英语科普文章阅读

随着科学技术的飞速发展和全球化进程的不断加快，科普 文章 在向社会大众普及科学技术知识，提高公众科学素养等方面发挥着举足轻重的作用。下面是我带来的科普类英语文章，欢迎阅读!

科普类英语文章

生物与环境平衡的危机

The history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings. To a large extent, the physical form and the habits of the earth’s vegetation and its animal life have been molded by the environment. Considering the whole span of earthly time, the opposite effect, in which life actually modifies its surroundings, has been relatively slight. Only in the present century has one species man acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world.

During the past quarter century this power has not only become increasingly great but it has changed in character. The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials. This pollution is for the most part irrecoverable. In this now universal contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister partners of radiation in changing the very nature of the world the very nature of its life. Chemicals sprayed on croplands or forests or gardens lie long in soil, entering into living organisms, passing from one to another in a chain of poisoning and death. Or they pass mysteriously by underground streams until they emerge and combine into new forms that kill vegetation, sicken cattle, and work unknown harm on those who drink from once pure wells. "Man can hardly even recognize the devils of his own creation," as a scientist has said.

It took hundreds of millions of years to produce the life that now inhabits the earth. Given time not in years but in millennia life adjusts, and a balance has been reached. But in the modern world there is no time.

The rapidity of change follows the impetuous pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature. Radiation is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals are the synthetic5 creations of man’s inventive mind, having no counterparts in nature.

To adjust to these chemicals would require not merely the years of a man’s life but the life of generations. And even this, were it by some miracle possible, would be futile, for the new chemicals come from our laboratories in an endless stream; almost five hundred annually find their way into actual use in the United States alone. Among them are many that are used in man’s war against nature. Since the mid 1940’s over 200 basic chemicals have been created for use in killing insects, weeds, and other organisms described as "pests."

It is not my contention that chemical insecticides must never be used. I do contend that we have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals indiscriminately into the hands of persons largely or wholly ignorant of their potentials for harm. We have subjected enormous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge. I contend, furthermore, that we have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect on soil, water, wildlife, and man himself. Future generations are unlikely to forgive our lack of concern for the integrity of the natural world that supports all life.

地球上生命的历史一直就是一部生物与其环境相互作用的历史。在很大程度上，地球上动植物的形态以及习性都是由外部环境所塑造的。考虑到地球上生命存在的整个时间，相反作用，即生命对其周围环境的实际改变作用，却相对很小。只有在当前这个世纪(指20世纪)才有一个物种--人类，获得了强大的力量，改变了其所生存的世界的自然状态。

在过去的1/4世纪中，这种力量不仅日趋强大，而且其性质也发生了变化。在人类破坏环境的种种行为中，最令人担忧的是人类向大气、土壤、河流以及海洋中排放危险甚至致命物质，而当今这种污染在很大程度上是无法挽救的。在当今这种对环境的普遍污染中，化学制品与辐射狼狈为奸，改变着地球的自然状态，也就是改变着地球上生命的自然状态。喷洒到农田、森林或者花园里的化学物质长期滞留于土壤中，渗入有机体内，并彼此相传，形成了一个中毒与死亡的链条。化学物质还神秘地通过地下水传递，最终以新的形式出现并结合，使植物毒死，牲畜害病，并使饮用一度纯净的井水的人遭受了不明之害。正如一位科学家所言：“人类甚至对自己创造的恶魔都不认识。”

地球历经了许多亿年才创造了栖息其上的生命。经过了一定时间--不是以若干年计而是以若干千年计的时间--生命开始适应环境，并形成了一种与环境的平衡。但是在现代世界中，时间这一因素已经没有了。

环境改变的速度不再顺从大自然从容不迫的节奏，而是顺从人类急切匆匆的步伐。辐射是当今人类通过支配原子而得到的一种非自然的创造物。化学制品则是人类有发明创造力的头脑创造出来的合成物，在自然界本无相应的东西。

