【一起听英语】人造心脏
医疗技术的发展催生出了很多新兴的技术.....
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.
Finn: And I'm Finn.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! This week we’re talking about an amazing
scientific achievement – it’s called a total artificial heart.
Finn: That’s a heart that’s made completely artificially – in fact it’s made of plastic.
Something artificial is something that isn’t real.
Alice: This total artificial heart has given a new lease of life to a patient in the United
States – so before we find out more, Finn, I have a question for you. Which of
these creatures has the slowest heartbeat? Ready?
Finn: OK, I’m ready!
Alice: A, an elephant, b, a human being or c, a dog.
Finn: Hmm – I’m really not sure about that. Do different size dogs have different
heartbeats I wonder, Alice?
Alice: I don’t know! I only know which of them has the slowest heartbeat and I’ll
give you the answer at the end of the programme. So let’s find out more about
this total artificial heart. Here’s heart doctor, cardiologist Dr Doug
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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Horstmanshof talking about his patient, Troy Golden, a pastor 1 from the United
States who was born with a serious heart condition.
Insert 1: Dr Doug Horstmanshof
He suffers from a disease called Marfan's syndrome 2 that he was born with. Physically 3,
He wasn't even able to get out of bed anymore, could barely bear weights, could barely
breathe comfortably. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually - he had reached a point so low
that most of us can't even imagine.
Alice: Dr Doug Horstmanshof says his patient suffered badly from his disease. He
had reached a point so low that most of us can’t even imagine.
Finn: A point so low – a condition that is so bad you can’t imagine things getting any
worse.
Alice: Troy Golden was physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally exhausted 4.
He had been put on a list for a heart transplant in January 2010 but couldn’t
Finn: A donor – somebody who gives you something, in this case a human heart.
Somebody who donates a heart or a liver or kidney is called an organ donor.
Alice: And Troy’s heart was in such a bad condition a normal heart pump wouldn’t
work for him, so Dr Horstmanshof decided 6 to do something incredible in
September 2010. He removed his patient’s heart completely and replaced it
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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with a plastic heart – the total artificial heart. It contains valves, a pump and
also batteries to keep it powered.
Finn: So that was September 2010 – Troy Golden has had his new heart for several
months now. How has it been functioning?
Alice: Let’s hear what he says.
Insert 2: Troy Golden
Yeah, I really have got to the point that I don't even really notice it, other than it's loud.
So... I think for my wife it feels, to her, she can hear it beating so she knows I'm alive, so
it's very comforting to her.
Alice: Troy Golden says his wife can hear the heart beating, and she finds the sound
very comforting.
Finn: Comforting – it makes her feel safe and secure.
Alice: And Troy Golden says he’s got to a point where he doesn’t really notice his
new heart.
Finn: He’s got to a point where he doesn’t notice his new heart, which means he’s
got used to it.
Alice: Another doctor, Dr Kevin Fong, a Consultant 7 Anaesthetist at University
College Hospital in London, says the total artificial heart is almost
unbelievable – he calls it mind-blowing.
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Insert 3: Dr Kevin Fong
It's mind-blowing to think that where he once had a heart, there's now a mechanical
device; that it's been replaced with plastic and tubes attached to a pneumatic pump
inside the rucksack on his back.
Alice: Dr Kevin Fong, a Consultant Anaesthetist from University College Hospital in
London, describing the mechanical device which is keeping Troy Golden alive.
Finn: A pneumatic pump – now, a pneumatic pump is an air pump, and this one is
kept in a rucksack on the patient’s back.
Alice: Troy Golden carries the rucksack on his back, and he says it’s great to know
his heart is pumping. He says it’s wonderful to feel alive again.
Insert 4: Troy Golden
It is great to know that my… that the heart is pumping, that my heart is pumping. I
guess it's not mine, but it is wonderful to feel alive again.
Alice: Troy Golden who has been given a new lease of life with his total artificial
heart.
Finn: A new lease of life – that’s new energy and a new sense of happiness.
Alice: So, before we go today, Finn – have you had a chance to think about my
question about the heart rates of different creatures.
Finn: Well, I think the bigger the animal the slower the heartbeat, so I’m going to go
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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for elephant.
Alice: Ah, well done – very good! Apparently 8 an elephant’s heart beats only 25 times
a minute, a human being, usually between about 60 and 90 times a minute, and
a dog, between 100 and 150 heartbeats every minute!
Finn: There you go.
Alice: Yes. So, a chance to hear some of the words and phrases. Finn, would you
mind?
Finn: artificial
a new lease of life
heartbeat
comforting
got to a point
mind-blowing
pneumatic
rucksack
Alice: Thanks for that, Finn.
Finn: You’re welcome.
Alice: Well that’s all we have time for today, and we’ll have more "6 Minute
English" next time.
Finn: Bye for now!
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
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Alice: Bye!
- He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
- We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。
- The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
- Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。
- He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
- Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
- It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
- Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
- In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
- The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
- He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
- Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。
- An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
- He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。