VOA标准英语2008年-US Group to Invest $600 Million in Medical Rese

By Michael Bowman
Washington
27 May 2008

A private U.S.-based philanthropic group has announced it will spend more than half a billion dollars to fund groundbreaking medical research in a multitude of fields. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute says the $600-million initiative will focus on high-risk, high-reward areas of study where there is little or no guarantee of success, but where breakthroughs could lead to significant advances in fields ranging from epidemiology to genetics.

The institute, based outside Washington, says it will fund research into vexing¹ questions such as the effect of global climate change on the spread of infectious diseases, as well as unconventional ideas such as the correlation² between computer engineering and the human immune system.

The funds will be dispersed³ to 56 scientists from more than two dozen American universities and research institutions.

Every year, the U.S. government devotes tens of billions of dollars to scientific research. But observers note that federal funding has remained flat in recent years, boosting the need for other sources of grant money. Scientists say private funding is ideal for riskier⁴ ventures that might not gain government approval.

David Clayton is the medical institute's vice⁵ president for research operations.

"Our style of doing research does give people the courage to do things that are of higher risk," he explained.  "We will accept the fact that something that takes a big change scientifically is, by definition, more likely to fail. So, if there is a high risk taken on a problem that can be agreed was a problem worth tackling, and the individual fails, he will probably get renewed [for more funding]. It is a more forgiving system than one that has a lot of detailed⁶ reporting requirements and expects more steady-as-you-go progress."

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, named after the pioneering American aviator⁷ and filmmaker who died in 1976, is the largest private backer of biomedical research in the United States. More information can be found at HHMI.org.

1 vexing   

adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• It is vexing to have to wait a long time for him. 长时间地等他真使人厌烦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Lately a vexing problem had grown infuriatingly worse. 最近发生了一个讨厌的问题，而且严重到令人发指的地步。 来自辞典例句

2 correlation   

n.相互关系，相关，关连

参考例句：

• The second group of measurements had a high correlation with the first.第二组测量数据与第一组高度相关。
• A high correlation exists in America between education and economic position.教育和经济地位在美国有极密切的关系。

3 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

4 riskier   

冒险的，危险的( risky的比较级 )

参考例句：

• Now they are starting to demand higher returns on riskier assets. 而今他们开始在风险更高的资产上要求更高的回报。
• The problem with that: RIM's business is getting riskier every quarter. 不过问题也随之而来：RIM面临的业务风险正逐季增大。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

7 aviator   

n.飞行家，飞行员

参考例句：

• The young aviator bragged of his exploits in the sky.那名年轻的飞行员吹嘘他在空中飞行的英勇事迹。
• Hundreds of admirers besieged the famous aviator.数百名爱慕者围困那个著名飞行员。