为了适应这些化学制品，人类需要付出的时间不会只是一个人一生的时间，而是几代人的时间。而即使这样，就算出现奇迹成为可能，这种适应也是徒劳的，因为新的化学制品从我们的实验室中源源不断地涌出。仅在美国，每年就有大约500种化学制品投入使用，其中许多是用于人类对自然的战争中。从20世纪40年代中期起，人类已经创造了200多种基本化学制品用来消灭昆虫、野草以及其他所谓的“有害生物”。

我不是说人类决不能使用化学杀虫剂。我要说的是，我们不分青红皂白地将这些有毒的、具有强大生物功能的化学制品，交给了那些对这些制品的潜在危害基本上或者完全无知的人去使用。我们使众多的人接触这些有毒物质，却没有征得他们的同意，并常常将他们蒙在鼓中。我还要说的一点是，我们允许使用这些化学制品，却事先很少或者根本没有调查它们对土壤、水、野生生物以及人类自身造成的影响。我们缺乏对万物赖以生存的自然界生态统一的关心，对此，我们的后代是不可能原谅的。

科普类英语文章

基因技术能否使人更聪明?Get Smart

Many people dream of having a smarter brain. Princeton neurobiologist Joseph Z. Tsien found the key. In September he announced that he’d built a better mouse by altering a gene that affects learning and memory. A similar process of gene manipulation might conceivably be used one day to boost intelligence in humans.

The secret lies in a feature of brain cells called the nmda receptor, which Tsien likens[1] to a cylindrical tube or window that mediates[2] the flow of information. When the window is open, chemicals called neurotransmitters flow through easily and memory is registered and stored. But as organisms mature, the window begins to close. (This may explain why children lose their facility for learning new languages when they reach sexual maturity and why some people suffer memory loss as they age.)

Tsien noticed that the receptor worked more efficiently when teamed[3] with the gene NR2B, so he introduced extra NR2B genes into a batch of fertilized mouse eggs. In a normal mouse, the memory window is open for just 150-thousandths of a second. In Tsien’s specially engineered mice, the window opens for 250-thousandths of a second, long enough to make a remarkable difference in memory retention. When he pitted[4] his mice against common mice, they won paws down. Ordinary mice could recognize a Lego block for 12 hours, but smart mice could remember the block for up to three days. "That’s a profound enhancement," Tsien says.

Can it be done with humans? Maybe, but genetic engineering will have to make some extraordinary advances first. And some thorny ethical issues will have to be resolved. Meanwhile, Tsien promises to keep his furry little geniuses locked up in a lab, far from your larder. "Otherwise," he says, "you might need a smart cat or a smart mousetrap to catch them."

许多人都希望自己能变成更聪明。普林斯顿神经生物学家Joseph Z. Tsien就找到了这把开启智慧之门的钥匙：他于九月宣布，通过改变影响学习和记忆能力的基因培养出了一只聪明的老鼠。类似的基因处理技术有望在未来日子里运用到人脑，以推动人类智慧的飞跃。

该技术的奥秘就在于名为nmda感受器的脑细胞的功能。Tsien将其比作一个传递信息流的圆柱通道或窗口。当窗口开放时，某种称为神经传递素的化学物质就能轻易流过，记忆因此登记并存储了下来。然而，当器官成熟时，这扇窗口就开始关闭。(这也能解释为何 儿童 长大后(性器官成熟之时)会失去掌握新语言的能力，以及为何某些人年老时会患失忆)。

Tsien注意到，当感受器与名为NR2B的基因协作时效率会更高。因此，他将NR2B基因植入一批老鼠的受精卵中。一只普通老鼠的记忆之窗仅开放千分之150秒。而经Tsien植入基因的老鼠，记忆之窗能开放千分之250秒，这已经能够使其 记忆力 发生惊人的改变。当他让自己的老鼠与普通老鼠互斗时，它们竟能轻而易举地取胜。普通老鼠能够保留关于Lego block的记忆12小时，而聪明的老鼠居然能将记忆保持三天。“这可是一个意义深远的进步。”Tsien这样说。

那么，人类也能接受这种基因移植吗? 或许可以，但前提是基因工程得首先做出非凡的成就，还必须解决一系列棘手的伦理问题。Tsien保证他一定会将那些披着毛皮的小天才锁入实验室，远离人们的食品柜。“否则，”他说，“为了捉住他们，人们就不得不去寻找更聪明的猫或者功能更强的捕鼠器了。”

科普类英语文章

食用转基因食品安全吗?Food Safe To Eat?

