VOA慢速英语2011--Doctors Lack Many Ways to Treat Radiatio

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

Countries across Asia and beyond are reporting small amounts of radiation from the disabled nuclear reactors 1 in Japan. But officials say these levels are not a threat to public health.

亚洲和亚洲以外的国家都报道了来自日本受损核反应堆的微量放射物。但官员们表示，这种级别的放射量不会对公众健康构成威胁。

On Tuesday, Chinese officials reported low levels of radioactive iodine 2-131 in areas of southeastern China. These include Guangxi, Guangdong and Shanghai. Earlier tests found the material in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

周二，中国官方报道称，包括广西、广东和上海在内的中国东南部测出微量放射性核素碘－131。在此前的检测中，东北的黑龙江省也发现了这类放射性物质。

In South Korea, nuclear safety officials say they have found radioactive iodine in Seoul and several other areas.

在韩国，核安全官员称，他们在首尔和其它几个地区发现了放射性碘。

Traces from the Fukushima power station have also been found as far away as Britain and the eastern United States.

远到英国和美国东部也都发现了来自福岛核电站的放射性物质踪迹。

Radioactive iodine loses half its strength in a week. But a more dangerous material, plutonium, has also been found in soil near the power plant.

放射性碘在一周内会失去一半威力。但在福岛核电站附近土壤中发现了一种更加危险的物质--钚。

Some medicines, like Prussian blue pills, can help expel radioactive elements from the body. But there are not a lot of treatments for radiation exposure.

普鲁士蓝药片等药物可以帮助将放射性元素排出体外。但治疗辐射暴露的方法并不多。

The best known is potassium iodide. The pills flood the thyroid gland 4 with non-radioactive iodine.

最广为人知的就是碘化钾片。这种药片可以使甲状腺充满非放射性碘。

The thyroid gland is a small organ in the neck that requires iodine for good health. But people exposed to high levels of radioactive iodine can get thyroid cancer.

甲状腺是颈部的一个小器官，它需要碘来维持身体健康。但暴露于高水平的放射性碘环境中会患上甲状腺癌。

The pills block the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine and reduce the cancer risk.

碘化钾片可以阻止甲状腺吸收放射性碘，降低患癌风险。

But the pills are not a cure for radiation sickness. And they work only if the radioactive iodine has been taken into the body through food or drink.

但这种药片不能治疗辐射感染，而且只有在放射性碘是通过食物和水进入人体的情况下才能发挥其作用。

The World Health Organization is warning the public not to use potassium iodide unless health officials advise them to. WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl says the pills have their own risks.

世卫组织提醒公众不要服用碘化钾片，除非医生建议这么做。世卫组织发言人格雷戈里·哈特尔（Gregory Hartl）称，这种药品本身也有风险。

GREGORY HARTL: "Indiscriminate use of the product can cause side effects such as inflammation of the salivary 5 glands 6, nausea 7, rashes, intestinal 8 upset and possible severe allergic 9 reactions. It can also interact with other medications, especially certain types of cardiovascular medications such as ACE 3 inhibitors, receptor blockers and potassium-sparing diuretics."

哈特尔：“滥用该药片会导致副作用，例如甲状腺发炎、恶心、皮疹、肠胃不适，以及严重过敏反应。它还可能与其它药物相互作用，特别是心血管一类药物，例如ACE抑制剂、受体阻滞剂和保钾利尿剂。”

The crisis in Japan is the result of damage from the March eleventh earthquake and tsunami 10.

日本核危机是由3月11日地震和海啸导致的核电站损毁造成的。

In the United States, the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute is looking for more-effective treatments for radiation exposure. The institute is working with a company called Onconova on one possible treatment known as Ex-Rad. Onconova officials say Ex-Rad has shown promise in tests on animals, but several more years of research are needed.

在美国，武装部队放射生物学研究所正在寻找更加有效的治疗辐射暴露的方法。该所与Onconova公司合作致力于一种名为Ex-Rad的可能疗法的研究。Onconova官方人员表示，Ex-Rad疗法在动物实验中已初现输光，但仍需多年的研究。