外刊逐句精读｜《经济学人》：彼之砒霜，吾之蜜糖？狡猾的骗子细菌｜CATTI...
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思考题
- 尝试在不懂专业术语的情况下理解文章
- 实用表达整理
Bacterial cunning
A bacterium that tricks the immune system into nurturing it
一种诱使免疫系统滋养它的细菌
The discovery may usher in new approaches to treating infections
这一发现可能会开创治疗感染的新方法
- bacterial a.细菌的
bacterium n.（单）细菌
bacteria n.（复）细菌
- datum-data 数据
aquarium-aquaria 水族馆
gymnasium-gymnasia 健身房
- cunning n. 狡猾，狡黠 a.狡猾的，狡诈的
- trick sb. into doing sth. 诱骗某人做某事
The agent ticked the researcher into stealing confidential files.
那个特工诱骗研究员偷取机密文件。
- immune a. 有免疫力的
immune system n. 免疫系统
- nurture vt. 培养，滋养
- usher sth. in/ usher in sth. 开创，开启（某事）
The immune system has many weapons with which to counter hostile incomers.
免疫系统有许多可以用来对抗敌对外来者的武器。
- counter vt. 抵制，抵抗
- hostile a. 敌对的，不友善的
- incomer n. 外来者
But what works against one may not be effective against another.
但是对其中一个入侵者有效的东西可能对其他入侵者无效。
An interloper can take advantage of this (by misdirecting the system into thinking) it is fighting an enemy that it is not.
闯入者可以利用这一点，误导系统使其认为它正在与另一种敌人作战。
- interloper n. 闯入者
- interaction n. 互动
international a. 国际的
- misdirect vt. 误导
This buys time for that interloper to become entrenched. That is sneaky.
这为闯入者争取了时间，使其能扎根进免疫系统。 那是一个鬼鬼祟祟的动作。
- buy time 争取，拖延时间
- entrenched a. 根深蒂固的
- sneaky a. 鬼鬼祟祟的
Sneakier still, though, is the approach (just discovered (by Ruslan Medzhitov of Yale University).
然而，更鬼鬼祟祟的是耶鲁大学的Ruslan Medzhitov刚刚发现的方法。
- still ad. （加强比较级）更加
Dan found biology difficult, and physics harder still.
丹觉得生物很难，物理更难。
As he and his colleagues report in Immunity, they have found a bacterium that induces its host’s immune system to release compounds on which it can then feed.
正如他和他的同事在Immunity杂志上发表的那样，他们发现了一种细菌，它可以诱发宿主的免疫系统释放出一种可以供它们“食用”的化合物。
- induce vt. 诱发，诱使
induce vomiting/coma 诱发呕吐/昏迷
- host n. 宿主
- parasite n. 寄生生物
- compound n. 化合物
段落大意：
引子：
简介骗子细菌的“狡诈”之处，并引出耶鲁大学的一项最新研究。
Mammalian immune systems have two modes of attack.
哺乳动物免疫系统有两种攻击方式。
- mammalian a. 哺乳动物的
mammal n. 哺乳动物
Type-1 is used against bacteria and viruses; type-2 against multicellular parasites such as worms.
1型用于对抗细菌和病毒； 2型对抗多细胞寄生虫，如蠕虫。
- multicellular a. 多细胞的
- unicellular a. 单细胞的
- parasite n. 寄生生物
parasitic a. 寄生的
- worms n. 寄生虫
Some invading bacteria, however, provoke a type-2 response when type-1 would be appropriate. Dr Medzhitov decided to take a closer look.
然而，一些入侵细菌会引发 2 型反应，原本1型才合适。 Medzhitov博士决定进一步观察。
段落大意：
哺乳动物免疫系统有两种攻击机制，但有些细菌却可以诱导出本应攻击寄生虫的机制。
He and his colleagues studied the behaviour of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium which causes stubborn infections (in people (with cystic fibrosis).
