To paraphrase 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke, all that is needed for the triumph of a misguided cause is that good people do nothing. “One such cause now seeks to end biomedical research because of the theory that animals have rights ruling out their use in research. Scientists need to respond forcefully to animal rights advocates, whose arguments are confusing the public and thereby threatening advances in heath knowledge and care. Leaders of the animal rights movement target biomedical research because it depends on public funding, and few people understand the process of health care research. Hearing allegations of cruelty to animals in research settings, many are perplexed that anyone would deliberately harm an animal.
For example, a grandmotherly woman staffing an animal rights booth at a recent street fair was distributing a brochure that encouraged readers not to use anything that opposed immunizations; she wanted to know if vaccines come from animal research. When assured that they do, she replied, “Then I would have to say yes.” Asked what will happen when epidemics return, she said, “Don’t worry, scientists will find some way of using computers.” Such well-meaning people just don’s understand.
Scientists must communicate their message to the public in a compassionate, understandable way in human terms, not in the language of molecular biology. We need to make clear the connection between animal research and a grandmother’s hip replacement, a father’s bypass operation, a baby’s vaccinations, and even a pet’s shots. To those who are unaware that animal research was needed to produce these treatments, as well as new treatments and vaccines, animal research seems wasteful at best and cruel at worst.
Much can be done. Scientists could “adopt” middle school classes and present their own research. They should be quick to respond to letters to the editor, lest animal rights misinformation go unchallenged and acquire a deceptive appearance of truth. Research institutions could be opened to tours; to show that laboratory animals receive humane care. Finally, because the ultimate stakeholders are patients, the health research community should actively recruit to its cause not only well-known personalities such as Stephen Cooper, who has made courageous statements about the value of animal research, but all who receive medical treatment. If good people do nothing there is a real possibility that an uninformed citizenry will extinguish the precious embers of medical progress.
譯文
為了解釋18世紀(jì)政治家愛(ài)蒙德·伯克的話，“被誤導(dǎo)的運(yùn)動(dòng)要想成功，所需的只是好人不作為。”現(xiàn)在，就有這樣的運(yùn)動(dòng)尋求終止生化研究，其依據(jù)是動(dòng)物有權(quán)要求人們?cè)谘芯炕顒?dòng)中不再被使用的理論�？茖W(xué)家應(yīng)該對(duì)動(dòng)物權(quán)利倡導(dǎo)者做出有力的反擊，因?yàn)檫@些人的觀點(diǎn)正在蠱惑公眾，從而威脅到了保健知識(shí)與醫(yī)療的發(fā)展。動(dòng)物權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者之所以將目標(biāo)對(duì)準(zhǔn)生化研究，是因?yàn)樯芯恳蕾嚬不�，而且�(guī)缀鯖](méi)有人理解保健醫(yī)療研究的作用。聽(tīng)到有關(guān)在研究中殘忍對(duì)待動(dòng)物的斷言，許多人感到困惑，以為任何人都會(huì)故意去傷害動(dòng)物。
比如，在最近的一次街頭集市上，一位在動(dòng)物權(quán)利保護(hù)攤位服務(wù)的老太太在分發(fā)小冊(cè)子，鼓勵(lì)讀者不要使用任何來(lái)自于動(dòng)物或在動(dòng)物身上做過(guò)實(shí)驗(yàn)的任何東西。當(dāng)問(wèn)及她是否反對(duì)免疫接種時(shí)，她說(shuō)她想知道疫苗是否來(lái)自于動(dòng)物實(shí)驗(yàn)。當(dāng)確信疫苗是來(lái)自于動(dòng)物試驗(yàn)時(shí)，她回答說(shuō)：“那么，我得說(shuō)我反對(duì)。”當(dāng)問(wèn)及如果流行病卷土重來(lái)該怎么辦時(shí)，她說(shuō)：“不用擔(dān)心，科學(xué)家會(huì)利用計(jì)算機(jī)找到某種解決辦法的。”這樣的好心人只是不了解情況。
科學(xué)家必須用一種富于同情，易于理解的方式將信息傳遞給公眾——用人性化的語(yǔ)言不是分子生物學(xué)的術(shù)語(yǔ)。我們必須澄清動(dòng)物研究與祖母的髖骨置換、父親的旁道管手術(shù)、小孩的免疫接種甚至寵物的防疫注射之間的關(guān)系。對(duì)于那些不了解只有通過(guò)動(dòng)物研究才能研制出治療方案、才能開(kāi)發(fā)出新方案和新疫苗的人來(lái)說(shuō)，動(dòng)物研究說(shuō)得好聽(tīng)一點(diǎn)是浪費(fèi)，說(shuō)得難聽(tīng)一點(diǎn)是殘忍。
有許多事情可以做到。科學(xué)家可以“走進(jìn)”中學(xué)課堂，介紹他們的科研活動(dòng)。他們應(yīng)盡快答復(fù)郵寄給編輯的來(lái)信，以防動(dòng)物權(quán)利組織的錯(cuò)誤信息沒(méi)有引起質(zhì)疑，從而蒙蔽真理。研究機(jī)構(gòu)也應(yīng)該向游客開(kāi)放，以表明實(shí)驗(yàn)室的動(dòng)物受到了人道地對(duì)待。最后，因?yàn)樽钣欣﹃P(guān)系是病人，所以，醫(yī)學(xué)研究界不僅要邀請(qǐng)像史蒂芬·庫(kù)伯（他已經(jīng)就動(dòng)物的研究?jī)r(jià)值發(fā)表了勇敢的聲明）那樣的知名人士來(lái)支持自己的事業(yè)，還要邀請(qǐng)所有接受過(guò)醫(yī)療的人來(lái)支持自己。如果醫(yī)學(xué)研究人員再不采取行動(dòng)，不明真理的公眾真有可能會(huì)不滅醫(yī)療發(fā)展的寶貴火種。
詞匯
Advocate n. 倡議者，鼓吹者 v. 提倡，鼓吹
派生：avocation n. 擁護(hù)，支持 advocator n. 擁護(hù)者，提倡者 advocatory a. 擁護(hù)者的
例句：I don’t advocate your going there. 我不主張你去那里。
詞組：advocate of sth. ……的支持者，擁護(hù)者‘
辨析：advocate, propose
advocate 指提倡，提議，后常接名詞或動(dòng)詞做賓語(yǔ)；propose 指提議，可接名詞，動(dòng)名詞或動(dòng)詞不定式做賓語(yǔ)。
Allegation n. 聲稱，宣稱
派生：allege v. 宣稱，提出 alleged a. 被說(shuō)成的，被斷言的
例句：The minister issued a prompt denial of the allegation against him. 部長(zhǎng)迅速否認(rèn)對(duì)他的不利斷言。
Argument n. 爭(zhēng)論，辯論；論據(jù)，論點(diǎn)
派生：argue v. 爭(zhēng)論，辯論；主張；說(shuō)服
例句：Have any statistics that would enforce your argument? 你有加強(qiáng)你論點(diǎn)的統(tǒng)計(jì)資料嗎?
