VOA慢速英语:Three Biotechnology Scientists Win 2013 World Food Prize

The World Food Prize has been awarded to three developers of genetically modified crops, or GMOs. Mary-Dell Chilton, Marc van Montagu and Rob Fraley received the award on October 17th.
世界粮食奖被授予给三位转基因作物（GMO）的开发者。Mary-Dell Chilton、Marc Van Montagu和Robert Fraley于10月17日获得该奖。

The award praises the technology they created for being able to increase the quantity and availability of food, it also says GMOs help deal with a growing world population and changes in weather patterns. But the selection of the three scientists has been criticized by people who question the safety and value of GMOs.
该奖项表彰了他们创造的能够增加粮食产量和可用性的技术，称转基因作物有助于应对日益增长的世界人口和气候变化。但是，这三位科学家的选择一直被质疑转基因作物安全性和价值的人们批评。

In the 1970s, Marc van Montagu, a Belgian scientist discovered bacteria in soil performing a kind of natural genetic engineering. He found that the bacteria placed a piece of their genetic material, or DNA inside the plant cells, the cells then produce chemicals that work good for the bacteria.
20世纪70年代，比利时科学家Marc van Montagu发现土壤中的细菌在进行一种自然基因工程。他发现这种细菌将其遗传物质的一部分注入植物细胞内，然后这种细胞会产生有益于这种细菌的化学物质。

"Once we [saw] bacteria can insert DNA to give a new property to a plant, we were able to replace that part of the DNA [with] DNA that we want that gives new, useful properties to the plant," van Montagu said.
“一旦我们看到了细菌可以通过注入DNA赋予植物新特性，我们就能将那部分DNA用我们想要的DNA代替，赋予植物新的有用的特性。”

His work was the beginning of plant biotechnology. Mary-Dell Chilton and Rob Fraley both Americans, produced the first genetically modified plants using that technology.
他的成果是植物生物技术的开端。Mary-Dell Chilton和Rob Fraley都是美国人，他们使用该技术生产了第一批转基因作物。

Ms Chilton was studying a common plant infection called crown gall when she witnessed the same thing as Mr van Montagu. She discovered that it forms when a germ called Agrobacterium puts a piece of its own DNA into the plant cell's genes, the plant then makes food for the bacteria.
Chilton女士当时在研究一种被称为细菌性根癌病的常见植物感染，她亲眼目睹了与van Montagu同样的事情。她发现当一种被称为根癌农杆菌的细菌将其自身DNA注入植物细胞基因后，这种植物就会为该细菌提供养分，细菌性根癌病就形成了。

Ms Chilton, Mr van Montagu and Mr Fraley along with the Monsanto company created the technology to reproduce plants while changing their DNA.
Chilton女士、van Montagu先生、Fraley先生携手孟山都公司创造了通过改变DNA重新繁殖植物的技术。

Genetic engineering can add information to plants to produce different kinds of things, such as a protein that kills insects. Farmers quickly accepted and supported the new technology first used in 1996. Nearly all the corn and cotton grown in the United States is made with GMOs.
基因工程能够向植物添加信息来生产不同的东西，比如一种杀虫的蛋白质。农民们迅速接受并支持这种于1996年首次得到应用的新技术。几乎所有美国种植的玉米和棉花都是转基因作物。

The World Food Prize organization in the American state of IOWA says 17 million farmers worldwide grew GMO crops in 2012. It says the technology increased production and reduced the usage of harmful chemical on crops.
美国爱荷华州的世界粮食奖组织称，2012年全球有1700万农民种植转基因作物。它说，这项技术提高了产量并减少了有害农药的使用。

Doug Gurian-Sherman is a scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists. He says the technology could be useful, but as there is no proof it is necessary to feed the world.
Doug Gurian-Sherman是忧思科学家联盟的科学家。他说，这项技术可能是有用的，但没有证据表明它对养活世界人口有必要。

"My understanding of the prize is you should be giving it to people that have shown major positive, unequivocally positive accomplishments in world agriculture. And I don't see, so far, this technology being anywhere near that yet," Gurian-Sherman said.
“我的理解是该奖项应该授予在世界农业上已经体现出重大利好和明确积极成就的人。到目前为止，我没有看到转基因技术接近这一要求。”

Opposition to GMOs is also spreading. In the Philippines, protesters destroyed test fields of rice that had been genetically engineered to produce vitamin A.
反转基因也正在蔓延。在菲律宾，抗议者破坏了经过基因工程改造能产生维生素A的水稻的试验田。