2006年VOA标准英语-Scientists Look at Promise, Peril of Techn

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
12 April 2006

Scientists meeting in Los Angeles say technology offers the hope of a better world, but presents hazards if mishandled.  Mike O'Sullivan reports, the University of Southern California and the journal "Science" convened¹ a panel of scientific innovators to look at the promise and the perils³ of technology.

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There are dangers in a democracy when an ill-informed citizenry must make policy decisions relating to medicine, the environment, or other branches of science, says John Seely Brown, the former chief scientist for the Xerox⁴ Corporation.

"You've got to ask, do we now have the scientific literacy in the public to be able to have informed dialogues about what these issues are really going to mean to civilization, to mankind itself," he said.  "If we don't have the right kind of scientific literacy, all scientific debate becomes ideological⁵."

The panelists say promoting scientific literacy is a challenge but a necessary goal, as new technologies change our society. Alan Leshner, chief executive of the American Association for the Advancement⁶ of Science, says cell phones have transformed the way people communicate, and the iPod music player will also bring changes. It can be used for entertainment or for serious purposes, such as downloading audio versions of books, or his association's publication Science.

"In a relatively⁷ short period of time, everybody, just like everybody now has a cell phone, will have an iPod," he noted⁸.  "But will they be using it just to listen to music or will they listen to the podcasts from Science magazine?"

Raymond Kurzweil is a researcher in the field of artificial intelligence.  His work has led to computerized speech recognition systems and flatbed visual scanners.  He says the products of innovation are often expensive at first, but quickly become cheaper and more widely available.  He says the trend is seen not just with electronics, but with medical advances such as AIDS drugs.  Once costing thousands of dollars per patient, he notes the price has come down in the poorest countries where the drugs are desperately⁹ needed.

"Now in sub-Saharan Africa, they're $100 per patient per year and actually work a lot better.  It's still too expensive for the individuals, but at least now it's affordable¹⁰ by governments and foundations and so one can actually do something about it."

He says technology, however, is a balance between promise and peril².

"The same knowledge and tools that will enable scientists to make great strides in cancer and heart disease can also empower a bio-terrorist to create a bio-engineered biological virus that would be much deadlier than an atomic bomb," he added.

He says for people with the right training, that could be easier than building a nuclear weapon.

George Olah, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist at the University of Southern California, says there is much to worry about, including global warming, which is at least partly the result of human activity.  He describes himself, however, as an optimist¹¹.

 
George Olah
  
"Look at what's happening in the world," he said.  "China and India, without any question, in this century are becoming dominant¹² powers in the world, also in the world of technology and science.  And South America will come along.  And Africa will come along."

He says a more equitable¹³ distribution of information in the future will make innovation more international, and that wealth and power will depend on what people can do and not on their natural resources.  He says then, more people can get involved in the search for solutions.

1 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

2 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

3 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

4 xerox   

n./v.施乐复印机，静电复印

参考例句：

• Xerox and Lucent are two more high-tech companies run by women.施乐和朗讯是另外两家由女性经营的大科技公司。
• You cannot take it home,but you can xerox it.你不能把它带回家，但可以复印。

5 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。

6 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

10 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

11 optimist   

n.乐观的人，乐观主义者

参考例句：

• We are optimist and realist.我们是乐观主义者，又是现实主义者。
• Peter,ever the optimist,said things were bound to improve.一向乐观的皮特说，事情必定是会好转的。

12 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

13 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。