时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2010年(三月)


英语课

Faiza Elmasry | Washington, DC 29 March 2010


Cell biologist Elaine Fuchs is known for revolutionizing the study of skin and for her support of women in science.


Children, Elaine Fuchs says, have a natural fascination 1 with science. She remembers that she did.


"I think like many of the children in our world, I got interested in science just from having a butterfly net and from having a few strainers and some boots and going down to the streams and creeks 2 and being out in the fields," says Fuchs.


Her childhood fascination with science grew with her. She moved from butterflies to biochemistry, and her research over the past three decades has revolutionized the study of skin and skin diseases.




The Rockefeller University

Elaine Fuchs encourages girls and young women to pursue careers in science.


Working at the leading edge of research on cellular 3 biology and genetic 5 skin disorders 6, Fuchs was the first to precisely 7 describe keratins — the principal structural 8 proteins of skin cells — and identify diseases caused by mutations in the keratin gene 4. At The Rockefeller University in New York, she is currently studying how skin forms from precursor 9 stem cells, looking for clues that could help researchers understand how defective 10 stem cells can cause cancers and other disorders.


Fuchs is proud that her research and teaching have blazed trails.


"I'd have to say that equally on both sides of the coin, my successes with regards to my science are the discovery of the genetic basis of a number of different human skin diseases, using very unconventional approaches, which are now [the accepted] approaches in medical textbooks, but at the time, they were very unconventional," she says. "On the other side of the coin, I would say I'm very proud of the many different students that I have trained who are now university professors themselves."


In addition to her research and teaching, Fuchs serves as president of the American Society for Cell Biology, and is president-elect of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.


In recognition of her contributions, Fuchs has received numerous awards. Last year, President Barack Obama presented her with the National Medal of Science. This year, she was named one of the laureates for the L'Oreal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science.


"It's certainly an honor. It's one of the most prestigious 11 awards not only just for women but really the most prestigious awards in science around the world," she says. "It's also a wonderful concept to reward a woman from each of the five major regional areas in which science is being conducted around the world, in a celebration of not only women in science, but also the importance of science in a world community."


When Elaine Fuchs began her undergraduate studies, there were very few women in the sciences, and their work was rarely encouraged or recognized. Fuchs credits the strong female role models in her life for inspiring and supporting her scientific career.


"My aunt was a biologist. She was a very strong feminist 12, very much integral in the women's organizations that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States," she says.


Her mother also played a pivotal role. "I'd have to say my mother was one of the most instrumental people in my life," says Fuchs. "She was a housewife but she took pride in everything that she did. She encouraged my sister and I in all different ways. My mom always said, 'You're a good cook, you'll make a fine scientist,' when I told her that I like science. So I think those kinds of little things maybe are more important that any of the bigger things."


Now, as a role model herself, Fuchs is reaching out to girls and young women, encouraging them to pursue careers in science.


"This past year, I was a visiting scholar for the Phi Beta Kappa Society and went to small liberal arts colleges in the United States, and not only gave public lectures about science, but also research lectures, and then also spoke 13 with women about the importance of bringing their intellectual force, which is formidable, to the scientific arena 14 in the future."


When she talks to young women, Fuchs tells them that many opportunities await them in the science fields. She also dispels 15 misconceptions about being a scientist.


"The notion that a scientist is some weird 16 person who sits in the corner working at their laboratory bench, never talking to anybody, couldn't be further from the truth," she says. "Science is such an interactive 17 and collaborative area. It's an incredibly social environment that really constitutes the breakthroughs."


Professor and researcher Elaine Fuchs says it's incredibly rewarding to work in scientific research. She finds it exciting to make discoveries and find new ways to solve scientific challenges.


She says it's also gratifying to be able to make a difference.

 



1 fascination
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋
  • He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
  • His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。
2 creeks
n.小湾( creek的名词复数 );小港;小河;小溪
  • The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
  • There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句
3 cellular
adj.移动的;细胞的,由细胞组成的
  • She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
  • Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。
4 gene
n.遗传因子,基因
  • 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。
5 genetic
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
  • 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。
6 disorders
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调
  • Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告,厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 precisely
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地
  • It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
  • The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
8 structural
adj.构造的,组织的,建筑(用)的
  • The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
  • The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。
9 precursor
n.先驱者;前辈;前任;预兆;先兆
  • Error is often the precursor of what is correct.错误常常是正确的先导。
  • He said that the deal should not be seen as a precursor to a merger.他说该笔交易不应该被看作是合并的前兆。
10 defective
adj.有毛病的,有问题的,有瑕疵的
  • The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
  • If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷, 顾客有权索赔。
11 prestigious
adj.有威望的,有声望的,受尊敬的
  • The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
  • You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。
12 feminist
adj.主张男女平等的,女权主义的
  • She followed the feminist movement.她支持女权运动。
  • From then on,feminist studies on literature boomed.从那时起,男女平等受教育的现象开始迅速兴起。
13 spoke
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
14 arena
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台
  • She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
  • He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。
15 dispels
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的第三人称单数 )
  • This landmark case dispels the absolute finality of this dreaded disease. 这个划时代的病例终于改观了这可怕疾病的绝对结局。 来自辞典例句
  • Charles's experience--and that of all other researchers I have met--dispels many myths about water buffaloes. 查尔斯以及我所见到的其他研究人员的经验破除了关于水牛的许多奇谈。 来自辞典例句
16 weird
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的
  • From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
  • His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
17 interactive
adj.相互作用的,互相影响的,(电脑)交互的
  • The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
  • This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。
学英语单词
(of livestock )to become thin
-iness
1-androstendione
assumpsits
average wire length
before you know it
Birlance
black shirts
brick laid on flat
calibrating device
capacity of installing power equipment
cape glove
cationic surface-active agent
centre-spreads
Clock Jitter
closing-out sale
coherent scattering cross section
common communication carrier
complementary colors
coughnenour
credit investigation
cubic spline
dermophyte infection
dining car
Dippoldiswalde
educational region
efficient system of categories
equipotential surface of velocity
ethanedioyl chloride
excalcaratus
expansionisms
family Rhincodontidae
feeding-bottle
fermionized
file processor
forepressure breakdown
fray around the edges
frequency multiplier
fuel metal
funsion splicing alignment retention hardware
Fyne, River
G-quartet
gingerphobia
Grammatik
helicteress
henriksson
Higuera de Zaragoza
hosek
incrementation memory
Kulb
kyp-
lateral distribution
lateral gustiness
laws of constant proportion
lexical matrix
Liardite
macroscopic reversibility
madbrains
magusian
market conditions
megascale
meritoes
microcystic
milk scale
o'riordan
Osagean
parrotted
pay line
peddle alibis
pigeon holed foundation wall
plunger viscometer
position signal code
princess trout
pusher lace
Radiocyathus
raised after deck
readiness report
respectify
rise up through diligence and frugality
rotary pulverizer
rubr
self - employed person
self-induction circuit
selfing
slender type
steromicrography
stiff-haired
sulfanilylbenzylamide
sustain a defeat
syncretism
T. I. F.
throwins
turn the air blue
under-realm
undig
uninebriating
Verkhnetulomskiy
was of service
wave-cut platform
won't take no for an answer
yeniseys
zabagliones