VOA慢速英语20060920b

EXPLORATIONS - Women Have Been Leaders in Science Around the World and Throughout HistoryBy Karen Leggett

Broadcast: Wednesday, September 20, 2006

VOICE ONE:

I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus with Explorations in VOA Special English. Today we tell about female¹ scientists around the world and some of the problems they face.

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VOICE ONE:

Women scientists have developed drugs to treat diseases² like cancer, diabetes³, and malaria⁴. Women have made important discoveries about the human body and improved their country's effectiveness in fighting wars. A few women have won the Nobel Prize, one of the highest honors⁵ in the world. Some female scientists never married. Others raised large families and some worked with their husbands. But it has been difficult for women to be successful scientists.

VOICE TWO:


Maria Goeppert Mayer

In nineteen-oh-six, a little girl named Maria Goeppert was born in Germany. She learned⁶ to love science from her father. She studied physics and earned a doctorate⁷ degree in nineteen thirty. She married an American scientist. Joseph Mayer and Maria Goeppert moved to the United States in nineteen thirty. Mister⁸ Mayer became a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. But Maria Goeppert-Mayer worked without pay as a volunteer. Later she became a professor of physics at the University of Chicago in Illinois. In nineteen sixty-three, Maria Goeppert Mayer won the Nobel Prize in physics along with two other scientists.

VOICE ONE:

Women have been making scientific discoveries since ancient times. Historians⁹ believe Merit¹⁰ Ptah was the first named medical doctor more than four thousand six hundred years ago. She is the first woman known by name in the history of science. Her picture has been found in an ancient Egyptian burial place.

Around the same time in China, Si Ling-Chi is believed to have been the first Empress of China. She discovered the secret of making a very fine cloth called silk by watching tiny insects called silkworms. Si Ling Chi established farms to raise silkworms. She harvested the thin pieces of silk made by the silkworms and used it to weave the new cloth.

VOICE TWO:

In the early eighteen hundreds in England, Mary Anning became one of the first women recognized for her discoveries about the ancient history of the Earth. Mary and her father collected fossils¹¹ in their village on the southern coast of Great Britain. Fossils are plants or parts of animals that have been saved in rocks for millions of years. When she was only twelve years old, Mary became the first person to find the almost complete skeletons¹² of several animals that no longer existed on Earth. She never became famous for her discoveries because she often sold her fossils to get money to support her family.

VOICE ONE:

In eighteen-ninety one, a young Polish woman named Marie Sklodowska traveled to Paris, France to study physics. She did so because she could not get a college education in Poland. She began working in the laboratory¹³ of a man named Pierre Curie. Marie and Pierre Curie married and made many discoveries together. They received the Nobel Prize in physics in nineteen-oh-three along with another scientist. Marie Curie became the first person to be awarded a second Nobel Prize in nineteen eleven, this time in chemistry. Marie Curie is one of the few women who became famous as a scientist.

VOICE TWO:

However, women have made many scientific discoveries. During times of war, when men left their homes to fight, women had to do men's work at home. During the American Civil War in the eighteen sixties, women learned to use and improve farm machines. Women also made inventions that helped their countries. For example, a woman in New York invented a way to cover the outside of ships so they would not become covered with tiny sea animals.

During World War Two, many American women worked in factories. Their inventions improved fighter planes, containers for fuel and cameras. But after the war, women were expected to stay at home and have babies while their husbands went back to work in factories and laboratories¹⁴. Women who continued to be scientists were often told it was not natural for women to work outside the home.

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VOICE ONE:

Even today, many experts say women scientists are often not treated fairly. The Washington Post newspaper reported a study about the number of research articles published in medical magazines in which a woman was the main writer.

Women were the main writers only twenty-nine percent of the time. Nancy Andreasen
Nancy Andreasen

is a scientist at the University of Iowa. Scientists like Miz Andreasen often send stories about their research to special professional publications¹⁶. Miz Andreasen says her research is published more often when she signs them as N.C. Andreasen rather than Nancy Andreasen. In that way, the editors of the publications do not know if the writer is a man or a woman.

VOICE TWO:

Women also receive fewer patents for their inventions. A patent forbids others from copying an invention and makes the invention valuable in the world of business. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, anything a woman invented belonged to her husband under the law. But a current study in the United States says there are still more patents awarded to men. The researchers said that this is partly because it is easier for male scientists to receive financial support for their work.

VOICE ONE:

The National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio includes only six women on its list of two hundred thirty-five inventors. Stephanie Kwolek worked for the chemical company DuPont when she invented a cloth called Kevlar. It is five times stronger than steel. It is used to make clothing that stops bullets¹⁷ from a gun. It is also used in space. Miz Kwolek also works¹⁸ to improve science education for all children.

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VOICE TWO:

In two thousand five, the issue of female scientists caused much debate. The president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers, was pressured to resign after he made some statements about female scientists. He was discussing why there are so few female college professors in subjects like engineering¹⁹ and mathematics. He said this might be because of differences in ability between men and women.

