新奇事件簿 科学家发现水稻防水基因（在线收听）

Scientists have found a gene that will allow rice to survive longer in rice paddies that are under water. Plants under water for longer than a week receive so little oxygen they die. The scientists hope their discovery will mean the crops will last longer in regions that are regularly flooded. Rice growers in parts of Asia lose an estimated $US one billion annually to floods. They hope a new, stronger type of rice will reduce the financial damage that occurs in typhoon and monsoon seasons. They also hope they will get bumper harvests. This is good news for the millions of people who suffer from food shortages because of heavy rains. Rice production must increase by 30 per cent over the next 20 years for a billion people to receive their staple diet.

科学家发现了一种基因，可以让稻米在水田存活更长时间。在水下生活一周以上的植物接收不到足够的氧气就会死亡。科学家希望他们的发现意味着作物在经常发洪水的地方能够存活更长时间。亚洲部分地区稻米种植者每年因洪水造成的损失平均为10亿美元。他们希望一种新型的，更强壮的稻米可以减少台风和雨季的财产损失。他们还希望农民能够获得大丰收。这对于由于暴雨导致粮食短缺的数百万人来说是好消息。未来20年，稻米产量要增加30%，才能供10亿人获得足够的口粮。

The research is from teams from the University of California and the International Rice Research Institute. Their findings have been published in the science journal Nature. Dr David Mackill, one of the researchers, said scientists had been trying for 50 years to develop a breed of rice that can live under water. He explained that: “Attempts to breed underwater tolerance into commercially profitable rice failed to generate successful varieties." Another team member, Dr Pamela Ronald, said she hoped that the research would lead to new rice varieties that would mean a better food supply for poor farmers and their families. The discovery is sure to add to the debate on the need for genetically modified rice.

该研究来自加州大学和国际稻米研究所组成的团队。他们的研究结果发表在《自然》期刊上。其中一位研究人员David Mackill表示，50年来，科学家一直希望研制出一种能够在水下存活的稻米。他解释道：“过去，科学家们一直希望培育出水下耐力比较强，能产生经济效益的稻米，但是未能成功研制出这种品种。”另外一名团队成员Pamela Ronald表示，她希望这项研究能够促进稻米新品种的诞生，这意味着贫困的农民和他们的家人能够有更多食物。该发现肯定会导致转基因大米的争论更加激烈。