医生们表示，针对最残酷、最具破坏性的疾病之一——亨廷顿病的疗法首次取得成功。这种家族遗传病会残酷无情地杀死脑细胞，症状与失智症、帕金森氏综合症和运动神经元疾病共患相类似。
Huntington's is one of the most brutal and devastating of all diseases. It's caused by a faulty gene which progressively destroys brain cells, which then affects all parts of the body. Symptoms tend to first appear in your 30s or 40s, leading to death within 20 years.
亨廷顿病是最凶残和最具破坏性的疾病之一。这种疾病是由一种基因缺陷引起的，这种基因缺陷会渐进性地破坏脑细胞，进而影响身体的所有部位。亨廷顿病的症状通常在 30 多岁或 40 多岁时首次出现，然后会在 20 年内导致死亡。
The treatment is a gene therapy which is injected deep into the brain during lengthy surgery. The drug enters cells and delivers a new piece of DNA, which blocks the production of a faulty protein. The trial involved 29 patients. Only the topline results have been released by the company, but these show that three years after surgery, the disease was slowed by an average of 75%, based on measures including cognition, movement and the ability to manage in daily life.
本次用于治疗这种疾病的新手段是一种基因疗法，这种疗法通过漫长的手术将药物注射到大脑深处。药物会进入细胞并传递一段新的 DNA，从而阻断有缺陷的蛋白质的产生。这个疗法的试验有 29 名病人参与。相关公司只公布了试验的主要结果，但这些结果显示在手术三年后，疾病的发展速度被平均减缓了 75%，这一结论基于包括认知能力、运动能力和应对日常生活能力等多项指标。
Researchers at University College London, who were part of the trial, said the results were spectacular and would give hope to thousands of patients affected by the disease, and to their children, who have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the condition.
参与了本次试验的伦敦大学学院的研究人员表示，试验结果令人惊叹，将能为成千上万名罹患这一疾病的患者带来希望，对他们有 50% 的概率会经遗传获得该疾病的子女来说也是如此。
The drug could be licensed as soon as next year. It is certain to be expensive. Another gene therapy costs more than £2 million per patient.
该药物最早在明年就可能获得上市许可。它肯定会十分昂贵。另一种基因疗法治疗每个病人的费用超过了 200 万英镑。
词汇表
Huntington's (disease) 亨廷顿病
brutal 凶残的
faulty 有缺陷的
gene therapy 基因疗法
lengthy 漫长的
blocks 阻断，阻碍
topline 主要的（结果或结论）
50/50 50%，对半的
inheriting 经遗传而得
licensed 获得批准的，获得许可的
听力练习
一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。
1. Scientists are unsure if gene therapy will help patients of Huntington's disease.
a. True
b. False
二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。
1. Huntington's is the leading cause of death for people in their 50s and 60s.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
2. How does the treatment work?
a. An injection of new DNA stops a faulty protein being produced.
b. Cells are injected which destroy faulty proteins.
c. It slows the development of DNA in the brain.
3. 75% of patients made a full recovery three years after the surgery.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
4. Why could this trial help the children of patients with Huntington's?
a. Because it could lessen the chance of them getting the disease.
b. Because it could also be used to treat them.
c. Because it will give them more information on caring for their parents.
三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）
1. It's ________________ faulty gene which progressively destroys brain cells.
2. Another gene therapy ________________ £2 million per patient.
答案
一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。
1. b. False. Researchers say the results were spectacular, and the drug could be licensed as soon as next year.
二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。
1. c. Not given. Symptoms tend to first appear in your 30s or 40s, leading to death within 20 years. Huntington's being the leading cause of death is not mentioned.
2. a. The treatment is a gene therapy which is injected deep into the brain during lengthy surgery. The drug enters cells and delivers a new piece of DNA, which blocks the production of a faulty protein.
3. b. False. …show that three years after surgery, the disease was slowed by an average of 75%.
4. b. …would give hope to thousands of patients affected by the disease, and to their children, who have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the condition.
三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）
1. It's caused by a faulty gene which progressively destroys brain cells.
2. Another gene therapy costs more than £2 million per patient.