新奇事件簿 科学家研制出超强蜘蛛丝

A group of researchers from Sweden has unlocked one of nature's biggest secrets. The scientists worked out how spiders make such strong silk when they spin their spider webs. The silk that spiders spin is incredibly strong and is tougher than steel. For decades, scientists have been researching what makes the silk so amazing. Finally, researchers from Sweden's University of Agricultural Sciences and the Karolinska Institute have found the answer. They found that the materials for webs are stored in a spider's silk gland¹ as protein. The gland has a level of acidity² that helps to make the protein into very strong silk. The researchers copied this process to make enough artificial spider-web silk to stretch for one kilometer.

来自瑞典的一些科学家解开了大自然最大的秘密。科学家计算出了蜘蛛在编织蜘蛛网的时候如何吐出如此强壮的蛛丝。蜘蛛纺出的丝非常强壮，比钢铁还坚韧。几十年来，科学家一直在研究蛛丝如此强韧的原因。最后，来自瑞典农业科学大学和卡罗林斯卡研究所的研究人员发现了答案。他们发现，蛛网的材料作为蛋白质储存在蜘蛛的丝腺里。丝腺里有一些酸性物质，让蛛丝非常强韧。研究人员复制了这一过程，制造出长达一千米的人造蛛丝。

The new artificial silk could be very useful to humans. Doctors are interested in it to use for stitches. They also think it can help the skin recover after a burn. Some doctors believe the new silk could replace torn ligaments in the body. Airplane manufacturers and makers³ of protective clothing also see many uses for the new silk. Senior researcher Anna Rising spoke⁴ about how important the discovery could be. She said: "This is the first successful example of [copying] spider silk spinning. In the future, this may allow industrial production of artificial silk for bio-material applications or for the manufacture of advanced textiles." The silk could become an important new material for us in the future.

新的人造蛛丝对人类非常有用。医生有兴趣用这种蛛丝来缝合伤口。他们还认为这种人造蛛丝可以帮助皮肤烧伤后的恢复。一些医生相信这种新的蛛丝可以代替身体里撕裂的韧带。航空制造商和防护衣制造商也看到这种新蛛丝的多种用途。高级研究员Anna Rising谈到了这个新发现的重要性。她说：“这是复制蛛丝纺织的首个成功案例。将来，这种人造蛛丝或许可以实现工业化生产，用于生物材料应用，或用于高端纺织品生产。”这种蛛丝将来会成为一种重要的新材料。

1 gland   

n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖

参考例句：

• This is a snake's poison gland.这就是蛇的毒腺。
• Her mother has an underactive adrenal gland.她的母亲肾上腺机能不全。

2 acidity   

n.酸度，酸性

参考例句：

• This plant prefers alkaline soil,though it will readily tolerate some acidity.这种植物在酸性土壤中也能生存，但硷性土壤更加适宜。
• Gastric acidity would not prevent the organism from passing into the gut.胃的酸度不能防止细菌进入肠道。

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。