分子剪刀
Researchers at Kyoto University have successfully modified the world’s most hated bug’s genome.
京都大學研究人員成功編輯了世界上最令人討厭的蟲子的基因組。
modify(v.)修改;改變;微調GM food=genetically modified food基因改造食品
In a study published in May 2022 in the scientific journal Cell Reports Methods, researcher Yu Shirai from the School of Agriculture of Kyoto University explained the goal of the experiment was to overcome gene-editing limitations of embryos of a number of insect species, including cockroaches.
一項於2022年5月發表在科學期刊《細胞報告方法》的研究中，京都大學農學院的研究員白井雄解釋，該實驗的目標是克服包括蟑螂在內的多種昆蟲胚胎的基因編輯限制。
goal=purpose=aim目標;目的limitation(n.)限制;侷限limit(n.)限制speed limit速限time limit時間限制embryo(n.)胚胎species(n.)(單複數)(動植物的)種;物種
Up until this study, these species’ embryos could not be modified efficiently as they are typically protected by a virtually inaccessible shell for days or weeks before hatching.
在這項研究之前，昆蟲的胚胎因為在孵化前幾天或幾個禮拜前受到一層堅硬的外殼防護，所以當科學家想對昆蟲進行基因編輯時，往往費時費力。
efficiently(adv.)有效率地=in an efficient wayvirtually(adv.)幾乎=almostinaccessible(adj.)達不到的;不能接近的accessible(adj.)可到達的;可進入的access(v.)存取(計算機資訊);到達;進入hatch(v.)孵出;破殼
CRISPR-Cas9, often referred to simply as CRISPR, was the key technology that helped the research team successfully circumvent the cockroach’s reproduction system, as documented in the article.
文章提到，研究團隊借助CRISPR-Cas9技術（通常簡稱為CRISPR），為成功繞過蟑螂繁殖系統的關鍵技術。
refer to...as... 把...稱呼、稱作circumvent(v.)(尤指巧妙或非法地)逃避;規避;繞過circumvent technical problems克服技術難題reproduction(n.)繁殖;生殖
The tool, which earned its creators the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has been described as “molecular scissors” which can change nucleic acids, such as DNA.
這項技術的發明者贏得了2020年諾貝爾化學獎，被形容為可以改變DNA等核酸的「分子剪刀」。
describe…as… 把～形容為～molecular(adj.)分子的;由分子組成的the molecular structure of fuel燃料的分子結構nucleic acids(存在於生物細胞中的)核酸
According to the researchers’ study, its usage “efficiently introduces heritable mutations in developing oocytes,” and opens the door to extending “the application of gene-editing technology to a wide variety of insects.”
研究者發現，CRISPR的使用「有效地在發育中的卵母細胞中引入了可遺傳的突變」，並開啟了擴大「基因編輯技術應用於各種昆蟲」的可能性。
heritable(adj.)(特徵或疾病)可遺傳的inherit(v.)繼承;遺傳;經遺傳而得mutate(v.)mutation(n.)(遺傳物質等)突變;變異oocyte(n.)卵母細胞open the door to sth.給予…機會、使…成為可能～application(n.)應用
Talking to Voice of America, Takaaki Daimon, the lead writer of the study, explained that scientists will now be able to “edit insect genomes more freely and at will. In principle, this method should work for more than 90 percent of insect species.”
研究的主要作者大門高明在接受美國之音採訪時解釋，科學家現在將能夠「更自由、隨意地編輯昆蟲基因組。原則上，這種方法應該適用於90％以上的昆蟲。」
at will任意;隨意in principle(adv.)原則上;基本上=basically
Another advantage of the technique is its lower requirements: CRISPR does not require costly equipment, complex experimental setups, or highly skilled laboratory workers.
該技術的另一優點是低門檻：CRISPR不需要昂貴的設備、複雜的實驗設置或高技術的實驗室人員。
advantage(n.)優勢;好處=benefit=meritrequirement(n.)條件;要求
“These problems with (traditional) methods have plagued researchers who wish to perform genome editing on a wide variety of insect species,” he added.
他補充說：「（傳統）方法一直有這些問題，困擾著希望對多種昆蟲進行基因組編輯的研究人員。」
plague(n.)瘟疫(v.)不斷困擾、折磨、使受煎熬
CRISPR had previously been used by scientists at the University of California to block the ability of mosquitos to identify human targets, a major development in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika.
加洲大學的科學家先前曾使用CRISPR來阻撓蚊子識別人類目標的能力，是對抗登革熱、黃熱病和茲卡病毒等蚊媒疾病的重大進展。
block(v.)封鎖;阻擋;阻礙-borne(bear的過去分詞)…傳播的;…攜帶的airborne(adj.)空氣中的;靠空氣傳播的waterborne(adj.)(疾病等)經水傳染的;由水傳播的cholera(n.)霍亂dengue fever登革熱yellow fever黃熱病