VOA慢速英语2011--WHO Finding Adds to Debate Over Mobile P

Technology Report - WHO Finding Adds to Debate Over Mobile Phones, Brain Cancer

世卫组织加大手机致脑癌的讨论

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。

The World Health Organization has added to the debate over the risk of brain cancer from mobile phone use. Last week the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer listed the signals from wireless 1 devices as "possibly carcinogenic." This finding puts cell phones in the same risk group as the pesticide 2 DDT -- but also in the same group as coffee.

世界卫生组织加大了手机对脑癌的风险讨论。上周，世界卫生组织的国际癌症研究中心（International Agency for Research on Cancer）将无线设备信号列入“可能致癌物”名单中，这一调查结果将移动电话列入与杀虫剂DDT的同等风险等级——并与咖啡处于同等级别。

A group of thirty-one scientists from fourteen countries made the finding. The announcement came at the end of a meeting at the agency's headquarters in Lyon, France.

一组由来自14个国家的31名科学家完成了该项调查，并在法国里昂该研究中心总部的会议结束时宣布了其结果。

The concern is that extended contact with radiofrequency electromagnetic fields may increase a user's risk for glioma. Glioma is the most common form of brain cancer.

令人担忧的是，随着与射频电磁场的广泛接触，可能会增加使用者患神经胶质瘤的风险。神经胶质瘤是脑癌最常见的一种类型。

The scientists spent a week examining existing research. Dr. Jonathan Samet from the University of Southern California led the group.

科学家用一周的时间研究现有的资料，来自南加州大学的乔纳森·萨梅特（Jonathan Samet）博士为该研究小组的组长。

JONATHAN SAMAT: "We also carefully consider the sources of exposure of populations to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, the nature of these fields as they come from various devices, including wireless phones, and we look carefully at the physical phenomenon by which exposure to such fields may perturb 3 biological systems and lead to cancers."

萨梅特：“我们也认真研究了人们接触到的射频电磁场的来源，这些电磁场的性质，因为他们来自不同的设备包括了无线电话，我们还仔细观察通过接触射频电磁场可能扰乱生物系统并致癌的物理现象。” 

He says the finding that there could be some risk means scientists need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer.

他表示，研究结果是可能存在风险，这就意味着科学家需要对手机与癌症之间的关系做进一步观察。

The statement noted 4 that the number of mobile phone users is large and growing, especially among young adults and children. Mobile phone subscriptions 5 are estimated at five billion worldwide.

有报告指出，手机使用者的数量庞大并且持续增长，尤其在青少年和儿童当中。全球手机签订用户大约50亿。

The scientists called for more research into long-term, heavy use of mobile phones. They also suggested taking measures to reduce exposure to the signals, like hands-free devices or texting.

科学家主张对长期大量使用手机的用户进行研究，他们还建议采取像使用免提设备或短信的措施减少信号接触。

Camilla Rees from an American group called Electromagnetic Health praised the report but says wider research is needed.

来自叫做电磁健康美国小组的卡米拉·里斯（Camilla Rees）称赞该项研究报告，并表示需要做更广泛的研究。

CAMILLA REES: "We’ve only had this technology around for about fifteen years, and most carcinogens will take about several decades, thirty-forty years to develop a cancer. So based on some early indications, scientists are projecting that we’re actually going to be seeing a tsunami 6 of brain cancer unless we do something to educate people to lower their exposure to this kind of risk."

里斯：“我们掌握这项技术仅仅约15年，但大部分致癌物将持续几十年，30到40年就会发展为癌症。所以基于早期的迹象，科学家预测我们将会看到一个脑癌的海啸，除非我们做一些告诉大家降低接触该风险的事情。”

CTIA, the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, dismissed the report. The group pointed 7 out that no new research had been done. And it noted that the cancer research agency has given the same finding to things like coffee and pickled vegetables.

蜂窝电信产业协会（CTIA），国际无线通信产业协会（International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry）驳回了该说法。该小组指出，还没有做出新的研究，并且癌症研究中心对咖啡和腌菜也有同样发现。

And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report, written by June Simms. You can find a link to the statement from the World Health Organization at voaspecialenglish.com. And while you're there, tell us your thoughts about this whole issue of mobile phone safety. I'm Steve Ember.