八
赛缪尔.伍德博士采访录
I was extremely close with my morher all my life..She was a brilliant eductor ,writer and wonderful woman. Sadly, shen was developed complications related to diabetes.When she lost her eyesight and most of her ability to walk,it was absolutely horrifying for me She passed away from a fall seven or eightyears ago.At her funeral,I swore that one day I’d do something about conditions like hers.
Years passed and I read about the work the South Koreans had done with stem cells.In 2004 and 2005 Hwang WooSuk fraudulently repoted that he had succeededin creating human embryoniv stem cells by cloning.Back then it wasn’t kown it was a fraud,so it was very excitinh to think that a long list of diseases could be treated.
I found the stem cell research company Stemagen with another gentleman whose father hand died of ALS.We went out for drinks one night and we started talking about our parents.We wanted to do something that would be a legacy.for them.
For Better or Worse?
The moment we diceded to start Stemagen,I read all there was to read about the various cloning efforts in the past.The cloned sheep Dolly in 1997was very interesting,but at that stage people were not focusing on the stemcell aspect of cloning；they were focusing on the reproductive possibilities of cloning.
Human reproductive cloning is just simply wrong ethically from a medical standpoint and a scientific standpoint,even ignoring any religious issues associated with it.The reason is that the majority of reproductive clones in other species are actually abnormal,with very high miscarriage rates,very high stillbirth rates,fetal anomalie,death soon after birth,et cetera.
It would just be absolutely wrong to take a human being and put them through what may well involve significant suffering for really no good end.Even though people could take the techniques that we’ve developed and attenp to do it(or perhaps even be successful doing it),we hope that they would not.
On the other hand,therapeutic cloning does not involve any type of risk to human life and actually provides tremendous potential for the relief of suffering inreal human beings who are going through some awful things.
I’m a pure scientist in some ways,and I know that manyvdifferent studies or findings could be used for evil.Our job as scientist is to make the most of this technology and make it available to the greatest number of other scientists who can help us do good things with it.There’s really no effective way for an individual scientist to stop someone else from using the knowledge for something they should’t.
We need to be honest aboutthe techniques that we used.They need to be able to be replicated by other people,and s9,we are providing a roadmap.I would hope that the legislation that’s in place and the hreat public disapproval that would result from any attempt to clone a human would dissuade anyone from going down that path.
What is it they say?There is no technology that hasn’t been used for some evil purpose at some will attempt human reproductive cloning.I do think it’s inevitable,and it’s virtually impossible to legislate that away.
Claim to Fame
I am spoken of as the first man to "clone himself."There are different types if cloning.At the cellular level,yes,it’s ture I am the first man to clone himself.We thought a great deal about how to deal with the issue of whose cells we should use and whether we should let the world and the scientific community know who the first cellular clone was.In the end we decieded that we wanted to put a human face on cloning.
I didn’t anticipate it would create the firstorm of controversy that it’s created,but I’m still glad we went down that path. We received thousands of e-mails and phone calls from people who need help.
I think by c9ming forward and putting a face to it we made it very real,and now people around the world know that cloning is here.I believe that very soon it will be used therapeutically,so I think our purpose was served.
Pure Science
What happens is an informed and consenting woman donates an egg and we remove her gentic material from the egg.Then we place a single skin cell inside that egg.
What we’re really interested 8n is creating disease-specific and person-specific stem cell lines.The procedure of taking cells from a person takes no more than a minute or two.You can take some skin cells from the arm,for example,and in one to two minutes,you can get the cells that you need to carry out this process
This process enables us to study the causes of specific diseases,such as Alzheimer’s Disease,ALS or Parkinson’s Disease,and then research a variety of treatments for these diseases.If the stem cell lines are created for any given individual and are later transplanted back into the individual,they will not be rejected by the individual.
Sweet Success
I always thought that when our research was successful I would just be pleased that we had accomplished this when others had not.In reality,it is transcendent-when you look through the micioscope,you see what you may have looked like a long time ago,at least in part.
When I looked down and saw that cloned blastocyst,it brought tears to my eyes.I had done this for my mother,and I realized,had she only been able to live a few years longer,maybe we could have used this technology to help her.It was emotional to see tht potential,which she never had a chance to experience.
There's a big misconception out there that we decided to destroy these embryos for some reason.There was so much skepticism about this process because of the scientific fraud from the past that it was critical that there be no doubt that they were clones.
In the process of analysis,the embryos were destroyed by necessary.In other words, to get the genetic material from inside the cells to analyze it,you have to destroy the cell.We would have loved to have been able to avoid destroying them.
Now we're working full-time on creating stem cell lines,and people are watching with great interest.
The Pope and the President
There are a variety of opponents to our work.
We were condemned by the Vatican and mentioned in a negative light in President Bush's State of the Union address.In a sense it's an honor because it shows that we're doing something significant.It's not every day that you get condemned by the Vatican and President Bush in the same week.
There's usually no dialogue between the researchers in the embryonic stem cell field and those who oppose it.
