(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Even in the world of medicine, what is old is new again.
Thousands of years ago, Egyptians used it to sterilize drinking water. Ancient Romans, Aztecs and Greeks also used it for medical treatments.
I am talking about copper.
The symbol for copper on the periodic chart for elements is Cu. If we are talking about germs that might mean Cu later! (C + u = "See you")
Copper kills many germs on contact. Now it is back in hospitals to do just that.
One of the major ways we get sick is we touch surfaces out in the world, many made of metal or plastic. These surfaces are covered with germs. Germs live on poles on a train or bus. They are found on doorknobs and handles.
This is especially true in hospitals.
Bill Keevil is a microbiologist at Southampton University in Britain. He is investigating the properties of copper that kill germs -- or as researchers call them, pathogens.
Keevil points to studies that compare infection rates at U.S. hospitals that use copper surfaces and those that do not.
"They found that copper alloys gave a 58 percent reduction in infection rate. So that showed, you know, that in the real world of a hospital environment, copper alloys do a great job (in preventing infection)."
In a study published in the journal mBio, Keevil and his team found that copper surfaces can quickly kill the coronavirus 229E.
You may not know coronavirus 229E by name.
But if you ever have had the common cold or the more serious pneumonia, you have been in contact with it.
The coronavirus 229E is also closely related to the pathogen that causes SARS and MERS.
Keevil explains that copper ions -- electrically charged molecules -- kill dangerous viruses by destroying their genetic material. Copper ions do this by interacting with oxygen and changing the oxygen molecules. As a result, the virus cells cannot mutate.
"Now these ions are able to punch holes in the cell's membrane, enter the cell and destroy their nucleic acid. So they are completely killed. There's no chance of mutation leading to resistance, and there's no coming back. So the chemistry is fantastic."
Keevil notes that ancient civilizations knew about the germ-killing properties of copper. However, they may not have understood the science behind it.
Researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health wrote on their website about the oldest recorded medical use of copper.
They say its use is noted in an Egyptian medical book written about 4,000 years ago.
The book describes how they used copper to sterilize wounds and drinking water.
Keevil says earlier generations of builders in the United States also knew this about copper. That is why copper alloys such as brass were often used in building materials.
But more modern builders stopped using copper and copper alloys. They cost more than other building materials.
However, Bill Keevil says copper could save hospitals money. He says their other costs of fighting infection will drop, including drugs for treatment.
More importantly, less people will get sick.
I'm Anna Matteo.
词汇解释
1.sterilize vt. 消毒，杀菌；使成不毛；使绝育；使不起作用
Sulphur is also used to sterilize equipment.
硫磺也用来给设备消毒。
2.periodic chart 周期表
Since the elements were arranged in a periodic chart, it has been widely used all over the world.
自从元素排成周期表以来， 周期表在世界各地得到广泛应用。
3.coronavirus n. 冠状病毒；日冕形病毒
Other viruses including the coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus and enterovirus have also been identified as causing cold symptoms.
包括冠状病毒、呼吸道合胞病毒和肠道病毒在内的其他病毒也被确认会引发感冒症状。
4.pneumonia n. 肺炎
Penicillin cured him of pneumonia.
青霉素治好了他的肺炎。
5.pathogen n. 病原体；病菌
It's not yet clear if the pathogen might cause cancerous changes, the researchers told Genome Research journal.
他们在《基因组研究》杂志上表示，该病菌是否会导致癌变，目前尚不清楚。
6.membrane n. 膜；薄膜；羊皮纸
A vibrating membrane in the ear helps to convey sounds to the brain.
耳膜的振动帮助声音传送到大脑。
内容解析
1.Copper kills many germs on contact. Now it is back in hospitals to do just that.
on contact 接触
This food will deteriorate rapidly on contact with air.
这种食物一接触到空气即迅速变坏。
The label sticks on contact , ie when it touches a surface.
这标签一接触即可贴上。
2.Copper ions do this by interacting with oxygen and changing the oxygen molecules.
interact with 与…相互作用；与…相互影响：
These two chemicals interact with each other at a certain temperature.
这两种化学物质在一定的温度下相互作用。
Atoms within the fluid interact with the minerals that form the grains.
液体中的原子与形成颗粒的矿物质相互作用。
参考译文
医药界也刮起了复古风。
几千年前，埃及人就会使用这种东西来给饮用水消毒。古罗马人、阿芝特克人和希腊人也用它来治病。
我说的是铜。
元素周期表上铜的符号是Cu，当我们谈到细菌的时候，它的意思可能是“再见”！
铜通过接触可以杀死很多细菌，现在铜又被医院用来杀菌。
我们生病的一大原因是接触了一些东西的表面，很多都是金属或塑料制成的，这些表面上有细菌。细菌滋生在火车或公车的杆子上，门把手和手柄上也有细菌。
医院里尤其如此。
比尔·基维尔是英国南安普敦大学一名微生物学家，他正在研究铜能杀菌的属性，研究人员也把细菌称作病原体。
基维尔称在研究中他们把使用铜做表面的美国医院和不这么做的医院的感染率进行了对比。
“他们发现铜合金能将感染率降低58%，所以在医院这样的真实环境中，铜合金可以很有效地预防感染。”
在一份发表在期刊mBio的研究中，基维尔和他的团队发现铜表面可以快速杀灭冠状病毒229E。
你可以没听说过冠状病毒229E。
但如果你得过普通感冒或是更严重的肺炎，你可能接触过这种病毒。
冠状病毒229E还与导致SARS和MERS的病原体密切相关。
基维尔解释说，带有电荷的铜离子通过破坏其基因物质来杀死病毒，铜离子能与氧化合并改变氧分子结构，这样病毒细胞就无法突变。
“这样铜原子就能在细胞膜上钻洞，进入细胞内部并破坏其核酸，这样就彻底杀灭病毒。这样病毒就没有突变以抵抗的机会，没有卷土重来的机会了，所以这种化学物质很神奇。”
基维尔说古人已经知道铜能杀灭细菌的属性，但可能不知道其中的科学原理。
美国国家卫生研究院的研究人员在研究院网站上撰文描述了最早把铜用作医疗的情况。
他们说大约4000年前埃及的一部医学著作上就有记载。
这本著作描述了当时的人们如何用铜来给伤口和饮用水消毒。
基维尔说美国早期的建筑师们也知道铜的这种用法，因此黄铜等铜合金常被用做建筑材料。
但是现代建筑师已不再用铜和铜合金，因为它们比其他建筑材料都要贵。
然而，比尔·基维尔说铜可以给医院省钱，他说其他用于对付感染的成本将会下降，包括治疗使用的药物。
更重要的是，铜很少会致病。
我是安娜·马特奥。
