媒体英语

£8m prize won for breakthrough test tackling superbug rise 遏制 “超级细菌” 增长的突破性测试获八百万英镑大奖

为了找到遏制超级细菌增加的新方法，科学家们历经十年的竞争，终于有项目摘得价值 800 万英镑的 “经度奖”。获奖的是瑞典研究人员发明的一项测试，其测试仪器可以快速检测感染是否由细菌引起，并找出对症治疗的抗生素。

Such superbugs now kill more than a million people around the world each year.

目前这种超级细菌每年导致全球一百多万人死亡。

The test works in urinary tract infections. Put a sample in the machine and within 15 minutes, it says whether the infection is caused by bacteria. And within 45 minutes, it tells doctors the best treatment to use.

该测试适用于泌尿道感染。把样本放入仪器中，15 分钟内即可判断感染是否由细菌引起。45 分钟之内，仪器会告诉医生最佳的治疗方法。

It would stop antibiotics being wasted on viral infections which don't respond to such treatment, but still contribute to the rise of superbugs.

它可以防止抗生素被浪费在治疗病毒感染上，因为病毒感染对抗生素治疗没有反应，但仍会导致超级细菌的增加。

The original research was done at Sweden's Uppsala University and the test is now being manufactured by the company Sysmex Astrego. The winner was decided by a panel of 17 experts who scrutinised more than 250 entries. 

这个科研项目最初是在瑞典的乌普萨拉大学进行的，测试仪器目前由 Sysmex Astrego 公司制造。获奖者是由 17 名专家组成的评审小组在仔细审查了 250 多个参赛作品后选出的。

词汇表

superbugs 超级细菌
urinary tract infections 泌尿道感染
sample 样本
bacteria 细菌
antibiotics 抗生素
viral infections 病毒感染
scrutinised 仔细审查

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. What two things does the test do?

2. True or False? The test tells doctors which treatment to use within 15 minutes.

3. What is the benefit of this test?  

4. Who decided the winner of the Longitude Prize? 

答案

1. What two things does the test do?

The test says whether the infection is caused by bacteria, and then tells doctors the best treatment to use.

2. True or False? The test tells doctors which treatment to use within 15 minutes.

False. The test tells doctors which treatment to use within 45 minutes. 

3. What is the benefit of this test?   

The benefit is that the test would stop antibiotics being wasted on viral infections which don't respond to such treatment.

4. Who decided the winner of the Longitude Prize?  

The winner was decided by a panel of 17 experts.