新视野大学英语读写教程第三册unit8-a Legal and Moral Implications of Clonin
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Section (A)
Legal and Moral Implications of Cloning
At first it was just plain surprising. Word last week that a scientist named Ian Wilmut had succeeded in cloning an adult mammal — an achievement long thought impossible — caught the imagination of everyone. The laboratory process that produced Dolly, an unremarkable-looking sheep, theoretically would work for humans as well. A world with human clones was suddenly within reach. It was science fiction coming to life.
In the wake of Wilmut's announcement, governments hurried to draft guidelines for the unknown, a future filled with incredible possibilities. President Clinton ordered a national commission to study the legal and moral implications of cloning. Leaders in Europe, where most nations already prohibit human cloning, began examining the moral implications of cloning other species.
Like the Theory of Relativity, the splitting of the atom, and the first space flight, Dolly's appearance has generated a long list of difficult puzzles for scientists, politicians, and philosophers. And wild questions on the topic of cloning continue to mount.
Why would anyone want to clone a human being in the first place?
The human cloning situations that experts consider most frequently fall into two broad categories: 1) parents who want to clone a child, either to provide transplants for a dying child or to replace that child, and 2) adults who for a variety of reasons might want to clone themselves.
Will it be possible to clone the dead?
Perhaps, if the body is fresh, says one expert. The cloning method used by Wilmut's lab requires combining an egg cell with the nucleus of a cell containing the DNA of the person to be cloned. (DNA is a very long, ribbon -like molecule that contains our genetic information.) And that means that the nucleus must be intact. Cells die and the cell nucleus begins to break apart after death. But, yes, in theory at least it might be possible.
Would a cloned human be identical to the original?
Identical genes don't produce identical people, as anyone who knows a set of identical twins can tell you. In fact, twins are more alike than clones would be, since they have at least shared the same environment within the mother, are usually raised in the same family, and so forth. Parents could clone a second child who resembled their first in appearance, but all the evidence suggests the two would have very different personalities.
Twins separated at birth do sometimes share personality characteristics, but such characteristics in a cloned son or daughter would only be reminders of the child who was lost.
Even in terms of biology, a clone would not be identical to the "master copy". The clone's cells, for example, would have energy-processing machinery that came from the egg, not from the person who was cloned. But most of the physical differences between originals and copies are so minor that detection of them would require a sophisticated laboratory. The one possible exception is bearing children. Wilmut and his coworkers are not sure that Dolly will be able to have lambs. They will try to find out once she's old enough to breed.
What if parents decided to clone a child in order to harvest organs?
Most experts agree that it would be psychologically harmful if a child sensed he had been brought into the world simply as an organ donor. But some parents already produce second children with nonfatal transplants in mind, and many experts do not oppose this. Cloning would increase the chances for a tissue match from 25 percent to nearly 100 percent.
If cloned animals could be used as organ donors, we wouldn't have to worry about cloning twins for transplants. Pigs, for example, have organs similar in size to humans'. But the human body attacks and destroys tissue from other species. To get around that, one company is trying to alter the pig's genetic code to prevent pig organs from being attacked. If the company's technicians succeed, it may be more efficient to produce such pigs by cloning than by current methods.
How would a human clone refer to the donor of its DNA?
"Mom" is not right, because the woman or women who supplied the egg and gave birth to the infant would more appropriately be called Mother. "Dad" isn't right, either. A traditional father supplies only half the DNA in a child. Judith Martin, in her writings under the name of "Miss Manners";, suggests the phrase, "Most honored sir or madam". Why? "One should always respect one's ancestors," she says, "regardless of what they did to bring one into the world."
That still leaves some confusion over vocabulary. The editorial director of one dictionary says that the noun "clonee" may sound like a good term, but it's not clear enough. Instead, he prefers "original" and "copy".
What are the other implications of cloning for society?
The gravest concern isn't really cloning itself, but genetic engineering — the deliberate altering of genes to create human beings according to certain requirements.
Specifically, some experts are concerned about the creation of a new (and disrespected) social class: "the clones". One expert believes the situation could be comparable to what occurred in the 16th century, when Europeans puzzled over how to classify the unfamiliar inhabitants of the Americas, and endlessly debated whether or not they were humans.
The list of questions could go on; people are just beginning to wonder about the future of the world after cloning.
