VOA慢速英語：中國科學(xué)家宣稱創(chuàng)造出首批基因改造嬰兒

Chinese Scientist Claims First Gene Edited Babies

中國科學(xué)家宣稱創(chuàng)造出首批基因改造嬰兒

A Chinese scientist claims he successfully created the world's first genetically-edited babies.

一位中國科學(xué)家宣稱自己成功創(chuàng)造了世界上第一批經(jīng)過基因編輯的嬰兒。

Chinese researcher He Jiankui made the claim in interviews with the Associated Press. He also spoke about his research with organizers of an international conference on gene editing in Hong Kong, the AP reported.

中國研究人員賀建奎在接受美聯(lián)社采訪時發(fā)表了上述聲明。據(jù)美聯(lián)社報道，他還跟香港一場基因編輯國際會議的組織者談到了他的研究。

He is a research professor at China's Southern University of Science and Technology in the southern city of Shenzhen.

賀建奎是位于南方城市深圳的中國南方科技大學(xué)的一名研究教授。

He said he had edited the genetic substance, or DNA, of twin girls born a few weeks ago. There was no independent confirmation of He's work and he did not provide written documentation of his research. Many scientists working in genetics say they believe such experimentation is dangerous.

他聲稱自己編輯了幾周前出生的一對雙胞胎女嬰的DNA。目前尚未能對賀建奎的工作進行獨立確認，他也沒有提供這項研究的書面文檔。很多從事遺傳學(xué)工作的科學(xué)家都表示，他們認為這種實驗非常危險。

He's claims were immediately condemned by some scientists as unsafe and unethical. This kind of gene editing is banned in the United States and many other countries. Such changes to a person's DNA can pass to future generations and risks harming other genes.

一些科學(xué)家對賀建奎的聲明發(fā)出譴責，稱這是不安全和不道德的。這種基因編輯在美國和其它很多國家都被禁止。人類DNA的這種改造可以傳遞給后代，并且有可能會危害其它基因。

In interviews, He Jiankui defended his work. He said he had performed the gene editing to help protect the babies from future infection of HIV, the virus responsible for the disease AIDS. He said the process had "worked safely" and the twin girls were "as healthy as any other babies."

賀建奎在采訪中為自己的工作進行了辯解。他說，他已經(jīng)進行了這項基因編輯工作，以幫助嬰兒免受艾滋病毒的感染。艾滋病毒會導(dǎo)致艾滋病。他說，這一過程“安全有效”，這對雙胞胎女嬰“像其他嬰兒一樣健康。”

He told the AP he felt a strong responsibility "not just to make a first, but also to make an example" for future research. "Society will decide what to do next," he said.

賀建奎對美聯(lián)社表示，他感覺有責任“不僅要邁出第一步，還要為未來的研究做出榜樣。”他說：“社會會決定下一步該怎么做。”

China to investigate He's activity

中國調(diào)查賀建奎的行為

He had studied in the past at Rice and Stanford universities in the United States. He then returned to his homeland China to open a laboratory at Southern University of Science and Technology.

賀建奎過去曾經(jīng)在美國的賴斯大學(xué)以及斯坦福大學(xué)深造。然后他回到了自己的祖國，并在中國南方科技大學(xué)開設(shè)了一個實驗室。

When He's claims became public, the university issued a statement saying his work had "seriously violated academic ethics and standards." University officials said they had no knowledge of his research and had launched an investigation. A university spokesman said the professor had been on a break from teaching since early this year. But he remains an employee and still works in the laboratory.

當賀建奎的言論公之于眾時，中國南方科技大學(xué)日報聲明稱，他的工作“嚴重違反了學(xué)術(shù)倫理規(guī)范。”大學(xué)官員聲稱對他的研究不知情，并已經(jīng)對此展開調(diào)查。一位大學(xué)發(fā)言人表示，自今年年初以來，該教授一直暫停教學(xué)，但他仍然是該大學(xué)的員工，仍然在該實驗室工作。

China's National Health Commission said it was "highly concerned" about the claims and ordered local health officials "to immediately investigate" He's activity. "We have to be responsible for the people's health and will act on this according to the law," the commission said in a statement.

中國國家衛(wèi)生健康委員會表示對此高度重視，并已下令當?shù)匦l(wèi)生官員立即對賀建奎的行為展開調(diào)查。該委員會表示：“我們必須對人民的健康負責，并將依法采取行動。”

Limited use of gene-editing

基因編輯的有限應(yīng)用

Scientists discovered in recent years a new way to edit genes that make up a person's DNA throughout the body. The tool, called CRISPR-cas9, makes it possible to change DNA to supply a needed gene or take one away that is causing problems.

科學(xué)家們近年來發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種新方法，可以用于編輯構(gòu)成人體DNA的基因。這種名為CRISPR-cas9的工具使得改造DNA提供所需基因或是去掉某種致病基因成為可能。

So far the tool has only been used on adults to treat deadly diseases, and the changes only affected that person. Editing sperm, eggs or embryos is different because such changes can be passed down. In the U.S., the process is only permitted for lab research. China bans human cloning, but not specifically gene editing.

截至目前為止，該工具僅用于成年人治療致命疾病，并且這種改造只會影響本人。編輯精子、卵子或是胚胎則有所不同，因為這種改造可以遺傳。在美國，該過程僅允許進行實驗室研究。中國禁止人類克隆，但是并未具體針對基因編輯。

Kiran Musunuru is a University of Pennsylvania gene editing expert and editor of a genetics journal. He told the Associated Press that if such an experiment had been carried out on human beings, it could not be "morally or ethically defensible."

Kiran Musunuru是賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)的基因編輯專家，也是一位遺傳學(xué)期刊編輯。他對美聯(lián)社表示，如果在人類進行這種實驗，在道德和倫理上就站不住腳。

Julian Savulescu, a medical ethics expert at Britain's University of Oxford, agreed. "If true, this experiment is monstrous," he told Reuters.

牛津大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)倫理專家Julian Savulescu表示認同。他說：“如果事實如此，那這個實驗也太可怕了。”

However, one well-known geneticist, Harvard University's George Church, defended the attempt to edit genes to prevent infections of HIV. He told the AP that since HIV is "a major and growing public health threat" he finds such experiments "justifiable."

然而，哈佛大學(xué)一位著名的遺傳學(xué)專家George Church對編輯基因防止艾滋病感染的嘗試進行了辯護。他對美聯(lián)社表示，既然艾滋病毒是“一種主要的、而且不斷增長的公共衛(wèi)生威脅，”他認為這種實驗“合情合理。”

I'm Anna Mateo.

安娜·馬特奧報道。