Traditional plant breeding involve s crossing varieties of the same species in ways they could cross naturally.For example，disease-resistant varieties of wheat have been crossed with high-yield wheat to combine these properties.This type of natural gene exchange is safe and fairly predictable.

Genetic engineering(GE)involves exchanging genes between unrelated species that cannot naturally exchange genes with each other.GE can involve the exchange of genes between vastly different species――e.g.putting scorpion toxin genes into maize or fish antifreeze genes into tomatoes.It is possible that a scorpion toxin gene，even when it is in maize DNA，will still get the organism to produce scorpion toxin――but what other effects may it have in this alien environment?We are already seeing this problem――adding human growth hormone genes to pigs certainly makes them grow――but it also gives them arthritis and makes them cross-eyed，which was entirely unpredictable.

It will be obvious，for example，that the gene for human intelligence will not have the same effect if inserted into cabbage DNA as it had in human DNA――but what side-effect would it have?In other words，is GM food safe to eat?The answer is that nobody knows because long-term tests have not been carried out.

Companies wanting a GM product approved in the UK or USA are required to provide regulatory bodies with results of their own safety tests.Monsanto’s soya beans were apparently fed to fish for10weeks before being approved.There was no requirement for independent testing，for long-term testing，for testing on humans or testing for specific dangers to children or allergic people.

The current position of the UK Government is that“ There is no evidence of long-term dangers from GM foods.”In the US，the American Food and Drug Administration is currently being prosecuted for covering up research that suggested possible risks from GM foods.

传统的植物培育 方法 ，是依照植物自然杂交的方式，进行相同物种的人工杂交。比如，抗病小麦同高产小麦杂交，形成了一种具有双重特性的新的小麦品种。这种自然的基因交换既安全，又具有相当的可预见性。

基因工程是在彼此毫无关系的物种之间，相互交换在自然条件下无法交换的基因。它可在有巨大差异的物种之间进行基因交换。比如，将蝎子毒素基因注入玉米，或者将鱼防冻基因注入西红柿。即使在玉米DNA中，蝎子毒素基因依然可能获得有机组织产生蝎子毒素。但是在这种异质的环境中，这种基因产品会有什么其他作用吗?我们实际上已经发现这个问题：将人类生长荷尔蒙基因植入猪的体内，一定会使猪的生长加速，但是同时也使猪患上了关节炎和内斜视，而这一切是完全无法预测的。

打个比方，人类的智力基因显而易见在人体DNA内和注入卷心菜DNA后的作用是不同的。但将它植入卷心菜中会产生什么样的副作用呢?换句话说，食用转基因食品安全吗?没有人知道答案，因为人们尚未进行长期的测试。

在英国或者美国，一个公司如果希望其转基因产品获得批准，它必须向管理机构提供本公司转基因产品安全测试的结果。Monsanto的大豆在获得批准之前，曾用了10周时间进行喂鱼试验。目前，尚无要求对转基因产品进行独立测试、长期测试、人体测试，或者就其对儿童及过敏者所造成的特定危险进行测试。

英国政府目前的态度是：“尚无证据表明食用转基因食品存在长期性的危险。”在美国，人们正在起诉美国食品药品管理局掩盖转基因食品安全性的研究结果，这些研究结果表明，食用转基因食品可能导致危险。

身体健康是从物质意义对人的生活质量的理解。下面是我带来的 医学英语 科普 文章 ，欢迎阅读!

