VOA常速英语:Microbe Could Help Battle Malaria

短语讲解：

1. Researchers have discovered a bacterium in the gut of the Anopheles mosquito which may someday be used to destroy and, therefore, prevent the spread of the disease-causing parasite.

be used to do被用来做…
例句：Knives can be used to cut apples.
刀可以用来切苹果。

2. The World Health Organization estimates 800,000 people die of malaria each year.

die of死于(疾病、过度悲伤等)
例句：Nowadays many people die of cancer. 
现在有很多人死于癌症。

3. After the mosquito feeds on the blood of an infected individual, the parasite matures into an infectious stage in the insect’s gut.

feed on以…为食
例句：Cows feed on hay.
牛以干草为食。

4. From there, the parasite, known as Plasmodium falciparum, takes up residence in the mosquito’s salivary glands so it can infect the next person that’s bitten.

take up占去
例句：This thing takes up all my attention.
这件事占用我所有的注意力。

5. The microbe, which was in the guts of a small percentage of the mosquitoes, protected those insects against infection with the parasite.

protect against保护, 保卫
例句：We protected him against his enemy.
我们保护他使他不受敌人侵犯。

6. Lead researcher George Dimopoulos says the protection seems to be a side-effect of the bacterium’s normal bodily function, adding that scientists would like to figure out a way to use the microbe as a weapon against malaria.

figure out想出
例句：Just figure it out yourself.
你自己想办法吧。

7. But we need to understand that mechanism in greater detail.

in detail详细地
例句：She described the accident in detail.
她详细地叙述了那次事故。

8. Dimopoulos says researchers’ goal now is to figure out a way to introduce the microbe into large populations of Anopheles mosquitoes - perhaps through bait laced with their favorite snack.

lace with在…加入
例句：She laced his brandy with coffee.
她在他的白兰地里加了一点咖啡。

9. Since the malaria parasite lives in mosquitoes for about two weeks before maturing to an infectious stage, Dimopoulos says it’s good news that the stomach bacterium seems to shorten the insect’s lifespan, before it could potentially transmit the parasite to humans.

transmit to把…传给
例句：Parents transmit some of their characteristics to their children.
父母把他们的某些特性遗传给子女。