VOA慢速英語：研究表明美國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.

一項民意調查表明，大多數美國人都能接受使用基因編輯技術“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.

但是同一項調查發(fā)現(xiàn)，美國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)社和全國民意調查中心公共事務研究所進行了這項調查。

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.

這項調查發(fā)生在一位中國科學家于11月份聲稱“造出”了全球首個基因編輯人類嬰兒之后。該民調表明，很多人都很擔心基因編輯對未來的影響。

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多人接受了這項調查。研究人員表示，美國人非?？粗剡@項科技的醫(yī)療前景，它可能會改變人類父母遺傳給子女的遺傳特質。但是他們擔心這項科技是否會得到合乎道德的應用。

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基自然歷史博物館工作。這位31歲的年輕人對美聯(lián)社表示，他反對“有錢人能造出經過設計的嬰兒。”

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，還給整個家庭的幸福生活造成了嚴重后果。”

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，把某個基因刪除、替換或是修復。

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.

成人的細胞變化只會影響患者本人，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，國際科學指南稱基因編輯不應該在人類孕育中進行測試。科學家們表示，需要進行更多的實驗室研究來證實它是否安全。

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)社和全國民意調查中心進行的這項調查表明，71%的美國人贊成使用基因編輯技術來預防某些致命疾病，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%的美國人贊成使用基因編輯技術來預防失明等疾病，還有人支持使用這項技術來降低晚年可能患上的疾病的風險，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.

然而調查發(fā)現(xiàn)，66%的美國人反對使用基因編輯技術來改變智力或運動能力等身體素質，他們還反對改變眼睛眼神或體重等身體特質。

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.

如果科學家可以確定與抑郁癥、孤獨癥或肥胖相關的基因，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極端，但是中間會出現(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.

大部分美國人反對批準政府支持對人類胚胎基因編輯技術進行測試，25%的美國人不發(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，他反對這項研究，因為他擔心它會不僅僅用于對抗疾病。

"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.

該調查表明人們對這項技術缺乏信任。大約1/3的美國人認為基因編輯會在完全測試前使用。很多科學家認為這已經發(fā)生在中國。

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

近90%的被調查者認為，這項技術會被用于錯誤原因。

I'm Pete Musto.

皮特·穆斯托報道。