A report this week from the National Academy²⁰ of Sciences disputes²¹ this. It says that women in science and engineering do not lack ability. Instead, they face unfair treatment by university administrators²². The report says female science professors are often paid less than males, receive fewer honors and hold fewer leadership positions. The report recommends changing the way professors are chosen and providing more support for working parents. It says government, universities and research organizations should act to solve the problem.

VOICE ONE:

One person in the United States has a very unusual personal experience about women in science. Ben Barres is a professor of biology at Stanford University in California. Ten years ago, at the age of forty-two, he chose to have a medical process to change his sex. Before that Ben Barres was a woman named Barbara.

He wrote about his experience as both a female and male scientist in a recent issue of the publication¹⁵ Nature. He found that he was treated with more respect as a male. He said this is evidence of the unequal treatment that harms female scientists.

Several organizations in the United States are trying to help women in science. For example, the L'Oreal USA company has a Fellowships²³ for Women in Science program. Each year it recognizes, rewards and supports five women in the United States. These women have earned doctoral degrees in science, mathematics or engineering. Other organizations support efforts to help young girls increase their interest in math, science and technology. The Girl Scouts²⁴ of America has a Web site, www.girlsgotech.org.

VOICE TWO:

Christiane Nusslein-Volhard of Germany shared the Nobel Price for medicine in nineteen ninety-five. She was the tenth woman to win this prize in one of the sciences. She directs the Max Planck Institute of Developmental Biology in Tubingen, Germany. Doctor Nusslein-Volhard says women in Germany often stop working as scientists when have children.

So she has started an organization that gives money to young women scientists who need help paying for someone to care for their children and homes. Doctor Nusslein-Volhard says she hopes life will become easier for women scientists in Germany while Angela Merkel is the chancellor²⁵. The leader of Germany has a doctorate degree in physics.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Karen Leggett and produced by Mario Ritter. I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. You can read and listen to this program on our Web site, www.unsv.com. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

1 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

2 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

3 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。

4 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

5 honors   

n.礼仪；荣典；礼节； 大学荣誉学位；大学优等成绩；尊敬( honor的名词复数 )；敬意；荣誉；光荣

参考例句：

• He aims at honors. 他力求名誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We did the last honors to his remains. 我们向他的遗体告别。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

7 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

8 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

9 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

10 merit   

n.优点，价值，功绩，成绩；vt.值得

参考例句：

• There is great merit in dealing fairly with your employees.公正地对待你的雇员有极大好处。
• History affords us lessons that merit attention.历史给我们提供了值得注意的借鉴。

11 fossils   

n.化石( fossil的名词复数 )；老顽固；食古不化的人；老古董（老人）

参考例句：

• fossils over two million years old 两百多万年的化石
• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley. 在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 skeletons   

n.（建筑物等的）骨架( skeleton的名词复数 )；骨骼；梗概；骨瘦如柴的人（或动物）

参考例句：

• Only skeletons of buildings remained. 只剩下了建筑物的框架。 来自辞典例句
• It looks like six skeletons in front of that stone door! 在这石头门前看上去就象有六副骨骼！ 来自辞典例句

13 laboratory   

n.实验室，化验室

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a laboratory.她捐款成立了一个实验室。
• Our laboratory equipment isn't perfect,but we must make do.实验室设备是不够理想，但我们只好因陋就简。

14 laboratories   

n.实验室( laboratory的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• For, eight years, Marie Curie worked in cold laboratories with poor equipment. 整整八年，居里夫人在设备简陋、冰冷的实验室里做着实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• Some commercial laboratories use periodic nitrate tests as guides. 许多商业性的试验室已应用定期的硝态氮分析作为指导。 来自辞典例句

15 publication   

n.出版，发行；出版；公布，发表

参考例句：

• They don't think this article is suitable for publication.他们认为这篇文章不宜发表。
• The government has delayed publication of the trade figures.政府已将贸易统计数字延后公布。

16 publications   

n.发表( publication的名词复数 )；公布；出版；出版物

参考例句：

• The related publications are far too numerous to list individually. 相关出版物太多，没法一一列举。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request. 我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 bullets   

n.弹药；军火

参考例句：

• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。
• The bullets and cannon-balls were flying in all directions. 子弹和炮弹到处乱飞。

18 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

19 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

20 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

21 disputes   

n.辩论( dispute的名词复数 )；争端；（劳资）纠纷；罢工v.辩论，争论( dispute的第三人称单数 )；争夺；阻止；就…进行辩论

参考例句：

• a legalistic approach to family disputes 死抠法律条文解决家庭纠纷的方法
• a party riven by internal disputes 由于内部分歧而四分五裂的政党

22 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

23 fellowships   

团体( fellowship的名词复数 )； 研究员职位； 伙伴关系； 学术奖金

参考例句：

• The ambassador has endowed a $1 million public-service fellowships program. 大使资助了一项100万美元的公共服务奖学金计划。
• We give three research fellowships a year. 我们每年给叁个研究生的奖学金。

24 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

25 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。