VOA慢速英語：研究表明美國(guó)人僅贊同把基因編輯用于健康目的

Study: Americans Approve of Gene Editing Only for Health Purposes

研究表明美國(guó)人僅贊同把基因編輯用于健康目的

A public opinion study says that most Americans would accept the use of gene-editing technology to create babies who are protected from some diseases.

一項(xiàng)民意調(diào)查表明，大多數(shù)美國(guó)人都能接受使用基因編輯技術(shù)“造出”免受某種疾病侵害的嬰兒。

But the same study finds that Americans do not support changing the genetic structure, or DNA, of children so that they are faster, taller or more intelligent.

但是同一項(xiàng)調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，美國(guó)人不支持改變兒童的遺傳基因讓他們變得更快、更高或者更加聰明。

The research was carried out by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

美聯(lián)社和全國(guó)民意調(diào)查中心公共事務(wù)研究所進(jìn)行了這項(xiàng)調(diào)查。

It comes after a Chinese scientist claimed in November to have created the world's first gene-edited human babies. The opinion study suggests that many people are concerned about what gene-editing means for the future.

這項(xiàng)調(diào)查發(fā)生在一位中國(guó)科學(xué)家于11月份聲稱“造出”了全球首個(gè)基因編輯人類嬰兒之后。該民調(diào)表明，很多人都很擔(dān)心基因編輯對(duì)未來的影響。

More than 1,000 people were questioned in the study. The researchers said Americans value the medical promise of technology that could change the genetic qualities human parents pass on to their children. But they worry whether it will be used in a moral way.

有1000多人接受了這項(xiàng)調(diào)查。研究人員表示，美國(guó)人非?？粗剡@項(xiàng)科技的醫(yī)療前景，它可能會(huì)改變?nèi)祟惛改高z傳給子女的遺傳特質(zhì)。但是他們擔(dān)心這項(xiàng)科技是否會(huì)得到合乎道德的應(yīng)用。

Jaron Keener works at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 31-year-old told the Associated Press that he opposes "rich people being able to create designer babies."

賈隆·基納(Jaron Keener)在賓夕法尼亞州匹茲堡市的卡內(nèi)基自然歷史博物館工作。這位31歲的年輕人對(duì)美聯(lián)社表示，他反對(duì)“有錢人能造出經(jīng)過設(shè)計(jì)的嬰兒。”

However, Keener said he would support gene editing in embryos to prevent diseases that have no cure. He said that his mother has lupus, a disease that may have both environmental and genetic causes.

然而基納表示，他支持編輯胚胎基因以預(yù)防那些無法治愈的疾病。他說他的母親患有狼瘡，這種疾病可能同時(shí)具有環(huán)境和遺傳因素。

"I've been around somebody with a chronic illness and I've seen the toll that has taken, not just on her life, but the life of my family," he said.

他說：“我和一位慢病患者生活在一起，親眼看到了它不僅給母親的生活，還給整個(gè)家庭的幸福生活造成了嚴(yán)重后果。”

Gene editing takes out a part of DNA to remove, replace or repair a gene.

基因編輯可以取出一段DNA片段，把某個(gè)基因刪除、替換或是修復(fù)。

Changes to adult cells only affect the person being treated. But editing genes in eggs, sperm or embryos can change the resulting child in ways that can be passed to future generations.

成人的細(xì)胞變化只會(huì)影響患者本人，但是編輯精子、卵子或是胚胎的基因能夠改變生出的孩子，這種改變可以傳遞給后代。

Because of its important effects, international science guidelines say gene-editing should not yet be tested in human pregnancies. Scientists say more laboratory research is needed to prove whether or not it is safe.

由于它的重大影響，國(guó)際科學(xué)指南稱基因編輯不應(yīng)該在人類孕育中進(jìn)行測(cè)試?？茖W(xué)家們表示，需要進(jìn)行更多的實(shí)驗(yàn)室研究來證實(shí)它是否安全。

The AP-NORC study suggests that 71 percent of Americans approve of using gene editing to prevent deadly diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease.

美聯(lián)社和全國(guó)民意調(diào)查中心進(jìn)行的這項(xiàng)調(diào)查表明，71%的美國(guó)人贊成使用基因編輯技術(shù)來預(yù)防某些致命疾病，例如囊腫性纖維化或亨廷頓氏舞蹈癥。

The study found that 65 percent of Americans would approve of using gene editing to prevent conditions such as blindness. There also was support for using the technology to reduce the risk of diseases that might develop later in life, such as cancer.

該研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，65%的美國(guó)人贊成使用基因編輯技術(shù)來預(yù)防失明等疾病，還有人支持使用這項(xiàng)技術(shù)來降低晚年可能患上的疾病的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，例如癌癥。

However, 66 percent of Americans oppose using gene editing to change qualities such as intelligence or athletic ability. They also oppose changing physical qualities such as eye color or height, the study found.

然而調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，66%的美國(guó)人反對(duì)使用基因編輯技術(shù)來改變智力或運(yùn)動(dòng)能力等身體素質(zhì)，他們還反對(duì)改變眼睛眼神或體重等身體特質(zhì)。

Dr. Robert Klitzman studies biological research rules. He noted that, if fertility clinics start to edit the genes of embryos, there will be hard choices to make about what conditions can be changed.

羅伯特·克利茲曼博士(Dr. Robert Klitzman)研究生物學(xué)研究規(guī)則。他指出，如果生育診所開始編輯胚胎的基因，就會(huì)很難抉擇哪些狀況是可以改變的。

What if scientists could identify genes involved with depression or autism or high body weight? Would they be acceptable to edit? "It's one thing to look at the extremes of fatal diseases versus cosmetic things, but in the middle are going to be these very different issues," Klitzman said.

如果科學(xué)家可以確定與抑郁癥、孤獨(dú)癥或肥胖相關(guān)的基因，編輯這些基因是不是可以接受呢?克利茲曼博士表示：“這涉及到如何看待致命性疾病和美容性問題這兩個(gè)極端，但是中間會(huì)出現(xiàn)完全不同的問題。”

More Americans oppose than approve of government support for testing gene-editing technology on human embryos. About 25 percent of them have no opinion.

大部分美國(guó)人反對(duì)批準(zhǔn)政府支持對(duì)人類胚胎基因編輯技術(shù)進(jìn)行測(cè)試，25%的美國(guó)人不發(fā)表意見。

Jaron Keener, the Pittsburgh museum worker, said that he opposes the research because he fears it would not be used only to fight disease.

匹茲堡博物館員工基納表示，他反對(duì)這項(xiàng)研究，因?yàn)樗麚?dān)心它會(huì)不僅僅用于對(duì)抗疾病。

"I just don't have a lot of confidence people wouldn't use it for their own gain," he said.

他說：“我不太相信人們不會(huì)為了自己的利益濫用它。”

The study suggests a lack of trust in the technology. About one-third of Americans think gene editing will be used before it is fully tested. Many scientists believe this has already happened in China.

該調(diào)查表明人們對(duì)這項(xiàng)技術(shù)缺乏信任。大約1/3的美國(guó)人認(rèn)為基因編輯會(huì)在完全測(cè)試前使用。很多科學(xué)家認(rèn)為這已經(jīng)發(fā)生在中國(guó)。

Nearly 90 percent of the people in the study thought that the technology will be used for the wrong reasons.

近90%的被調(diào)查者認(rèn)為，這項(xiàng)技術(shù)會(huì)被用于錯(cuò)誤原因。

I'm Pete Musto.

皮特·穆斯托報(bào)道。