第15篇-A Memory Drug.doc

2014年职称英语考试教材理工类A级新增补全短文 (第15篇)第十五篇：A Memory Drug? 记忆药物?Its difficult to imagine many things that people would welcome more than a memory- enhancing drug. 1_A memory enhancer could help eliminate forgetting associated with aging and disease， Furthermore, such a drug could help people remember past experiences more clearly and help us acquire new information more easily for school and at work. As scientists learn more about memory, we are closing in on this tantalizing goal. 很难想象还有比能增强记忆力的药物更受人们欢迎的东西了。增强记忆的药物能让人消除因变老和疾病造成的遗忘。而且这种药物能够帮助人们更加清晰地记起过去的经历，更容易地在学习和工作中获取新信息。随着科学家对记忆了解增多，我们正在接近这一诱人的目标。Some of the most exciting evidence comes from research that has built on earlier finding, linking LTP2 and memory to identify a gene that improves memory in mice. 2 The gene makes a protein that assists the NMDA receptor, which plays an important role inlong-term memory by helping to initiate LTP. Mice bred to have extra copies of this gene showed more activity in their NMDA receptors, more LTP, andimproved performance on several different memory tasks - learning a spatial layout, recognizing familiar objects, and recalling a fear-inducing shock.一些最激动人心的证据来自于一项研究，这项研究是基于早期通过将LTP 和记忆连接起来识别老鼠中能提升记忆力的基因所得到的发现。这种基因能够制造一种辅助NMDA 受体的蛋白质，这个受体通过帮助启动LTP而在长期记忆中起到重要作用。被喂养这种基因复制品的老鼠的NMDA受体表现得更活跃，具有更多的LTP，在许多不同的记忆实践中有更好的表现学习空间布置，辨认熟悉物品，回忆起引起惊吓的冲击。If these basic insights about genes, LTP, and the synaptic basis of memory can be translated to people- and that remains to be seen - they could pave the way for memory-enhancing treatments. 3 Like steroids for bulking up the muscles,these drugs would bulk up memory. As exciting as this may sound, it also raises troubling issues. Consider the potential educational implications of memory-enhancing drugs. If memory enhancers were available, children who used them might be able to acquire and retain extraordinary amounts of information, allowing them to progress far more rapidly in school than they could otherwise. How well could the brain handle such an onslaught of information? What happens to children who dont have access to the latest memory enhancers? Are they left behind in school - and as a result handicapped later in life?如果这些有关记忆基因、LTP 的基本认识和记忆的突触原理能够转用到人身上去那还有待观察那么它们就为增强记忆的治疗铺平道路。就像类固醇可以强壮肌肉，这些药物可以增强记忆。尽管听起来令人激动，它们也会引起令人苦恼的问题。考虑一下增强记忆的药物潜在的教育影响，如果记忆增强剂能够实现，使用它们的孩子就有可能获取并记住大量的信息，在学校里就比不用药物要进步更快。大脑对这些汹涌而来的信息能处理得多好?无法得到最新记忆增强剂的孩子该怎么办?他们在学校中就会落在后面，以后的人生就有残缺吗?4_ What are the potential implications of memory-enhancing drugs for the workplace?_ Imagine that you are applying for a job that requires a good memory, such as a manager at a technology company or a sales position that requires remembering customers names as well as the attributes of different products and services. Would you take a memory-enhancing drug to increase your chances of landing the position? Would people who felt uncomfortable taking such a drug find themselves cut out of lucrative career opportunities?增强记忆的药物在职场潜在的影响又是什么? 想象一下你正申请一个需要记忆力好的工作，比如一家科技公司的经理或需要记住顾客名字以及不同产品和服务特征的销售岗位。你会服用增强记忆的药物来增加你得到职位的概率吗?服用这种药物感到不舒服的人会失去获利颇丰的工作机会吗?Memory drugs might also help take the sting out of disturbing memories that we wish we could forget but cant. The 2004 hit movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind told the story of a young man seeking just such freedom from the painful memories of a romantic breakup. As you will see in the section on persistence later in the chapter, emotionally arousing events often create intrusive memories, and researchers have already muted emotional memories with drugs that block the action of key hormones. Should emergency workers who must confront horrifying accident scenes that can burden them with persisting memories be provided with such drugs? Should such drugs be given to rape victims who cant forget the trauma? Memory drugs might provide some relief to such individuals. But could they also interfere with an individuals ability to assimilate and come to terms with a difficult experience? 5 We may find ourselves struggling with these kinds of questions in the not-too-distant future.记忆药物使我们想忘记却又不能忘记的令人烦扰的记忆变得令人易于接受。2004年的卖座电影美丽心灵的永恒阳光讲述的是一个年轻人找寻能够摆脱爱情破裂的痛苦记忆方法的故事。正如你会在后面的情节中看到有关坚持不懈的那部分，从情感上唤起的事件经常能够形成令人烦恼的记忆，并且研究者已经用阻挡主要荷尔蒙活动的药物消除了情感的记忆。应该给那些必须直面恐怖的事故现场并且被相关记忆烦扰的急救人员提供这类药物吗?应该给那些不能忘记创伤的被强奸的受害者服用这些药物吗?记忆药物可能会给这些人带来一丝慰藉，但它们也会干扰一个人吸收消化的能力，以及对困境妥协让步的能力吗?在不久的将来，我们可能会发现自己在与这类问题做斗争。注释：1.As scientists learn more about memory，we are closing in on this tantalizing goal.随着科学家们对记忆了解增多，我们正接近这一诱人的目标。2.LTP&NMDA：(Lon9term Potentiation)给突触前纤维一个短暂的高频刺激后，突触传递效率和强度增加几倍且能持续数小时至几天保持这种增强的现象。LTP发现海马LTP可能是学习记忆的分子基础。1973年Bliss及其合作者，电刺激麻醉兔的内嗅皮层，使海马表层的穿通纤维兴奋，可在齿状回记录到场电位。先用高频电刺激几秒钟后，再用单个电刺激，记录到的部分场电位幅度大大超过原先记录的对照值,并可持续几小时，几天。这一现象称为长时程增强效应(LTP)。1983年发现NMDA(N一甲基一D一门冬氨酸)受体通道复合体在LTP过程中起重要作用，进一步深化了对LTP在大脑学习记忆中作用的理解。3.a spatial layout：空间布局4.Memory drugs might also help take the sting out of disturbing memories that we wish we could forget but Cant：增强记忆药对我们想忘记却又不能的令人烦扰的记忆变得令人易于接受。take the sting out of：使易于被接受;使令人感到愉快5.But could they also interfere with an individualS ability to assimilate and come to terms with a difficult experience?中的come to terms with：让步;屈服练习：A Like steroids for bulking up the muscles,these drugs would bulk up memory.B A memory enhancer could help eliminate forgetting associated with aging and disease.C What are the potential implications of memory-enhancing drugs for the workplace?D We may find ourselves struggling with these kinds of questions in the not-too-distant future.E There is a pill that you could take every day to allow you to remember everyt