VOA慢速英語:關(guān)于轉(zhuǎn)基因大米的爭論

Scientists in the Philippines are working to make changes to rice. They hope these changes will help solve one of the world’s biggest health issues: the lackof Vitamin A.

菲律賓科學家正在研究改良大米種植。他們希望能夠通過改變種植方式來解決世界上面臨的最重要的健康問題，即缺乏維生素A的問題。

It is called “golden rice” because the rice is yellow. It has been genetically changed, or modified, to produce beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A.

這種大米被叫做“黃金大米”，因為大米顏色呈黃色。這種大米的基因被改變了，或者說是被修改了，好讓其產(chǎn)生維生素A的一種形式：β-胡蘿卜素。

Opponents of genetically modified foods – including the environmental group Greenpeace – do not like what the scientists are doing. But supporters of golden rice say it could help save as many as two million lives a year. Young children and pregnant women can, and do, die from Vitamin A deficiency.

反轉(zhuǎn)基因食品人士，包括環(huán)保組織綠色和平組織對科學家正在進行的這種研究并不看好。但是“黃金大米”的支持者說這種轉(zhuǎn)基因食品可以幫助每年拯救大約200萬人口。幼兒和孕婦如果缺乏維生素A有可能會造成死亡。

Vitamin A is missing from the food of millions of people in the developing world. The deficiency is the leading cause of childhood blindness. It is a public health problem in half of all countries, including many in Africa and Southeast Asia.

在發(fā)展中國家數(shù)百萬人口的飲食中維生素A非常缺乏。而這一情況也正是導致兒童失明的原因。現(xiàn)在這種情況已經(jīng)成為一半國家的公共健康問題，包括非洲和東南亞地區(qū)許多國家。

Patrick Moore is an ecologist and former Greenpeace president. He supports production of golden rice. He says there should not even be debate about the issue while children starve.

Patrick Moore是一位生態(tài)學家，也是綠色和平的前任主席。他支持“黃金大米”的生產(chǎn)。他說在大量兒童忍受饑餓的時候甚至不應該討論這種問題。

Mr. Moore left Greenpeace in the 1980s and disagrees with many of its positions.

VOA asked Greenpeace to answer Mr. Moore’s criticisms of its opposition to golden rice. The group answered in an email. It read: “Genetically engineered crops consist almost entirely of herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant crops marketed to developing countries.”

Patrick Moore在二十世紀80年代離開綠色和平組織，并且反對該組織的眾多工作。VOA要求綠色和平組織回答Patrick Moore提出的批評問題。該組織通過郵件方式回復了這一要求。郵件上說：轉(zhuǎn)基因作物幾乎都是由抗除草劑作物和抗蟲作物組成的，最終銷往發(fā)展中國家。

It said this agricultural model damages human health and hurts farmers and the environment.

該組織稱這種農(nóng)業(yè)模式會給人類健康，農(nóng)民身體和環(huán)境帶來損害。

Large companies do produce some genetically modified crops. They gain legal control of the plant production through patents. But in the Philippines,government and donor money is being used to develop golden rice in the Philippines. These groups hope farmers throughout the developing world will someday grow it. They hope it will help solve a problem that many scientists believe is as serious as malaria or tuberculosis.

一些大公司依然在生產(chǎn)轉(zhuǎn)基因作物。這些公司獲得生產(chǎn)合法授權(quán)。但是在菲律賓，政府和捐贈資金都在進行黃金大米開發(fā)。這些機構(gòu)希望有一天發(fā)展中國家都能夠種上這種大米。他們希望能夠解決科學家們認為像瘧疾和結(jié)核病一樣嚴重的難題。

Daniel Ocampo is a Southeast Asia agriculture expert for Greenpeace in Manila. He argues that golden rice is still not ready as a food for humans after 20 years of research. He says it could be more dangerous than its supporters will admit.

Daniel Ocampo是一位來自東南亞的農(nóng)業(yè)專家，為馬尼拉綠色和平組織工作。他認為這種黃金大米雖然經(jīng)過了20年的研究，但是依然不能夠作為人類糧食。他說這種轉(zhuǎn)基因作物可能遠比支持者認為的更加危險。

The International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines has been experimenting with golden rice for nine years. It says it has more work to do before the rice can be eaten by humans.

菲律賓國際水稻研究所已經(jīng)對黃金大米進行了九年的實驗研究。該機構(gòu)稱在人類可以食用這種黃金大米之前還有很多工作要做。

I’m Marsha James.

Simone Orendain reported this story from Manila. Christopher Jones-Cruisewrote it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

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Words in This Story

modify – v. to change some parts of something while not changing otherparts

deficiency – n. a lack of something that is needed

consist – v. to have something as an essential or main part

herbicide-tolerant – adj. the natural ability of a species or plant to surviveand reproduce after chemical treatment is used to destroy or stop growth

insect-resistant – adj. not easily harmed or affected by insects

patent – n. an official document that gives a person or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells a product for a certain period of time