CNN新闻：世界首例基因编辑婴儿在中国出生

燕山大学 刘立军 编写

u TRANSCRIPT

CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: A passionate debate is taking place worldwide over claims that genetically edited human children were recently born in China.

I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN 10.

Here's how the debate got started. A Chinese scientist named He Jiankui, he's an associate professor at a Chinese university, announced earlier this week that a pair of twin girls was born this month after their embryos were altered to make them resistant to human immunodeficiency virus or HIV.

Their parents, according to Professor He, volunteered for the experiment. The father is believed to carry HIV.

Professor He also appeared to suggest that a third genetically modified baby is possible that the pregnancy is in the early stages.

How could this be done?

Professor He claims to have used CRISPR, a genetic editing tool, to alter the twins' DNA. Researchers say CRISPR makes it possible to change a particular part of someone's genome, or delete a gene altogether.

But the idea of a genetically edited child is highly controversial. For one thing, some scientists doubt this even happened. The research hasn't been independently confirmed. For another, American biologist and Nobel Prize recipient David Baltimore says genetic editing is irresponsible until it's proven to be safe and effective, and it hasn't yet. Baltimore also says genetically modifying someone to be resistant to HIV isn't necessary since there are other treatments available for the disease that attacks the immune system.

A group of Chinese scientists spoke out against the research, suggesting that experimenting on a human is unethically and crazy. And there are concerns about the consequences of gene editing. A scientist who helped invent CRISPR says when you change one thing, something else gets changed too, and it's not known yet what kinds of effects this could have on the Chinese twins.

For his part, the associate professor says he's proud of his alleged achievement because the parents had, quote, lost hope for life, but now, the father plans to work hard and take care of his wife and two daughters.

Adapted from http://www.kekenet.com/broadcast/201812/572430.shtml

u VOCABULARY

1. embryo n. 胚，胚胎

2. genome n. (biology 生) the complete set of genes in a cell or living thing 基因组；染色体组。例如：the human genome人体基因组

3. recipient n. (formal) a person who receives sth 受方；接受者。例如：recipients of awards领奖者

4. unethical adj. not morally acceptable 不道德的。例如：unethical behaviour不道德行为

u QUESTIONS

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and check the true (ü) or false (û) statements.

q 1. A passionate debate is taking place worldwide over claims that genetically edited human children were recently born in China.

q 2. A Chinese scientist named He Jiankui announced earlier last week that a pair of twin girls was born this month.

q 3. According to Professor He, the twin girls’ parents volunteered for the experiment, and their mother is believed to carry HIV.

q 4. Professor He also suggested that a third genetically modified baby is possible that the pregnancy is in the early stages.

q 5. The idea of a genetically edited child is highly controversial.

q 6. David Baltimore says genetic editing is irresponsible until it's proven to be safe and effective, and it hasn't yet.

q 7. Baltimore also says genetically modifying someone to be resistant to HIV isn't necessary since there are other treatments available for the disease that attacks the immune system.

q 8. A group of Chinese scientists argued that experimenting on a human is unethically and crazy.

q 9. Professor He's proud of his alleged achievement because the parents had lost hope for life, but now, the father plans to work hard and take care of his wife and two sons.

u KEY

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and check the true (ü) or false (û) statements.

þ 1. A passionate debate is taking place worldwide over claims that genetically edited human children were recently born in China.

ý 2. A Chinese scientist named He Jiankui announced earlier last week that a pair of twin girls was born this month. 正确表达：A Chinese scientist named He Jiankui announced earlier this week that a pair of twin girls was born this month.

ý 3. According to Professor He, the twin girls’ parents volunteered for the experiment, and their mother is believed to carry HIV. 正确表达：According to Professor He, the twin girls’ parents volunteered for the experiment, and their father is believed to carry HIV.

þ 4. Professor He also suggested that a third genetically modified baby is possible that the pregnancy is in the early stages.

þ 5. The idea of a genetically edited child is highly controversial.

þ 6. David Baltimore says genetic editing is irresponsible until it's proven to be safe and effective, and it hasn't yet.

þ 7. Baltimore also says genetically modifying someone to be resistant to HIV isn't necessary since there are other treatments available for the disease that attacks the immune system.

þ 8. A group of Chinese scientists argued that experimenting on a human is unethically and crazy.

ý 9. Professor He's proud of his alleged achievement because the parents had lost hope for life, but now, the father plans to work hard and take care of his wife and two sons. 正确表达：Professor He's proud of his alleged achievement because the parents had lost hope for life, but now, the father plans to work hard and take care of his wife and two daughters.