Medzhitov博士和他的同事研究了绿脓杆菌的行为，这种细菌会导致囊肿性纤维化患者产生非常棘手的感染。
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa n. 绿脓杆菌
- stubborn a. 难对付的
- cystic fibrosis n. 囊肿性纤维化
- -osis 疾病
neurosis n. 神经症
silicosis n. 硅肺
They suspected it was leading the body to mount an ineffective type-2 response against it and wanted to know how it was doing this.
他们怀疑它会导致身体产生对它无效的 2 型反应，并想知道它是如何做到的。
- mount vt. 发动（战役、活动）
mount an attack/a campaign 发起进攻/运动
段落大意：
研究动机：
研究人员怀疑绿脓杆菌诱使免疫系统针对寄生虫的攻击机制。
(To explore the matter), they grew laboratory cultures of the sorts of epithelial cells that line human airways and monitored their gene-expression profiles when exposed to LasB, a toxic enzyme (produced by the bacterium).
为了探索这个问题，他们在实验室培养了人类呼吸道上皮细胞，并监测它们暴露在LasB（一种由细菌产生的有毒酶）时的基因表达谱。
- culture n. 培养细胞，培养菌
- epithelial cell n. 上皮细胞
epithelium n. 上皮组织
- line vt. （在内部）形成一层
- airways n. 气管
- gene expression n. 基因表达
- profile n. 数据图表
gene-expression profile 基因表达谱
- toxic a. 有毒的
- enzyme n. 酶
They found that LasB activated signalling pathways which drove the epithelial cells to make a protein (called amphiregulin). This forms the basis of a thick mucus that excels at ensnaring parasitic worms.
他们发现 LasB 激活了信号通路，驱动上皮细胞制造一种叫做双调蛋白的蛋白质。这种蛋白形成了擅长捕获寄生虫的浓稠粘液的基础。
- signalling pathway n. 信号通路
- amphiregulin n. 双调蛋白
- mucus n. 粘液
- excels at doing sth. 擅长某事
- ensnare vt. 捕获
- snare n. 圈套
It also recruits immune cells (called eosinophils), which are adept at attacking multicellular parasites.
这个过程中还出现了一种被称为嗜曙红细胞的免疫细胞，这些细胞擅长攻击多细胞寄生虫。
- eosinophil n. 嗜曙红细胞
- be adept at dong sth. 擅长做某事
=excel at doing sth.
段落大意：
研究方式介绍：
实验对象：上皮细胞、LasB
实验发现：绿脓杆菌诱发上皮细胞寄生虫攻击机制的具体原理
A type-2 error
2型错误
That finding alone is interesting, because it helps explain why cystic-fibrosis patients (with bacterial infections) often develop copious mucus (in their lungs), even though this does nothing to counter the bacteria.
这一发现本身就很有趣，因为它有助于解释为什么患有细菌感染的囊性纤维化患者经常在肺部产生大量粘液，尽管这对对抗细菌没有任何帮助。
- copious a. 大量的
More intriguing, though, was what happened when the researchers tried growing P. aeruginosa (on samples of this mucus).
然而，更有趣的是当研究人员尝试在粘液样本上培养绿脓杆菌时发生的事情。
- sample n. （科学试验的）样本
So long as LasB was present, the bacteria did not merely thrive, but actually consumed the mucus.
只要LasB存在，细菌就不仅会茁壮成长，而且实际上会消耗这些粘液。
Not only is P. aeruginosa tricking the immune system into an inappropriate response, it is also feeding on the result.
绿脓杆菌不仅诱使免疫系统做出错误的反应，而且还以反应的结果（即粘液）为食。
And to make things worse still, Dr Medzhitov also discovered that all this immune manipulation makes the surrounding tissues prone to allergy.
更糟糕的是，Medzhitov 博士还发现，所有这些免疫操纵会使周围组织更容易遭受过敏反应。
- manipulation n. 操纵、控制
manipulate vt. 操纵、控制
- tissue n. 组织
- be prone to sth. 容易遭受某事的
- allergy n. 过敏反应
段落大意：
实验的进一步发现：
- 只要LasB在，绿脓杆菌还会对粘液大快朵颐。
- 绿脓杆菌的诱导机制还能导致周边组织更易有过敏反应。
Allergic reactions are, essentially, exaggerated and inappropriate type-2 immune responses.