医学英语科普文章1

话说水果、蔬菜和疾病

Five-a-Day "No Benefit" 每日五份没效果

One of the most commonly-held beliefs regarding health and nutrition in the UK has beenfound to be untrue, according to a new scientific study.

For many years British people have been recommended to eat at least 'five-a-day' – that isfive items of fruit or vegetables every day in order to improve their health and reduce thelikelihood of illness, in particular cancer.

The recommendation was first put forward in 1990 by the World Health Organizationwhich said that the 'five-a-day' diet could prevent cancer and other chronic diseases.

Since then the advice has been a mainstay of public health policies in many developedcountries, such as the UK, where the population eat a high proportion of junk food.

Many health campaigns have promoted the advice, and indeed much food packaging inBritain states how the contents will constitute part of your five-a-day.

However, a study of 500,000 Europeans from 10 different countries refutes the commonly-believed suggestion that up to 50% of cancers could be prevented by increasing the public'sconsumption of fruit and vegetables.

Instead the study, which is led by researchers from a well-respected New York medicalschool, estimates that only 2.5% of cancers could be averted by eating more fruit and veg.

It seems that the key to avoiding cancers is to have an overall healthy lifestyle whichincludes not smoking or drinking a lot of alcohol, taking exercise and avoiding obesity.

But medical charities have spoken out to remind people that diet is an important factor instaying healthy, and that even a 2.5% reduction in cancers is still a positive step.

Cancer Research UK said: "It's still a good idea to eat your five-a-day but remember thatfruits and vegetables are pieces in a much larger lifestyle jigsaw."

医学英语科普文章2

致命的军团杆菌

legionnaires' disease is a serious and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia. legionnaires' disease is caused by infection with legionella bacteria which are found naturally in the environment and thrive in warm water and warm damp places. man-made water systems sometimes provide environments that let legionella bacteria increase to large numbers. these man-made systems include showers, spa pools, fountains, and air conditioning cooling towers. people usually get legionnaires' disease by breathing in mists that come from a water source contaminated with legionella bacteria.

an estimated 8,000 to 18,000 people get legionnaires' disease in the united states each year. some people can be infected with legionella bacteria and have mild symptoms or no illness at all. patients with legionnaires' disease usually have fever, chills, and a cough, which may be dry or may produce sputum. some patients also have muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, and, occasionally, diarrhea. from the time of infection with legionella bacteria, it takes 2-10 days for symptoms to appear. in most cases, symptoms begin after 5-6 days. legionnaires' disease is treated with antibiotics, such as erythromycin. the earlier that treatment is begun, the better the outcome.

the first known outbreak of legionnaires' disease was in philadelphia, usa, in 1976. a total of 221 people contracted the disease and 34 died. most of those that died were legionnaires and that's how the disease got its name. the second largest outbreak was at the stafford hospital in england in 1985; a total of 101 people contracted the disease and 28 died.

军团病是一种非常严重的、有时可以致命的肺炎。军团病是由军团杆菌引起，这种细菌产生在自然环境中，在温水里及潮热的地方蔓延。人工供水系统有时也能为军团杆菌的大量繁殖提供生存环境。这些系统包括淋浴器、矿泉池、喷泉以及空调设备的冷却水塔。人们通常是由于呼吸了被军团杆菌污染的水源散发的水雾而传染上军团病的。

据估计，在美国每年都有国每年都有8000~18000人感染上军团病。有些军团病感染者所表现出来的症状比较温和，甚至根本就没有得病的迹象。军团病患者通常有发烧、畏寒及干咳或咳痰等表现。部分患者还有肌肉疼痛、头痛、疲劳、食欲不振及偶尔腹泻等症状。这种病的潜伏期约为的潜天。许多病例表明，出现症状需要状需要5~6天的时间。军团病可以用红霉素等抗生素进行治疗，越早治疗效果越好。

