《中英對照讀新聞》Food preservative cuts lung bug 食物防腐劑減少肺部病菌

◎ 鄭寺音

A common food preservative might provide treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, research suggests.

研究顯示，一種常見的食物防腐劑可能為纖維性囊腫病患提供治療的方法。

Sodium nitrite, used in the curing of meat, may be able to neutralise a bacterium which weakens the lungs of CF patients.

保存肉類用的亞硝酸鈉，或許可以弱化一種使纖維性囊腫病患肺部衰弱的細菌。

Pseudomonas aeruginosa thrives in the thick mucus associated with CF and can cause severe complications.

綠膿桿菌會在與纖維性囊腫相關的濃稠黏液中大量孳生，並可能造成嚴重併發症。

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder which causes chronic lung damage due to the build-up of excessive amounts of sticky mucus.

纖維性囊腫是一種遺傳疾病，會因為過量黏液累積，導致慢性肺部傷害。

A mutated form of P. aeruginosa, which is resistant to conventional antibiotics, exacerbates this process by helping to make the mucus even more sticky and difficult to dislodge.

突變的綠膿桿菌對一般的抗生素有抗藥性，讓黏液更黏、更難排出，加重傷害肺部的過程。

The researchers have discovered that the very mutation that makes the bug such a danger also leaves it vulnerable to attack by sodium nitrite.

研究人員發現，正是這種讓病菌成為如此威脅的突變，使病菌易受亞硝酸鈉攻擊。

新聞辭典

preservative：名詞，防腐劑。例句：This product contains no artificial preservatives.（本產品不含人工防腐劑。）

cure：動詞，（用乾燥、煙燻、鹽醃等）保存。They cure fish by salting.（他們用鹽醃的方式保存魚。）

very：（置名詞前，用於強調）正是，就是。例句：You are the very person we need for the job.（我們這種工作需要的就是你這種人。）