过敏反应本质上是夸大的和不恰当的 2 型免疫反应。
- exaggerated a.夸张的
exaggerate vt. 夸大、夸张
The researchers therefore wondered whether the reactions (being created by LasB) could cause lasting allergies to develop.
因此，研究人员想知道 LasB 所触发的反应是否会导致持续的过敏反应。
To find out, they sprayed mice [infected with P. aeruginosa] with egg-white protein (often used as an experimental allergen) [on the first and seventh days [of a four-week experiment].
为了找出答案，他们在为期 4 周的实验的第一天和第七天向感染了绿脓杆菌的小鼠喷洒了蛋清蛋白（通常用作实验性过敏原）。
- egg white n. 蛋清
- allergen n. 过敏原
antigen n. 抗原
As a control, they did the same (with some mice) (genetically engineered to lack the ability (to produce amphiregulin) when exposed to LasB.
作为对照，他们对一些小鼠也做了同样的事情，这些小鼠经过基因改造，在暴露于LasB时缺乏产生双调蛋白的能力。
- control n. 参照物
- genetic engineering n. 基因工程
genetically engineered a. 基因改造的；转基因的
段落大意：
进一步实验：
实验对象：两组感染绿脓杆菌的小白鼠
实验方式：定期用过敏原蛋清蛋白喷两组小白鼠
They theorised that, (in the absence of worms), the inflamed epithelial tissues (in normal mice) might instead identify the egg-white protein as an intruder.
他们提出，在没有寄生虫的情况下，正常小鼠发炎的上皮组织可能会将蛋清蛋白识别为入侵者。
- theorise v. 提出理论
- inflamed a. 发炎的
inflammation n. 炎症
- intruder n. 闯入者、入侵者
=interloper
This is exactly what happened. When injected with a small amount of egg-white protein (two and three weeks (after the start of the experiment), the normal mice showed a strong allergic response to it.
这正是所发生的事情。 在实验开始后两三周注射少量蛋清蛋白后，正常小鼠表现出强烈的过敏反应。
In contrast, the amphiregulin-free mice showed little.
相比之下，体内不含双调蛋白的小鼠几乎没有过敏反应。
- -free a. 无....的
duty-free a. 免税的
fat-free a. 脱脂的
段落大意：
对照实验结果：
绿脓杆菌的诱导机制的确会加剧过敏反应。
These discoveries, fascinating in and of themselves, also pave the way (for new approaches (to treating infections (in those with cystic fibrosis).
这些发现本身就很有趣，也为治疗囊性纤维化患者感染的新方法铺平了道路。
- in and of itself 从本质上来讲
=in itself
=by its very nature
Moreover, if one bug has thus evolved a way to milk the immune system, the chances are good that others have done so too.
此外，如果一种微生物因此进化出一种利用免疫系统的方法，那么其他微生物也很有可能已经这样做了。
- milk vt. 趁机牟利、捞好处
A few people tried to milk tried to milk the insurance companies.
一些人试图从保险公司敲一笔钱。
Thus alerted, researchers will be on the lookout for similar cases.
因此，被警示到的研究人员将密切关注类似情况。
- lookout n. 瞭望塔
- be on the lookout for sth. 注意、留心某事
We're always on the lookout for new business opportunities.
我们一直在留意，等待新的商机。
段落大意：
研究意义：
- 有助于帮助囊肿性纤维化患者治疗感染；
- 警示研究人员关注其他类似的细菌和病例。
表达整理：
生物相关表达：
bacterium/bacterial, host, parasite/parasitic, mammal/mammalian, immune system/response, worms, gene expression, multicellular/unicellular, enzyme, mucus, tissue, allergy/allergen, genetic engineering/genetically engineered, inflamed/inflammation
实用表达：
trick sb. into doing sth.
misdirect sb. into doing sth.
usher sth. in
buy time
worse, harder, sneakier still...
mount an attack/a campaign
excel at sth./doing sth.
be adept at sth./doing sth.
be prone to sth.
in and of itself
on the lookout for sth.
