Xenotransplantation　異種器官移植
A new way to save human lives　拯救人類生命的新方法

1.As the 1)population of the world increases, the number of people that need organ 2)transplants also goes up. An organ transplant is a 3)medical 4)operation in which an organ is taken from one person and placed into the body of another.
隨著世界人口增加，需要器官移植的人數也跟著成長。器官移植是一種醫療手術，從一個人身上摘取器官放到另一個人體內。
‧ 中級單字
1)population (n.) 人口
Taiwan has the second largest population density（密度）in the world.
2)transplant (n.) 移植
The girl needs a kidney（腎臟）transplant.
3)medical (a.) 醫學的
Medical discoveries over the past hundred years have been amazing.
4)operation (n.) 手術
The doctors put me to sleep during the operation.

2.The problem with organ transplants is that most organs宬earts, livers, or 5)kidneys娞ome from people killed in road accidents, but in recent years there have been fewer and fewer road accident deaths. New sources for transplants must be found to answer the need.
器官移植的問題在於，多數的器官——心臟、肝臟或腎臟——都來自車禍喪生者，但近年來車禍死亡人數越來越少。必須找到新的器官來源以滿足移植的需求。
‧ 中級單字
5)kidney (n.) 腎臟
Many people have to wait a long time before they can get kidney transplants.

3.This is where xenotransplantation comes in. Xenotransplantation means transplanting animal organs into humans. This kind of operation has been done many times in the past 50 years, at first with poor results. The last 10 years has seen a lot of progress in this area.
異種器官移植這兒就要派上用場了。異種器官移植是指移植動物器官到人類身上。這種手術過去五十年來已經實行多次，一開始成效很差。近十年來這個領域已見到長足的進步。

4.Scientists say that if we change about six 6)genes in pigs, pig organs can be safely placed into humans. Pig organs are nearly the same size as human organs. But up to now, transplants using pig organs have been less than 7)satisfactory because the person's body 8)rejects the organ as foreign. This 9)rejection is what scientists are trying to prevent by changing the pig's 10)genetic 11)makeup.
科學家表示，若能改變豬身上的六個基因，豬的器官就可以安全地植入人體。豬的器官和人類器官的大小相近。但直至今日，使用豬器官的移植仍然不盡理想，因為人類身體會排斥外來器官。科學家希望改變豬的基因組成之後能避免這種排斥的情況。
‧ 中級單字
6)gene (n.) 基因
Doctors have isolated（分離出）the human gene that gives people blue eyes.
7)satisfactory (a.) 令人滿意的
The dentist（牙醫）did a very satisfactory job on my teeth.
8)reject (v.) 排斥，拒絕
When I was a kid, I was always rejected by girls.
9)rejection (n.) 排斥，拒絕
It's really hard to deal with rejection.
10)genetic (a.) 基因的
A lot of people are afraid of the genetic changes in plants that scientists are making.
11)makeup (n.) 組成，構成
The makeup of a person's genes is determined（決定）by his DNA.

5.And they are having a lot of success doing so. This success means that many human lives will be saved, but it also means some pigs will be bred only for their organs, and this, for many, is a 12)disturbing thought.
他們做得很成功。這項成功表示許多人命將可獲救，但也表示有一些豬會專門飼養來摘取器官，而這對許多人來說，是個令人不安的想法。
‧ 中級單字
12)disturbing (a.) 令人不安的
It's very disturbing to read news about the war in Iraq.


- posted by star blog @ Thursday, December 09, 2004