Words: 900
New Words
implication n. 1.含义，暗示 2.牵连，卷入
▲clone v. (使)无性繁殖；克隆 n. 无性繁殖系（个体）；克隆
fiction n. 1.小说 2.虚构，想像
draft vt. 1.起草，草拟 2.征募，征召 n. 1.草稿，草案，草图 2.汇票
guideline n. 指导原则，指导方针，准则
prohibit vt. 禁止；阻止，使不可能
relativity n. 1.【物理】爱因斯坦的相对论(指出一切运动都是相对的，而且把时间看作是与空间有关的第四维） 2.相关性，相对性
split v. 1.（使）裂开，（使）破裂 2.（使）分裂 n. 裂缝，分裂
atom n. 1.原子 2.微粒，极小之物
mount vi. 增加，上升 vt. 1.登上 2.准备并进行；组织，发动
category n. 种类，类型，范畴
▲transplant n. 1.移植的器官或植物 2.（组织或器官的）移植 vt. 1.移栽，移种（植物等） 2.移植（器官） 3.使迁移，使移居
nucleus n. 1.细胞核，核 2.原子核 3.中心，核心
■DNA n. 脱氧核糖核酸
ribbon n. 缎带，丝带
▲genetic a. 遗传的，遗传学的
▲intact a. 完整无缺的，未经触动的
gene n. 基因
twin n. 孪生儿，双胞胎
resemble vt. 像，类似
machinery n. （总称）机器，机械
minor a. 较小的，较少的；低级的，次要的 n. 未成年人
detection n. 察觉，发觉；探测
breed vi. （动物）繁殖，产仔 vt. 饲养，繁殖 n. 品种，种，属
organ n. 1.器官 2.风琴 3.机构
■donor n. 1.献血者；捐献器官的人 2.捐赠者
fatal a. 决定命运的 ;致命的
◆nonfatal n. 非致命的
tissue n. 1.组织 2.薄纸，纸巾
code n. 1.代码，密码 2.法典，法规，准则 vt. 译成电码
technician n. 技术人员，技师
infant n. 婴儿
phrase n. 短语，词组，用语 vt. 用言语表达，叙述
confusion n. 1.困惑，迷乱，分辨不清 2.混淆 3.混乱，骚乱
editorial a. 编辑的，主编的 n. 社论
deliberate a. 1.故意的，蓄意的 2.谨慎的，慎重的 v. 认真考虑，研讨
specifically ad. 1.明确地，具体地 2.特别地，特意
comparable a. 可比较的，类似的
classify vt. 分类，归类
debate v. 讨论，辩论 n. 讨论，辩论
Phrases and Expressions
succeed in doing sth. 成功，完成
work for 适用于 为... ...工作
as well (as ) 也，和，除... ...之外
within (one's) reach 在伸手能及的范围以内 近的；方便到达的
come to life 活跃起来，表现生动
in the wake of 随着，紧跟着
in the first place 首先，一开始
fall into 可分成；属于
provide for 为... ...提供（所需的某物）
break apart 自行裂开
in theory 理论上
identical to / with 与……一模一样
and (so on and) so forth 等等
What if … …要是……怎么办
bring into the world 生（孩子）
with sth. in mind 出于……目的
get around 成功地解决，克服
refer to 将……称为 提及，谈到 查阅，询问 转送至某人以便得到处理或帮助
give birth to sb. / sth. 生(孩子)；产(仔)
under the name of 用别名
regardless of 不顾，不管
be concerned about / over 担心，担忧
comparable to / with 可与……相比
puzzle over 努力思考
wonder about 对……好奇；想知道；对……疑惑
