2006年VOA标准英语-US Senate Expected to Approve Funding of Embryo

By Deborah Tate
Washington
17 July 2006

The U.S. Senate Tuesday is expected to approve federal funding for expanded embryonic² stem cell research, despite a veto threat from President Bush who opposes the idea on moral grounds.

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On the eve of the vote, senators engaged in emotional debate on embryonic stem cell research, raising matters of life and death and highlighting personal stories of Americans who could be affected³ by the issue.

Scientists and other advocates of embryonic stem cell research say it has the potential to treat illnesses such as diabetes⁴, Parkinson's disease and cancer. They note that embryonic stem cells can form different tissue types found in the human body, and thus have the potential to replace damaged or diseased organs.

Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said "the debate on embryonic stem cell research is as important as any issue which has ever been before the United States Senate. We are on the threshold of being in a position to save tens of thousands of lives and save tens of thousands of people from extensive human suffering."

Specter cites public opinion polls that show a majority of Americans support such research. He says the legislation before the Senate would involve only embryos⁵ that come from fertility treatments that would otherwise be discarded.

Joining Specter at a news conference was former Defense⁶ Secretary Frank Carlucci, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and serves on the board of the advocacy group, the Parkinson's Action Network. "We do not know for certain if stem cell research can lead to a cure for Parkinson's, but it will certainly help our understanding of what causes the disease and what its evolution is. Many do think it can lead to a reversal of Parkinson's unrelenting degeneration,"

Most Senate Democrats⁷ support the legislation. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California says U.S. scientists are going overseas to conduct human embryonic research because of the restrictions⁸ in this country. "Researchers are attracted by the federal funding provided in at least 10 other nations: Germany, Finland, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, China and Australia. These investments total hundreds of millions of dollars that are already producing tangible⁹ progress," she said.

The Republican majority in the Senate is divided on the issue. Opponents, including those who make up the party's conservative base, argue that embryonic stem cell research amounts to the taking of human life because an embryo¹ is destroyed in the process. "It is immoral¹⁰ to destroy the youngest of human lives for research purposes. We do not need to do it," said Senator Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican.

Brownback spoke¹¹ at a news conference, where he was joined by Steve Johnson of Pennsylvania.

Johnson and his wife adopted a daughter who came from a donated embryo at a fertility clinic. Johnson is also wheel chair-bound, as a result of a bicycle accident that damaged his spinal¹² cord.

Johnson said he would like to be cured of his affliction, but not if it comes at the expense of destroying an embryo. "Would I kill my daughter so I could walk again? Should I have an incremental¹³ benefit at the expense of someone else's son or daughter? Of course not. The answer is no," he said.

President Bush also opposes the Senate measure and has vowed¹⁴ to veto it. In 2001 the President limited government funding for stem cell research to human embryonic stem cell lines already in existence, citing religious reasons.

The Senate bill appears to have the 60 votes needed for passage, but it is unclear whether there is the necessary 67 votes - or two-thirds majority of the 100-member Senate - to overturn a veto.

The measure passed the House of Representatives last year, but it fell 50 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override¹⁵ a veto.

Republicans are concerned about the political impact a Presidential veto could have on their reelection chances in November. So the Senate will be voting on two other stem-cell related bills that President Bush has signaled he could sign: one would encourage study on stem cells derived¹⁶ from sources other than embryos and the other would ban the production of embryos solely¹⁷ for stem cell harvest.

1 embryo   

n.胚胎，萌芽的事物

参考例句：

• They are engaging in an embryo research.他们正在进行一项胚胎研究。
• The project was barely in embryo.该计划只是个雏形。

2 embryonic   

adj.胚胎的

参考例句：

• It is still in an embryonic stage.它还处于萌芽阶段。
• The plan,as yet,only exists in embryonic form.这个计划迄今为止还只是在酝酿之中。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 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。

5 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

10 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

13 incremental   

adj.增加的

参考例句：

• For logic devices, the incremental current gain is very important. 对于逻辑器件来说，提高电流增益是非常重要的。 来自辞典例句
• By using an incremental approach, the problems involving material or geometric nonlinearity have been solved. 借应用一种增量方法，已经解决了包括材料的或几何的非线性问题。 来自辞典例句

14 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

15 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

16 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》

17 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。