VOA标准英语2011--Deafness 'Cure' is a Goal for Science
时间：2019-02-12 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2011年(十月)
Deafness 'Cure' is a Goal for Science
The New York Academy of Medicine recently (October 3) hosted a research summit sponsored by the Hearing Health Foundation to promote a cure for deafness caused by damaged hair cells in the ear. An estimated 37 million Americans suffer some form of hearing loss, including a Broadway composer who is coping with profound deafness.
This clashing and crashing percussion 1 music is the work of Jay Alan Zimmerman, a New York composer with significant hearing loss who has been dubbed 2 "Broadway's Beethoven." The piece, entitled "Roboticus," is about a man who upgrades his natural body with artificial parts to become a robot.
"That is the choice I am facing: Do I get a cochlear implant 3 and become a bionic man? If it gave me better than normal hearing, I would grab it," said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman has no diagnosis 4 for the condition that turned his world into a muddle 5 of sound more than 10 years ago. He supplements that muddle through lip reading. He also relies on light as a complement 6 to his music. Zimmerman says his hearing problem may involve damage to the minute sensors 7 in the ear known as hair cells that transmit audio signals to the brain.
Though the electronic device known as a cochlear implant improves hearing, it does not allow for appreciation 8 of music or all of the richness of sound. Zimmerman prefers to wait for scientists to find a way of regenerating 9 hair cells. Researchers gained a valuable insight from an unexpected source.
Dr. Mark Warchol of the Washington University School of Medicine explains what chickens have brought to hearing research.
"The avian ear has this remarkable 10 ability to regenerate 11 sensory 12 receptors after injury," noted 13 Warchol. "Deafening 14 a bird, for example, turns out to be a very temporary thing. Within several weeks, all of the dead sensory cells, damaged sensory cells, will be replaced by new cells."
Unlike chickens, humans cannot replace sensory cells lost to aging, toxicity 15 or loud noise.
Researchers at this week's Hearing Restoration Project summit at the New York Academy of Medicine noted the human body does have the capacity to restore skin cells, cells in the digestive tract 16 and in a damaged liver. Dr. Andrew Groves 17 of the Baylor School of Medicine says scientists are trying to apply that capacity to more complicated sensory cells.
"You can break the problem down into two simple processes," added Warchol. "One is if you want to repair something, you have to make more cells; the cells have to divide. So understanding what tells a cell to start dividing and then to stop at the appropriate time is really important."
But researchers say that "simple" problem may take 10 years to solve and tens of millions of dollars to fund the effort.
At this point, Jay Alan Zimmerman is declining surgical 18 treatment while he waits for a cure. In the meantime, he says he will continue writing musicals and performing his own compositions for theater.
- In an orchestra,people who play percussion instruments sit at the back.在管弦乐队中，演奏打击乐器的人会坐在后面。
- Percussion of the abdomen is often omitted.腹部叩诊常被省略。
- Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
- Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A good teacher should implant high ideals in children.好教师应该把高尚理想灌输给孩子们。
- The operation to implant the artificial heart took two hours.人工心脏植入手术花费了两小时。
- His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
- The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。
- Everything in the room was in a muddle.房间里每一件东西都是乱七八糟的。
- Don't work in a rush and get into a muddle.克服忙乱现象。
- The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
- They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。
- There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句
- I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
- I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
- It is not proposed to deal with the detailed histology of regenerating tissues here. 这里未提出详细的再生组织的组织学。 来自辞典例句
- This is accomplished by using a thermocompressor to recycle regenerating steam through the absorber. 它用热压机使再生蒸汽经吸附器循环完成解吸过程。 来自辞典例句
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
- Their aim is to regenerate British industry.他们的目的是复兴英国的工业。
- Although it is not easy,you have the power to regenerate your life.尽管这不容易，但你有使生活重获新生的能力。
- Human powers of sensory discrimination are limited.人类感官分辨能力有限。
- The sensory system may undergo long-term adaptation in alien environments.感觉系统对陌生的环境可能经过长时期才能适应。
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
- The hoarse grunt or squeal is characteristic of toxicity.嘶哑的哼声和叫声是中毒的特征。
- Dieldrin is related to aldrin,and its toxicity to earthworms is similar.狄氏剂与艾氏剂有关，对蚯蚓的毒性是相似的。
- He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
- He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。
- The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
- The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。