ESL Podcast 901 – Participating in a Clinical Trial

 　　Lucinda: You look tired. Are you all right?

　　Elan: I’m fine. It’s this clinical trial I’m enrolled¹ in. I’m suffering from some side effects.

　　Lucinda: Are they serious?

　　Elan: No, they’re not too bad. I was told to expect some adverse² reactions in the first weeks of the pilot study. I guess that’s why only a small group of volunteers is taking part right now. It’s so they can judge the drug’s effectiveness before the pharmaceutical³ company does a large-scale trial.

　　Lucinda: At least you know you’re not in the group getting a placebo⁴.

　　Elan: Who knows? I hope not. If I successfully get through this first phase, I’ll get a full dose of the drug in phase two.

　　Lucinda: Then you may once and for all be rid of Podcaster’s Disease.

　　Elan: I really hope so. No one should go through life sounding like a podcaster.

　　Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

3 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

4 placebo   

n.安慰剂；宽慰话

参考例句：

• The placebo has been found to work with a lot of different cases.人们已发现安慰剂能在很多不同的病例中发挥作用。
• The placebo effect refers to all the observable behaviors caused by placebo.安慰剂效应是指由安慰剂所引起的可观察的行为。