is much that is unknown. But what is clear is that it will change the way we think about ourselves forever.

I've thought of nothing else really for the last 5 years. It is said the first time, you know, one had a photograph of the earth, you know, they saw a delicate thing sailing through, sailing through the universe, you know, it, it had a huge effect on the, the sort of, em, save-the-planet type of feeling, you know. I'm sure that's part of why the future generations think in a planetary way because they've, they've actually seen that picture, you know. And this might be the same. It may get to a point where they, they realize that you live your life as a sort of, I don't know, a sort of a guardian⁹ of your genome. Should mean you gotta be careful of it because it's not just you. You can't be selfish because you can't say "Well, I'll smoke or I'll do whatever it is because I'm prepared to die early". Em, er, you're also looking after it for your, er, children and grandchildren.

New Words & Phrases:

paradigm : A paradigm is a model for something which explains it or shows how it can be produced. 范例

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

3 phenomena   

n.现象

参考例句：

• Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
• The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

6 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。

7 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

8 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

9 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。