VOA慢速英语: 科学家根据基因遗传数据，发现更美味的西红柿和更饱满的稻米(双语)
Tastier Tomato, Tougher Rice Sought From Genetic Data
科学家根据基因遗传数据，发现更美味的西红柿和更饱满的稻米
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
Scientists have discovered the genetic secrets of two unpopular members of two favorite food families. They hope the discoveries will produce tastier tomatoes and stronger rice.
科学家们发现了人们最喜欢的两种食物家族中两个不常见成员的遗传奥秘。他们希望这些发现能够生产出更美味的西红柿和更饱满的稻米。
The scientists discovered the complete set of genetic rules of African rice and wild tomatoes. They published their studies in two reports in the journal Nature Genetics.
科学家们发现非洲稻和野生西红柿的完整遗传规律。他们的研究结果被发表在《自然遗传学》杂志的两篇报道中。
There are good reasons African rice and wild tomatoes have not been popular. Asian rice is more productive and easier to process than African rice. The wild tomato is poisonous.
说非洲稻和野生西红柿不常见是有很多理由的，因为亚洲稻比非洲稻更多产，而且更容易加工。而且野生西红柿是有毒的。
Rod Wing is a plant biologist at Arizona State University. He helped map the African rice genes. And there is some good news to report.
罗德·温是亚利桑那州立大学的植物生物学家，他帮助绘制了非洲水稻基因图，并且这里还要报道一些好消息。
"There are some varieties that have been kinda well-adapted to grow in kind of mangrove areas, which are quite a bit more salty than you would experience for Asian rice."
“有一些品种已开始有点适应红树林地区的生长环境，对于亚洲水稻来说，这种土壤环境太咸了。”
Mr. Wing says African rice can grow in salty and even poisonous soil. And it can grow around weeds and in extremely dry conditions. He says this strength is increasingly important as climate change makes crop production more difficult. He says that this is important because the Earth's population is growing quickly.
温先生称，非洲稻可以生长在盐分多的甚至有毒的土壤中，非洲稻还能生长在杂草中以及极端干旱的环境中。并称，随着气候变化的越来越恶劣，使得农作物的生长变得越来越困难，所以这种非洲稻的优势也变得越来越重要，因为世界人口正在迅速增长中。
"There's gonna be two-to two-and-a-half-billion more people on the planet in less than 40 years, and that's a pretty scary scenario."
“预计在未来40年内，世界人口将会新增20亿到25亿人，这是一个相当可怕的场景。”
Scientists will be able to make better rice faster. They can now identify the genes that control what is good about African rice and combine those genes with Asian rice.
科学家们很快就会研发出更优质的稻米品种，他们现在已经能够识别出使得该非洲稻具有此优良品质的基因，并将这些优良基因与亚洲稻结合起来。
The wild tomato also has some good qualities. Scientists found that it can grow in salty as well as very dry conditions, like the African rice. Bjorn Usadel of Germany's RWTH Aachen University is one of the scientists who published the genetic maps of the two plants. The map identifies the genes that may be responsible for these qualities.
野生西红柿也有一些优点，科学家们发现它可以像非洲稻一样，生长在盐分较多以及非常干旱的环境中。德国亚深工业大学的Bjorn Usadel是公布这两种植物遗传图谱的科学家之一。该图谱可以确定出那些能够使它们具有这些优良品质的基因。
"The tomatoes are green and potentially there's something inside that's just not healthy; but there's also other interesting things inside."
“这种西红柿是绿色的，可能里面存在什么不健康的东西，但是里面也有其他一些有趣的东西。”
The new map could also help improve the quality of tomatoes sold in food stores. Many people say these tomatoes do not taste very good. Mr. Usadel says researchers found differences in the genes of wild and farm-grown tomatoes that affect how they taste and smell.
这个遗传图谱可以帮助提高食品商店里所出售西红柿的质量。有很多人称，这种西红柿的味道不太好。Usadel先生称，研究人员发现野生西红柿和农田里种植的西红柿的基因差异是影响味道和气味的原因。
"So, even though these wild tomatoes definitely don't taste better, this population gives us actually an indication where the taste is coming from."
“因此，尽管这些野生西红柿吃起来并不好吃，但是实际上这种西红柿品种给了我们这种味道来自哪里的提示。”
The scientist says there is another use for the map. He says it will permit scientists to make sure that any new kinds of tomatoes developed from wild tomato do not carry any of its poisonous genes.
这位科学家称，这种遗传图谱还有另一个用途，他称这种西红柿能使得科学家们确保任何由野生西红柿研制出的新西红柿品种，不携带任何有毒基因。
And that's the VOA Learning English Agriculture Report. I'm Caty Weaver.
这就是本期美国之音慢速英语农业报道的全部内容，我是卡蒂·韦弗。
Words in the News
popular - adj. liked by many people; generally approved by the public
favorite - adj. liked more than others ("Ice cream was her favorite food.")
publish - v. to make public something that is written; to include something in a book, newspaper or magazine
climate - n. the normal weather conditions of a place
different - adj. not the same
[page]听力原文[/page]
Tastier Tomato, Tougher Rice Sought From Genetic Data
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.
Scientists have discovered the genetic secrets of two unpopular members of two favorite food families. They hope the discoveries will produce tastier tomatoes and stronger rice.
The scientists discovered the complete set of genetic rules of African rice and wild tomatoes. They published their studies in two reports in the journal Nature Genetics.
There are good reasons African rice and wild tomatoes have not been popular. Asian rice is more productive and easier to process than African rice. The wild tomato is poisonous.
Rod Wing is a plant biologist at Arizona State University. He helped map the African rice genes. And there is some good news to report.
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"There are some varieties that have been kinda well-adapted to grow in kind of mangrove areas, which are quite a bit more salty than you would experience for Asian rice."
Mr. Wing says African rice can grow in salty and even poisonous soil. And it can grow around weeds and in extremely dry conditions. He says this strength is increasingly important as climate change makes crop production more difficult. He says that this is important because the Earth's population is growing quickly.
"There's gonna be two-to two-and-a-half-billion more people on the planet in less than 40 years, and that's a pretty scary scenario."
Scientists will be able to make better rice faster. They can now identify the genes that control what is good about African rice and combine those genes with Asian rice.
The wild tomato also has some good qualities. Scientists found that it can grow in salty as well as very dry conditions, like the African rice. Bjorn Usadel of Germany's RWTH Aachen University is one of the scientists who published the genetic maps of the two plants. The map identifies the genes that may be responsible for these qualities.
"The tomatoes are green and potentially there's something inside that's just not healthy; but there's also other interesting things inside."
The new map could also help improve the quality of tomatoes sold in food stores. Many people say these tomatoes do not taste very good. Mr. Usadel says researchers found differences in the genes of wild and farm-grown tomatoes that affect how they taste and smell.
"So, even though these wild tomatoes definitely don't taste better, this population gives us actually an indication where the taste is coming from."
The scientist says there is another use for the map. He says it will permit scientists to make sure that any new kinds of tomatoes developed from wild tomato do not carry any of its poisonous genes.
And that's the VOA Learning English Agriculture Report. I'm Caty Weaver.
Words in the News
popular - adj. liked by many people; generally approved by the public
favorite - adj. liked more than others ("Ice cream was her favorite food.")
publish - v. to make public something that is written; to include something in a book, newspaper or magazine
climate - n. the normal weather conditions of a place
different - adj. not the same
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