参考译文

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.

菲律宾科学家正在研究改良大米种植。他们希望能够通过改变种植方式来解决世界上面临的最重要的健康问题，即缺乏维生素A的问题。

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.

这种大米被叫做“黄金大米”，因为大米颜色呈黄色。这种大米的基因被改变了，或者说是被修改了，好让其产生维生素A的一种形式：β-胡萝卜素。

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.

反转基因食品人士，包括环保组织绿色和平组织对科学家正在进行的这种研究并不看好。但是“黄金大米”的支持者说这种转基因食品可以帮助每年拯救大约200万人口。幼儿和孕妇如果缺乏维生素A有可能会造成死亡。

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.

在发展中国家数百万人口的饮食中维生素A非常缺乏。而这一情况也正是导致儿童失明的原因。现在这种情况已经成为一半国家的公共健康问题，包括非洲和东南亚地区许多国家。

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是一位生态学家，也是绿色和平的前任主席。他支持“黄金大米”的生产。他说在大量儿童忍受饥饿的时候甚至不应该讨论这种问题。

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在二十世纪80年代离开绿色和平组织，并且反对该组织的众多工作。VOA要求绿色和平组织回答Patrick Moore提出的批评问题。该组织通过邮件方式回复了这一要求。邮件上说：转基因作物几乎都是由抗除草剂作物和抗虫作物组成的，最终销往发展中国家。

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

该组织称这种农业模式会给人类健康，农民身体和环境带来损害。

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产转基因作物。这些公司获得生产合法授权。但是在菲律宾，政府和捐赠资金都在进行黄金大米开发。这些机构希望有一天发展中国家都能够种上这种大米。他们希望能够解决科学家们认为像疟疾和结核病一样严重的难题。

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是一位来自东南亚的农业专家，为马尼拉绿色和平组织工作。他认为这种黄金大米虽然经过了20年的研究，但是依然不能够作为人类粮食。他说这种转基因作物可能远比支持者认为的更加危险。

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.

菲律宾国际水稻研究所已经对黄金大米进行了九年的实验研究。该机构称在人类可以食用这种黄金大米之前还有很多工作要做。

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

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