经济学人352:锻炼与长寿

 　　Science and technology

　　科学技术

　　Exercise and longevity¹

　　锻炼与长寿

　　Worth all the sweat

　　出点汗，值了！

　　Just why exercise is so good for people is, at last, being understood

　　为什么锻炼有利于身体健康呢，人们终于知道答案了

　　ONE sure giveaway of quack² medicine is the claim that a product can treat any ailment³.

　　有一种绝对能推销出去狗皮膏药的方法就是说它包治百病。

　　There are, sadly, no panaceas⁴.

　　遗憾的是灵丹妙药并不存在。

　　锻炼健身.jpg

　　But some things come close, and exercise is one of them.

　　但有些方法却起到类似的作用，锻炼就是其中之一。

　　As doctors never tire of reminding people, exercise protects against a host of illnesses,

　　医生们一直不厌其烦地提醒人们锻炼身体有助于防范一系列疾病，

　　from heart attacks and dementia to diabetes⁵ and infection.

　　包括心脏病、痴呆症、糖尿病以及感染。

　　How it does so, however, remains⁶ surprisingly mysterious.

　　但是人们一直不知道为什么。

　　But a paper just published in Nature by Beth Levine of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre and her colleagues sheds some light on the matter.

　　德克萨斯大学西南医学中心贝丝莱文及其同事最近在《自然》杂志发表的论文给出了一些解释。

　　Dr Levine and her team were testing a theory that exercise works its magic, at least in part, by promoting autophagy.

　　莱文博士及其小组证明一个理论的正确性，即锻炼之所以有神奇的作用，

　　This process, whose name is derived⁷ from the Greek for self-eating,

　　部分原因是它能促进自体吞噬。

　　is a mechanism⁸ by which surplus, worn-out or malformed proteins and other cellular⁹ components¹⁰ are broken up for scrap¹¹ and recycled.

　　这个名称来自希腊词语自食其肉，指的是多余的、不能再用的、畸形的蛋白质和其他细胞成分被分解成碎片并再循环。

　　To carry out the test, Dr Levine turned to those stalwarts of medical research, genetically¹² modified mice.

　　莱文博士在这个实验中使用转基因老鼠作为实验对象，医学研究中经常使用转基因老鼠。

　　Her first batch¹³ of rodents¹⁴ were tweaked so that their autophagosomes,

　　第一组老鼠被调整使得其细胞中的自噬体发出绿光，

　　structures that form around components which have been marked for recycling—glowed green.

　　这种结构形成的部分被用于再循环。

　　After these mice had spent half an hour on a treadmill¹⁵,

　　这些老师被放在跑步机上半个小时后，

　　she found that the number of autophagosomes in their muscles had increased,

　　莱文博士发现它们肌肉中的自噬体增加了，

　　and it went on increasing until they had been running for 80 minutes.

　　直到跑了80分钟才停止增加。

　　To find out what, if anything, this exercise-boosted autophagy was doing for mice,

　　为了找出这种由锻炼刺激的自噬作用对老鼠有什么作用，

　　the team engineered a second strain that was unable to respond this way.

　　研究小组设计了另一组不能如此反应的老鼠。

　　Exercise, in other words, failed to stimulate¹⁶ their recycling mechanism.

　　换句话说，锻炼并没刺激再循环机制。

　　When this second group of modified mice were tested alongside ordinary ones,

　　当第二组的转基因老鼠和普通老鼠一起接受实验时，

　　they showed less endurance and had less ability to take up sugar from their bloodstreams.

　　它们的耐力逊于后者，也不能很好地从血液中吸收糖分。

　　There were longer-term effects, too.

　　还有长期影响。

　　In mice, as in people, regular exercise helps prevent diabetes.

　　老鼠和人一样，定期锻炼有助于预防糖尿病。

　　But when the team fed their second group of modified mice a diet designed to induce diabetes,

　　但是在研究小组给第二组转基因老鼠喂了一种专门用来诱发糖尿病的食物后，

　　they found that exercise gave no protection at all.

　　他们发现锻炼并没有任何预防效果。

　　Dr Levine and her team reckon their results suggest that manipulating autophagy may offer a new approach to treating diabetes.

　　莱文博士及其小组认为实验结果表明受到操纵的自噬作用有可能提供一种新的治疗糖尿病的方法。

　　And their research is also suggestive in other ways.

　　他们的研究在其他方面也有启示。

　　Autophagy is a hot topic in medicine,

　　自噬作用在医学界是个热门话题，

　　as biologists have come to realise that it helps protect the body from all kinds of ailments¹⁷.

　　因为生物学家逐渐意识到它能抵御各种小病。

　　The virtues¹⁸ of recycling

　　再循环的功效

　　Autophagy is an ancient mechanism, shared by all eukaryotic organisms.

　　自体吞噬机制很古老，所有真核生物都有。

　　It probably arose as an adaptation to scarcity¹⁹ of nutrients²⁰.