军团病已知的首次爆发是在发是1976年美国费城，221人感染疾病，其中死亡34人。由于大多的死者都是军团成员，因此称为军团病。该病的第二次大爆发是1985年在英国的斯塔福德医院。这次101个被感染者中有28人死亡。

医学英语科普文章3

女性最佳生育年龄

For women who want to have children, planning the right time is a difficult decision. In recent years, many women have opted to put off having kids until their late 20s and well into their 30s — focusing on finishing school, building their careers, traveling, and maybe even paying down their student loans before taking the leap into parenthood. Statistics show that women are waiting longer and longer to have kids — the current average age of first-time moms is up to 26.3, up from 24.9 just 15 years ago.

对于想要孩子的女性来说，合适的时间是一个艰难的决定。近年来，很多女性选择在20岁末甚至30多岁才要孩子，主要原因是她们忙于完成学业、发展职业生涯、旅行、甚至选择在为人父母之前偿还助学贷款。数据表明，女性的生育年龄越来越晚——生第一胎的平均年龄从15年前的24.9岁上升到现在的是26.3岁。

The choice to have children is extremely personal and of course there’s no wrong answer when it comes to being ready to be a mom. But according to Dr. Gillian Lockwood, medical director at the Midland Fertility Clinic in the UK, there is an ideal age when our bodies are best suited to pregnancy. Can you guess what it is?

要孩子的选择是一个非常私人的话题，选择什么时候做母亲都没有错。但是英国米德兰生育诊所的医学主任Gillian Lockwood表示，我们的身体有一个最佳的生育年龄。你能猜到是多少岁吗?

I’ll give you a hint: it’s when many of us have a quarter-life crisis. Also: when it finally becomes affordable to rent a car.

提醒一下：最佳的生育年龄是在大多数人的“青年危机”时，也是我们终于能租得起车的时候。

Yep. According to Lockwood, the ideal age to get pregnant is 25.

Lockwood表示，是的，最佳的生育年龄是25岁。

Unfortunately, says Dr. Lockwood, it’s also the age when motherhood is low on many women’s list of priorities. She explained in the Evening Standard:

Lockwood医生说，不幸的是，对很多25岁的女性来说，成为母亲并不在她们的优先任务清单上面。Lockwood医生在《伦敦标准晚报》上解释说：

“Age 25 is exactly the time when today’s young women have left university, are trying to get off on a good career, trying to pay back their student loans, trying to find someone who wants to have babies with them and trying to get on the housing ladder.”

“25岁的当代年轻女性刚刚大学 毕业 ，事业起步，忙于偿还助学贷款，找男朋友，努力买房。”

Dr. Lockwood also had some harsh words about fertility treatments being marketed as a viable option to women over 40. “The bleak reality is that the chance of IVF working with your own eggs once you are 40 is absolutely abysmal,” she said. “Would we let, yet alone encourage, patients to pay for an elective operation with a less than five percent chance of working?” While that may be Dr. Lockwood’s opinion, plenty of wannabe parents may be happy to take those chances.

Lockwood医生还批判了向40多岁女性推销不孕疗法的行为。“事实很残酷，如果你超过了40岁，用卵子进行体外受精的成功几率非常低，”她说。“谁会允许甚至鼓励病人做成功几率低于5%的择期手术?”这是Lockwood医生的观点，但仍有很多想要孩子的父母很愿意抓住这些机会。

It’s worth reiterating that there are so many factors that inform the choice to have kids and only you can decide when — and IF — you want to become a mother. Whether you choose to have kids at 20, 30, 40, or beyond; biologically, through a surrogate, or via adoption, always listen to your own body and make the decision that makes sense for your own life. You know what’s right for you.

特别强调的是，很多因素会影响要孩子的时间，只有你自己可以决定是否想成为一位母亲。不管你是在20岁、30岁、40岁甚至更大的年龄要孩子，是自己生、代孕还是收养，你都要听从自己的身体，做出对生活有意义的选择。你知道什么是最适合自己的。