VOA标准英语2012--Birth Defects Rise in Former Iraqi Battleground
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(十二月)
Birth Defects Rise in Former Iraqi Battleground
Five-year-old Lujane is one of hundreds of children in Fallujah who have been born since 2004 with severe birth defects. Her father says Lujane suffers from multiple afflictions that Iraqi doctors struggle to treat.
“The doctor was shocked because it was the first time he saw four defects in one person. A hole in the lower back, a hole in the heart, brain atrophy 1, and paralysis 2.”
The medical report, published in the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, found that the rate of birth defects in Fallujah jumped from two percent in 2001 to 50 percent in 2007. The report suggests that the massive amount of firepower used by the U.S. military in the 2004 battle for Fallujah could be responsible for this alarming increase.
Dr. Ahmed Kamal Qasim, a human geneticist in Baghdad, says the increased birth defects in Fallujah and elsewhere in Iraq stem from multiple factors related to war, including malnutrition 5, but also pollution from spent munitions 6. “Birth defects are genetically 7 divided into two types: chromosomal 8 types and gene 3 types. Chromosomal type increased in huge numbers, compared to the genetic 4 defects types due to the polluted areas," Qasim explained. "Also, the gene defect type increased in some ways like the chromosomal defect, but in small numbers in special areas. We suspect mostly due to the types of chemicals in weapons, especially missiles.”
The report found that lead levels in children with birth defects are five times higher than in other children and mercury levels are six times higher. Lead and mercury are both neurotoxins which the study says are contained in munitions used by the U.S. military.
Officials at the Pentagon deny U.S. military ammunition 9 contains mercury. And they say they are not aware of any official reports showing increased birth defects in Fallujah caused by exposure to metals contained in U.S. munitions. However, the Pentagon says it always takes very seriously public health concerns that could be associated with U.S. combat activities.
But in the case of Abdullah, who suffers from birth defects similart to Lujane's, the cause is clear, according to his father.
“I cannot describe my feelings, but all I can say is that I’d sell my own soul to have my son walk. My message to the American soldiers is this: ‘Would you let this happen to your children?’”
The toxicology study is careful to mention that more research needs to be done to find the exact cause of these birth defects.
- Patients exercised their atrophied limbs in the swimming pool.病人们在泳池里锻炼萎缩的四肢。
- Many hoped he would renew the country's atrophied political system.很多人都期望他能使该国萎靡的政治体系振作起来。
- The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
- The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
- A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
- The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。
- It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
- Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
- In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
- It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。
- The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets.军队用精确瞄准的枪炮炸掉敌方目标。
- He rose [made a career for himself] by dealing in munitions.他是靠贩卖军火发迹的。
- All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
- Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物
- Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
- In mammalian species, a variety of chromosomal rearrangements are known to exist. 在哺乳类的物种中，已知有许多类型的染色体内部重新排列。 来自辞典例句
- A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
- They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。