VOA慢速英语2011--Sports Doping: From the Laboratory to th

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Sports Doping: From the Laboratory to the Playing Field

FAITH LAPIDUS: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I’m Faith Lapidus.
BOB DOUGHTY¹: And I'm Bob Doughty. Today, we tell about sports doping – the use of drugs or other substances to improve athletic² performance.
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FAITH LAPIDUS: Sports have long been part of popular culture. In the United States, some athletes are as famous as movie stars or rock musicians. Their lives are described not only in the news media, but in films and literature. Sports have found their way into everyday expressions. One example is: “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” That saying has been used for years to define honor in sports. But today, many people question the honor of some athletes.
BOB DOUGHTY: Barry Bonds holds the Major League Baseball record for most homeruns in a single season. He also holds the record for the most career homeruns. Last month, he went on trial in San Francisco, California. He was accused of lying to a federal grand jury about his reported use of performance-enhancing drugs. He has repeatedly denied knowingly taking such drugs.
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Former baseball player Barry Bonds leaves a federal courthouse last Friday during his trial in San Francisco, California
FAITH LAPIDUS: When many Americans talk about sports doping, they think of anabolic steroids. Most sports organizations have banned the non-medical use of anabolic steroids. But some athletes continue taking them. They believe steroids help them when competing.
Steroids are used to increase muscle strength. Yet they also can damage the liver, increase cholesterol³, and stop production of testosterone. And they can cause personality changes. Steroid users may become angry for no reason. Some become dependent on steroids and feel they cannot live without them. Users can become depressed⁴ and, in some cases, may even want to take their own life. Some men who use anabolic steroids develop breasts and their reproductive organs shrink. Some women develop a deeper voice and grow facial hair.
BOB DOUGHTY: Testosterone is a steroid hormone⁵. Hormones⁶ are chemicals that help keep the body working normally. The effects of testosterone can be seen in boys when they become young men. They develop muscle power and become stronger. Testosterone is also important for other changes, like a deeper voice and the growth of hair.
Both men and women produce testosterone, but men produce much more of it. But not all males produce the same amounts. Some naturally have higher levels than others. As men grow older, their testosterone levels drop.
FAITH LAPIDUS: Some people take testosterone supplements for medical purposes. But some athletes use testosterone to strengthen their muscles and improve performance. Testosterone supplements are banned in many sports. Researchers who have studied testosterone generally agree that long-term use may increase athletic performance. But they disagree about the short-term value. Also, testosterone supplements have risks. Most doctors agree that taking large amounts of testosterone can cause an increased risk of heart disease or other health problems.
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German Olympic speedskating champion Claudia Pechstein competes in Erfurt, Germany, in February. She has returned to the sport after a two-year doping ban.
BOB DOUGHTY: Discovery of banned drugs and drug use at a major sporting event led to creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency. In nineteen ninety-eight, French police carried out a raid and found banned substances at the Tour de France.
After that, the International Olympic Committee led efforts to create an independent agency to set and enforce common anti-doping rules. WADA, as the agency is known, has representatives of the Olympic movement and officials from around the world.
FAITH LAPIDUS: “Doping” is the general term for the use of banned substances or activities to improve athletic performance. WADA says the term probably came from the Dutch word “dop.” It was the name for an alcoholic⁷ drink that Zulu fighters used to improve their performance in battle.
The agency says the word “doping” began to be used for athletes in the beginning of the twentieth century. At first, it meant the illegal drugging of racehorses.
The agency notes that athletes have used substances for centuries to improve their performance. Ancient Greeks used special foods and drinks. Nineteenth-century cyclists and others used alcohol, caffeine, cocaine⁸ -- even strychnine, a strong poison. By the nineteen-twenties, sports organizations were attempting to stop the use of doping substances. But they lacked scientific ways to test for them.
BOB DOUGHTY: One method of doping is called blood doping. It is the use of substances like hormones or even blood itself to increase production of red blood cells. That way, the blood moves more oxygen to the muscles, increasing their strength. One such hormone is EPO. It is said to be most-useful to athletes in endurance sports such as cycling and distance-running. Yet doctors say hormones used for blood doping thicken the blood and increase the chances of heart disease or stroke. And the use of blood from another person can spread viruses. But doctors say even the use of a person’s own blood to increase the level of red blood cells can raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Another substance that can improve performance is human growth hormone, or HGH. This hormone is produced naturally by the pituitary gland⁹ in the brain. Experts say higher than normal levels of the human growth hormone can cause diabetes¹⁰, muscle and bone pain, high blood pressure or other disorders¹¹.
FAITH LAPIDUS: The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy provided a statement about sports doping to VOA. The office said it understands that athletes have a powerful effect on young people. The Office of National Drug Control Policy said it works closely with anti-doping agencies in the United States and other countries. And it attempts to influence sports organizations throughout the world to create policies to fight the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
BOB DOUGHTY:Sports dopers are always looking for new substances and technologies to help them pass drug tests. In March, a court based in Switzerland decided¹² that an athlete may be punished for illegal doping even if she or he does not fail such a test. The Court of Arbitration¹³ for Sport is sport’s highest court. Its ruling may influence sports doping testing around the world. The ruling was the Court’s first after examining the scientific and legal strength of an athlete’s “biological passport.” Information in a biological passport can help catch athletes who use banned drugs but find ways to avoid testing positive for them. These athletes are known as sophisticated dopers.
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FAITH LAPIDUS: David Epstein writes about sports doping for Sports Illustrated¹⁴ magazine.
DAVID EPSTEIN: “Right now there are plenty of methods of doping that are mostly or completely un-detectable. You can dope, and stay within the limits of testing. You know there are a lot of ways to dope that are still cutting-edge compared to the anti-doping technology that we have.”
FAITH LAPIDUS: So, what is wrong with doping? That is a question many people ask -- even some health experts. These people support what has been called medically-supervised doping. They say it would reduce the dangers of doping. They say sporting events would be fairer if all the competitors were openly permitted to take part in doping. David Epstein says his readers react strongly when he writes about medically-supervised doping.
DAVID EPSTEIN: “Some saying we need to root this out, and others saying, get over it, we understand it’s happening, quit kind of ruining the fun.”
BOB DOUGHTY: The World Anti-Doping Agency opposes medically-supervised doping. Its medical director, Alain Garnier, has said doctors should have nothing to do with doping. Doctor Garnier says helping¹⁵ athletes perform better is not necessarily good for their health. He says it is wrong to say that permitting doping would create an equal playing field. To accept doping, he says, would let economic resources and scientific expertise¹⁶ decide athletic events. And, he says, only those with the resources and the expertise would win.
Anti-doping officials say they want to protect the integrity of sports by guaranteeing what they call a level playing field. They want to ensure that athletes who do not use banned substances have an equal chance at winning.
FAITH LAPIDUS: David Epstein says some athletes have told him they would give up years of their life if by taking drugs they could become a champion.
DAVID EPSTEIN: “I think some athletes absolutely have said they’re willing to sacrifice their health down the road. I think a lot of them simply don’t think that it will have a long-term effect on their health.”
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FAITH LAPIDUS: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Christopher Cruise. June Simms was our producer. I’m Faith Lapidus.
BOB DOUGHTY: And I’m Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

3 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

4 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

5 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

6 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

7 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

8 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

9 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。

10 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。

11 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

14 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。