　　它的产生可能是为了适应营养物质的缺乏的环境。

　　Critters that can recycle parts of themselves for fuel are better able to cope with lean times than those that cannot.

　　有些家畜能循环利用它们身体的一部分作为养料，这样的动物比其他的动物在食物匮乏期更容易生存。

　　But over the past couple of decades,

　　但是在过去几十年里，

　　autophagy has also been shown to be involved in things as diverse，

　　自体吞噬在其他很多地方也有所体现，

　　as fighting bacterial²¹ infections and slowing the onset²² of neurological conditions like Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases.

　　比如对抗细菌感染、放缓老年痴呆症和亨丁顿舞蹈症等神经症状的发病。

　　Most intriguingly²³ of all, it seems that it can slow the process of ageing.

　　最有趣的是，看起来它还延缓了老化过程。

　　Biologists have known for decades that feeding animals near-starvation diets can boost their lifespans dramatically.

　　生物学家几十年来都知道在动物保持接近饥饿的状态下喂食能大幅度提高它们的寿命。

　　Dr Levine was a member of the team which showed that an increased level of autophagy, brought on by the stress of living in a constant state of near-starvation,

　　莱文博士曾经工作的一个小组证明在长期接近饥饿的状态下生存的压力引起了自体吞噬水平的提高，

　　was the mechanism responsible for this life extension.

　　这种原理使得寿命延长。

　　The theory is that what are being disposed of in particular are worn-out mitochondria.

　　被处理掉的其实是衰弱的线粒体。

　　These structures are a cell's power-packs.

　　这种结构给细胞提供能量。

　　They are where glucose²⁴ and oxygen react together to release energy.

　　在线粒体里，葡萄糖和氧气共同作用释放能量。

　　Such reactions, though, often create damaging oxygen-rich molecules²⁵ called free radicals²⁶,

　　不过这种反应却常常制造出有害的富氧分子，即自由基，

　　which are thought to be one of the driving forces of ageing.

　　它是促成老化的原因之一。

　　Getting rid of wonky mitochondria would reduce free-radical production and might thus slow down ageing.

　　除掉没用的线粒体可以减少自由基的生成，这样就可能减缓老化过程。

　　A few anti-ageing zealots already subsist²⁷ on near-starvation diets,

　　一些反老化的狂热分子已经开始靠保持饥饿状态的饮食为生了，

　　but Dr Levine's results suggest a similar effect might be gained in a much more agreeable way, via vigorous exercise.

　　但是莱文博士的实验结果表示通过积极锻炼身体这样一种更随和的方式也能得到类似的效果。

　　The team's next step is to test whether boosted autophagy can indeed explain the life-extending effects of exercise.

　　该小组下一步将测试被激发的自体吞噬是否真的能解释锻炼有助于长寿。

　　That will take a while.

　　这尚需时间方能出结果。

　　Even in animals as short-lived as mice, she points out, studying ageing is a long-winded process.

　　她指出即使研究像老鼠这样寿命很短的动物也是长期曲折的过程。

　　But she is sufficiently²⁸ confident about the outcome that she has, in the meantime, bought herself a treadmill.

　　但是她对结果非常自信，于此同时还给自己也买了一个跑步机。

1 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

2 quack   

n.庸医；江湖医生；冒充内行的人；骗子

参考例句：

• He describes himself as a doctor,but I feel he is a quack.他自称是医生，可是我感觉他是个江湖骗子。
• The quack was stormed with questions.江湖骗子受到了猛烈的质问。

3 ailment   

n.疾病，小病

参考例句：

• I don't have even the slightest ailment.我什么毛病也没有。
• He got timely treatment for his ailment.他的病得到了及时治疗。

4 panaceas   

n.治百病的药，万灵药( panacea的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Are there no panaceas that would enable them to co-exist peacefully? 有没有让它们和平共处的办法？ 来自互联网

5 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

9 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

10 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

11 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

12 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

13 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

14 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

15 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。

16 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

17 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

18 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

19 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

20 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

22 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

23 intriguingly   

参考例句：

• Intriguingly, she gave to the music a developed although oddly malleable personality. 最神奇的是，她的音乐具有成熟却又很奇怪地极富可塑性。 来自互联网
• Intriguingly, the patients brains were riddled with tangles, but not amyloid plaques. 有趣的是，患者的大脑中充满了各缠结，但并没有粉斑。 来自互联网

24 glucose   

n.葡萄糖

参考例句：

• I gave him an extra dose of glucose to pep him up.我给他多注射了一剂葡萄糖以增强他的活力。
• The doctor injected glucose into his patient's veins.医生将葡萄糖注入病人的静脉。

25 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

26 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

27 subsist   

vi.生存，存在，供养

参考例句：

• We are unable to subsist without air and water.没有空气和水我们就活不下去。
• He could subsist on bark and grass roots in the isolated island.在荒岛上他只能靠树皮和草根维持生命。

28 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。