VOA慢速英语2021 研究称巴西蛇毒成分可能有助于对抗新冠肺炎（在线收听）

Brazilian researchers have found a molecule in snake venom that could fight COVID-19. The discovery might be the first step toward a medication to fight the virus.

巴西研究人员在蛇毒中发现了一种可以对抗新冠肺炎的成分。这一发现可能是通向抗击新冠病毒药物的第一步。

Scientists found that the molecule produced by the jararacussu snake prevented the virus' ability to spread in monkey cells by 75 percent. The study was published in the scientific publication Molecules this month.

科学家发现，窝面蝰蛇产生的成分可以抑制新冠病毒在猴子细胞中75%的扩散能力。这项研究发表在本月的科学期刊《分子》上。

Rafael Guido is a professor with the University of Sao Paulo and an author of the study. He said the molecule in the venom "was able to inhibit a very important protein from the virus."

拉斐尔·圭多是圣保罗大学的教授，也是这项研究的作者。他表示，这种毒液成分能够抑制新冠病毒中一种非常重要的蛋白质。

The molecule is called a peptide, or a group of amino acids. The molecule is able to connect to an enzyme of the coronavirus called PLPro without harming other cells. PLPro is an important part of how the virus reproduces.

这种成分被称为一种钛，或是一组氨基酸。该成分能够与新冠病毒中一种名为PLPro的酶连接，而不会伤害其它细胞。PLPro对这种病毒的繁殖非常重要。

The peptide is already known to scientists for its ability to fight bacteria. Guido said the peptide can be made in a laboratory, so jararacussu snakes do not need to be caught.

科学家们已经知道这种钛具有对抗细菌的能力。圭多表示，这种钛可以在实验室中制造出来，因此不需要捕捉窝面蝰蛇。

"We're wary about people going out to hunt the jararacussu around Brazil, thinking they're going to save the world," said zoologist Giuseppe Puorto with the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo. "It's not the venom itself that will cure the coronavirus," he added.

圣保罗布坦坦研究所的动物学家朱塞佩·波托表示：“我们担心人们会在巴西各地捕捉窝面蝰蛇，认为他们将可以拯救世界。”他还表示：“治愈新冠病毒的并非毒液本身。”

The jararacussu is one of the largest snakes in Brazil, and can be up to 2 meters long. It lives in Brazil's Atlantic Forest and is also found in Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.

这种窝面蝰蛇是巴西最大的蛇之一，最长可达2米。它生活在巴西的大西洋森林中，在玻利维亚、巴拉圭和阿根廷也有发现。

Researchers will test different amounts of the molecule and see if it is able to prevent the virus from entering cells at all.

研究人员将测试不同剂量的成分，看它是否可以彻底阻止病毒进入细胞。

They hope to test the molecule in human cells one day, but there are currently no plans to start.

他们希望有一天能在人体细胞中测试这种成分，但是目前还没有开始的计划。