《中英對照讀新聞》British medical tests on animals hit 12-year high英國的醫學動物實驗數目達12年新高

◎ 魏國金

Britain carried out 2.85 million scientific experiments on animals last year, up 2.3 percent on 2003 and the highest level for 12 years, according to data released by the government.

根據政府公佈的資料，去年英國執行285萬件動物的科學實驗，比2003年攀升2.3%，達到12年來之最。

About 85 percent of experiments involved mice, rats and other rodents, while dogs, cats, horses and non-human primates accounted for less than 0.5 percent.

大約85%的實驗涉及小鼠、大鼠與其他齧齒目動物，而狗、貓、馬與非人類的靈長動物則不及0.5%。

Much of the increase was due to greater use of genetically-modified animals—mainly mice—whose genes are now routinely "knocked out" by scientists to provide valuable experimental models for understanding human diseases.

在增加的案例中許多是源於對基因改造動物—主要是小鼠的應用增加，小鼠的基因現在慣常被科學家「剔除」，以為理解人類疾病提供珍貴的實驗模式。

Animal testing is an emotive subject in Britain, which has a reputation as a country of animal lovers. "Animal research has led to advances in the treatment of many conditions such as asthma, peptic ulcers, schizophrenia and depression, polio, kidney disease and Parkinson’s," Home Office Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement. But pressure group Animal Aid slammed the rise in testing as an "unforgivable betrayal of the public as well as of animals."

動物實驗在以熱愛動物聞名的英國是一個令人情緒激動的主題。內政次官柏漢在一份聲明中說︰「動物研究使得諸如哮喘、胃潰瘍、精神分裂與憂鬱症、小兒麻痺、腎臟病與帕金森氏症等病症的治療獲得進展。」然而，壓力團體「動物救援」抨擊動物實驗案例的增加，是「對公眾與動物無法原諒的背叛」。

新聞辭典

genetically-modified：基因改造的，如︰genetically-modified food（基因改造食物）。

knock out：剔除。由於小鼠的基因圖譜已完成排序，加上小鼠壽命短、成本低廉，是觀察病變始末最佳的實驗對象，因此科學家常利用基因工程的方法剔除或轉變小鼠特定基因，以了解基因功能喪失對生物體造成的影響。

emotive：情感的、情緒的。如︰an emotive issue in the general election（大選中易引起情緒激動的議題）。