Proper Names
Ian Wilmut 伊恩·威尔莫特
Dolly 多莉(羊)
Clinton 克林顿(美国前总统)
Judith Martin 朱迪斯·马丁
Miss Manners 礼仪小姐
克隆在法律与道德上的寓意
起初这对人们绝对是个震惊。 上周有消息说，一位名叫伊恩·威尔莫特的科学家已经成功地克隆了一只成年哺乳动物，而这项成就长期以来被认为是不可能的。 这一传闻引发了每个人的想像。克隆多莉（一只相貌无奇的绵羊）的实验过程，从理论上说也同样适用于人类。 一个克隆人类的世界突然间近在咫尺，科幻小说变成了现实。
就在威尔莫特宣告成功之后，为了一个未知世界，一个充满各种不可思议的可能性的未来，各国政府立即起草指导方针。 克林顿总统命令一个全国委员会研究克隆在法律和道德上的寓意。 在欧洲，大多数国家都已禁止克隆人类，各国领导此时也开始考察克隆其他物种的道德寓意。
就像相对论、原子裂变和第一次太空飞行一样，多莉的出现给科学家、政治家和哲学家们提出了一长串难以解答的难题。 关于克隆的问题不断涌现。
首先，为什么有人想克隆人类？
专家们考虑得最多的关于克隆人类的情形可以分为两大类： 1）父母想要克隆孩子，要么是想为面临死亡威胁的孩子提供移植器官，要么是想代替那个孩子； 2）成年人出于各种各样的原因想要克隆自己。
是否可能克隆死去的人？
有位专家说，只要尸体保持完好，也许就可能。 威尔莫特实验室使用的克隆方法要求将一个卵细胞和一个含有被克隆人的DNA的细胞核相结合。 （DNA是一种含有我们的基因信息的狭长带状分子。） 这就意味着细胞核必须保持完整。 而人死之后，细胞死亡，细胞核就开始分裂。 但是，的确，至少从理论上说克隆死去的人是可行的。
克隆的人会和母本一模一样吗？
相同的基因不会复制出相同的人。这一点，任何认识一些双胞胎的人都可以告诉你。 事实上，双胞胎相像的程度胜于克隆人，因为他们至少在母体内分享过相同的环境，通常也在同一个家庭里被抚养长大，等等。 父母可能克隆出第二个孩子，面貌与第一个相似，但是所有的证据都表明，这两个人的个性会有很大差异。 一出生就被分离的双胞胎，有时可能有相同的个性特征，但是这种相同的个性特征表现在克隆的儿子或女儿身上，只能令人想起失去的孩子。
即使从生物学的角度看，克隆人也不会和"母本"一模一样。 比如，克隆人的细胞可能会有来自卵子而非被克隆人的能量加工机制。 然而，在母体和克隆体之间存在的身体差异大部分都很小，小得需要在设备精良的实验室里测定。 惟一可能的例外就是生育能力。 威尔莫特和他的同事不敢肯定多莉是否能生育。 他们会等到多莉到了生育年龄时再寻找答案。
如果父母决定克隆一个孩子以获得器官，那会怎样？
多数专家都认为，如果一个孩子感到自己来到这个世界只是作为一个器官捐赠者，那他的心理可能受到伤害。 但有些父母已经生了第二个小孩，目的是进行一些非致命器官的移植， 对此许多专家也不反对。 克隆可以将组织适配率从25%提高到将近100%。
如果把被克隆的动物用作器官捐赠体，那我们就不必考虑为器官移植而克隆双胞胎了。 例如，猪的器官就和人类的差不多大小。 但是人体会攻击并破坏来自其他物种的组织。 为了克服这一障碍，有一家公司正在试图改变猪的基因码，以避免猪的器官受到排斥。 如果该公司的技术人员成功的话，那么用克隆技术来繁殖这样的猪比用现行的方法更为有效。
克隆的人将如何称呼其DNA捐赠者？
称呼"妈妈"不正确，因为提供卵子并生下婴孩的女子才更有资格被称为母亲。 称呼"爸爸"也不对。 传统意义上的父亲只提供了孩子身上的一半DNA。 朱迪斯·马丁在用笔名"礼仪小姐" 撰写的著作里建议这样称呼："尊敬的先生/夫人"。 为什么呢？"不论他们用什么方式将你带到这个世界，" 她说，"人总得尊敬自己的祖先。"
这样做还是留下了一些词汇上的难题。 一本词典的主编说，名词"被克隆者"听起来不错，但却不够明晰。 他更愿意用"母本"和"副本"。
克隆对社会还有什么其他含义？
最让人担心的不是克隆本身，而是基因工程——即根据特定的要求故意改变基因以创造人类。 具体说来，有些专家担心会出现一个新的（和不被尊重的）社会阶层，即"克隆阶层"。 有位专家相信，这一情形类似于16世纪时的一种情况，当时的欧洲人对如何对美洲的陌生居民进行归类感到困惑，并无休止地争论他们究竟是不是人类。
问题不胜枚举，而人们只是刚刚开始探询克隆技术出现后的世界的未来。