詞組：have an argument with sb. about sth. 與某人就某事意見(jiàn)不一；It is beyond argument that ……是無(wú)可爭(zhēng)議的
Booth n. 電話亭，貨攤
例句：He went into the phone booth and dialed the number. 他走進(jìn)電話亭撥了號(hào)碼。
Brochure n. 小冊(cè)子
例句：Here are some travel brochures. 這里有一些旅游小冊(cè)子。
Bypass n. 旁路，迂回的旁道 v. 迂回
例句：Let’s bypass the town. 我們繞過(guò)這座小鎮(zhèn)吧！
Deceptive a. 欺騙的，蒙蔽的
派生：deceive v. 欺騙，蒙蔽 deceit n. 欺騙，欺騙行為
例句：The thickness of Madeline's letter proved deceptive. 梅德琳的厚信原來(lái)是騙人的。
Deliberate a. 故意的，深思熟慮的 v. 仔細(xì)考慮，商議
派生：deliberation n. 細(xì)審，審慎
例句：He deliberated the question before he made an answer. 得出答案前，他仔細(xì)地考慮了這個(gè)問(wèn)題。
詞組：deliberate over/about/upon 仔細(xì)考慮；take deliberate action 采取謹(jǐn)慎的行動(dòng)
Epidemic n. 流行病，傳播 a. 流行性，傳染的
例句：We should take steps to avoid the epidemic disease. 我們應(yīng)該采取措施阻止這種流行性疾病。
Extinguish v. 熄滅，消滅
派生：extinguishable a. 可熄滅的，可絕滅的 extinguisher n. 熄滅者，滅火器
例句：His hope has been extinguished. 他的希望破滅了。
詞組：extinguish a fire 滅火；extinguish one’s faith 使信念破滅
Immunization n. 免疫
派生：immune a. 免疫的，有免疫力的；不受影響的；免除的
例句：Have you had physical exams and immunization? 你有沒(méi)有體檢和注射過(guò)疫苗？
詞組：immunization to 對(duì)……有免疫力；immunization from 免除，豁免
Lest conj. 唯恐，免得
例句：We talked in a low voice lest we should wake the baby up. 我們小聲說(shuō)話以免吵醒嬰兒。
同義詞：in case, for fear that
Misguided a. 誤導(dǎo)的
派生：misguide v. 誤導(dǎo)
例句：It is misguided of him to pay his son’s debts. 他替兒子還債，這太不明智了。
Perplex v. 使困惑，使復(fù)雜化
派生：perplexity n. 困惑，茫然 perplexed a. 困惑的，茫然的
例句：They are worried and perplexed by his behavior. 他的舉止使他們既擔(dān)心又困惑。
同義詞：puzzle, confuse
Paraphrase n. 釋意，意譯，解述
例句：Paraphrase the ancient Chinese prose in colloquialism language. 把這篇古文譯成白話文。
詞組：the paraphrase of ……的釋意
Recruit v. 招募（新兵），招收（新成員）；補(bǔ)充，使恢復(fù)正常的狀態(tài) n. 新兵，新成員
派生：recruitment n. 招募
例句：The recruit was all eagerness to go to the front. 新入伍的戰(zhàn)士迫切盼望上前線。
詞組：recruit new members 吸收新成員
Triumph n. 勝利，成功 v. 得勝，戰(zhàn)勝
派生：triumphant a. 得勝的，得意洋洋的
例句：They achieved a great triumph. 他們獲得了很大的成功。
詞組：triumph over 戰(zhàn)勝
Ultimate a. 最后的，最終的，根本的
派生：ultimately ad. 最終，終于
例句：This is the ultimate result of their labors. 這是他們最終的勞動(dòng)成果。
辨析：final, last, concluding, ultimate
final 簡(jiǎn)單地表示結(jié)束，經(jīng)常含有決定或確定的意思；last 表示一系列中結(jié)尾，即時(shí)間上或順序的最后；concluding 表示結(jié)束，含有決定或安排的意思；ultimate 表示達(dá)到最后的極限，多用于表達(dá)強(qiáng)烈的決心，沒(méi)有任何余地。
Uniform n. 制服，軍服 a. 全都相同的，一律的
例句：The staff at this hotel wear uniform clothing. 這家飯店的員工穿統(tǒng)一的制服。