It doesn't make sense to me that it's such an emotional and contentious topic.Logically,this is not life.I agree it's a potential life,but the vast majority of embryos never become life.The majority generate,don't implant and die.A fetus is a life.That argument makes sense to me,but it doesn't make sense to me look at an embryo in a lab and give it all the rights of a human life.
英汉译
第二单元
1 They couldn’t afford expensive presents, and they didn’t want us to think we weren’t as good as other kids who, on Christmas morning, found all sorts of fancy toys under the tree that were ，1226440515 left by Santa Claus.
他们买不起昂贵的礼物，也 ，1226440515 想让我们觉得我们比不上别的孩子——在圣诞节早上，他们从圣诞树下找到各种各样的新奇玩具，据说是圣诞老人留下的。
2 I had a blanket wrapped around me, and when it was my turn, I offered to share it with Dad, but he said no thanks. The cold never bothered him.
我当时裹着一床毯子，在轮到我的时候，我要把毯子分给爸爸一些，但爸爸说不用，他从不怕冷。
3. Those shining stars, he liked to point out, were one of the special treats for people like us who lived out in the wilderness.
他喜欢强调一点：那些闪亮的星星是对像我们这样住在荒野里的人的特别款待。
4 The longer you looked and the more your eyes adjusted to the dark, the more stars you’d see, layer after layer of them gradually becoming visible.
看的时间越久你的眼睛就越适应黑暗，你就可以看到更多的星星。渐渐地它们一层层地呈现在你的眼前。
5. Venus didn’t have any moons or satellites or even a magnetic field, but it did have an atmosphere sort of similar to earth’s, except it was super-hot — about five hundred degrees or more.
金星没有像月亮那样的卫星或其他卫星，甚至没有磁场，但它有着与地球相似的空气，只是它的空气超热，大约有五百度甚至更高。
汉译英
第二单元
1.小时候，我住的村庄四周是一片田野，但现在已不见当年的影子，原来的村庄已变成一座现代城镇。(nothing but; what-clause)
When I was a child, the village I lived in was surrounded by nothing but open fields. But now nothing remains of the village. A modern city is built on what used to be there.
2. 我的童年是在乡下度过的，那时的天很蓝，晚上仰望夜空，能看到无数的星星。(look up to)
My childhood was spent in the countryside. At that time the skies were clear. Looking up to the sky at night, I could see countless stars.
3. 他上小学时，家境贫寒，总担心同学们会看不起他。事实上，他的担心是多余的，同学们对他都很友好。(look down on sb)
His family was poor when he was an elementary school student, and he often worried that his classmates would look down on him. In fact his worry was unnecessary, for all his classmates were friendly to him.
4. 每个人在成长的过程中都要经历很多事，大部分被遗忘了，但有些永远印在我们的脑海里。 (while)
Everyone is bound to experience a lot of things when growing up, most of which will be forgotten while some will remain in our mind forever.
5. 童年是一个五彩斑斓的盒子，里面装着许多美丽的梦想和有趣的回忆。(in which)
Childhood is a colourful box, in which are beautiful dreams and interesting memories.
第四单元
1. 当被问到哪种现代科技对人们的生活影响最大时，很多人会说是互联网。(when + past participle)
When asked which modern science and technology has influenced people’s life most, most people will choose the Internet.
2. 办公环境直接影响工作效率，因此为员工创造舒适的工作环境十分重要。(vital)
The office environment has a direct impact on work efficiency. Therefore it is vital to create a comfortable working environment for employees.
3. 现在的年轻人发明了很多网络用语，有时我都听不懂他们在说什么。(have trouble doing something)
The young people today have invented quite a few “Net language”. Sometimes I have difficulty / trouble understanding what they are saying.
4. 现代科技日新月异，很难估计明天会有什么样的新技术出现。(be about to)
Modern science and technology is developing with each passing day, and it is hard to predict what new science and technology is about to appear tomorrow.
4/7
5. 电子产品更新换代太快了，现在流行的款式过一两年就会被淘汰了。(update; discard)
Electronic products are being upgraded too fast. The models popular today are discarded in one or two.
第五单元
1. 大城市是他最不愿意居住的地方，因为他无法忍受那里的拥挤的喧闹。（the last place…that…;bustling）
The big city is the last place that he wishes to live in, for it is so bustling and crowded there that he finds it hard to bear.
2. 现代生活的快节奏意味着人们没有更多的时间用于人际交往，因此人与人之间显得很淡漠。(not + present participle ; hence)
The fast pace of modern life means people not having enough time for personal communication; hence the indifference between people.
3. 过去邻居们经常互相串门，但现在大家都习惯把自己关在各自的家里，没什么事几乎不来往。(used to ;stay connected)
Neighbors used to visit each other regularly. But now they are used to staying at home and rarely stay connected unless it is essential.
4. 轻松和谐的环境会对人的身心健康产生积极的影响。(harmonious;have…effect on )
A light and harmonious environment has a positive effect on people’s physical and mental health.
5. 我们应该把精力放在工作上，而不是复杂的人际关系上。(rather than)
We should focus our attention on work rather than complicated personal relationships.
