Agribiotechmoreheatthanlight.doc

Agribiotech(agribiotechnology农业生物技术): more heat than lightAnother year, another controversy（争论、辩论）: that was the story in the perennially（长期） contentious（争论）area of genetically modified (GM) crops.In 2002,arguments（论点、论证） centred（中心的） on David Quist and Ignacio Chapelas study of Mexican maize（玉米,玉蜀黍）. It was simultaneously（同时地） a bitter ideological（观念学的、意识形态的） feud（不和、争执） among biologists at a single US university and a flashpoint between the agribiotech industry and anti-GM activists over the acceptability （可接受, 承认, 合意）of transgenic crops （转基因植物）in the developing worldwhich is becoming a key battleground. And it illustrated（有图解的,有插图的,有照片的） how, in this field, the quest for scientific truth is conducted in a minefield（地雷区） of opinion（意见、主张） and accusations（控告, 指控, 非难） of vested既定的; 法律规定的 interests.The story began in November 2001, when Chapela, an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and Quist, his postdoc, published a paper in Nature reporting that a “promoter启动子”sequence序列 from transgenic crops was present（呈现、批露） in native Mexican maize,and had fragmented碎片的,断片的 throughout the genome染色体组,基因组. It was a provocative finding令人兴奋的发现, as Mexico is the worlds centre of genetic diversity 遗传差异for maize, and operates a moratorium延期偿付, 延期偿付期 on commercial商业的,商品化的 GM planting.Supporters of GM technology pored熟读、专研 over the paper, and soon argued争论, 辩论, 证明 that the pairs results were and artifact（人工制品） of the molecular（分子的、分子状态的） techniques they had used. Quist and Chapela disagreed, but the further evidence they produced（引长的） failed to convince（使信服、使确信） all of the experts. and in april Nature published the exchange with and editorial note saying that, in hindsight事后的觉悟, the original（起初的，原来的） papers publication was unjustified.不公正的，无正当理由的By this time, proand antiGM websites were buzzing with claims索赔 and counter 抵制，反抗claims, and journalists新闻记者 were realizing that many of Quist and Chapelas scientific opponents对手，反对者 also had Berkeley connections. Indeed, some critics had clashed with Chapela and Quist over the pairs opposition to Berkeleys controversial有争议的，引起争议的 deal with Syngenta, which gives the Swiss-based agribiotech firm公司，商行，市场 privileged 享有特权access to有权使用 the findings of the universitys plant scientists. It then emerged显露 that some Internet postings记录 attacking Quist and Chapela had been made from computers at a public-relations firm retained保持，固定，记住 by GM giant Monsanto of St Louis, Missouri. Clearly, this was not solely唯一地 a technical debate.争论，辩论，讨论The scientific facts remain unclear. For months, Exequiel Ezcurra, president of the National Institute of Ecology in Mexico City, has been suggesting that Mexican scientists have replicated复制 Quist and Chapelas findings, but the results have yet to appear in a peer-reviewed同行评议 journal杂志，期刊. Meanwhile, scientists at CIMMYT（国际玉米小麦改良中心）, the International Maize and Wheat improvement Center in Texcoco, Mexico, have drawn a blank 一无所获in their search for transgenic DNA in Mexican maize.Why is everyone so agitated激动的, 表现不安的 about the alleged被断定的, 被说成的; 所谓 contamination? 污染 In part, the answer is that developing countries such as Mexico now represent代表,表示 the front line in the war over GM technology. Agribiotech companies have largely saturated饱和的 the North American market, and face a bleak萧瑟的; 无遮蔽的, 阴冷的, 渗淡的 future in Europe thanks to consumer消除器,用户,消费者,取食者 opposition and the imminent迫切的,危急的 introduction of strict labeling for GM food. The consumers and farmers of Central and South America, Aisa and Africa represent the firmsmain potential有潜力的, 可能的, 潜在的 for growth.Some companies are keen锐利的,敏锐的,强烈的,厉害的 to stress加压力于, 着重 the benefits that the technology. Could bring to rice farmers. For example. This year saw the publication of drafts草稿of the entire rice genome整组遗传基因, plus finished versions版本, 翻译 of two of its 12 chromosomes同原染色体,and GM proponents建议者, 支持者 are full of ideas for how the crop could be improved. Among the most appealing引起兴趣的, 动人的 is the prospect展望,远景,勘测 of launching发射; 起飞; 下水典礼; 开办 a second “Green Revolution” by radically根本地, 完全地 overhauling检修,拆修,翻修 the efficiency with which rice makes sugars by photosynthesis. 光合作用But such goals目标 remain distant. In the eyes of many activists, GM crops are primarily tools to advance the profits of agribiotech firms and wrest economic control of the food chain from small-scale小规模 farmers. This helps to explain one of the years most perplexing复杂的, 令人困惑的 developments: the decision of several southern African countries, though facing famine饥荒, 缺乏, 饥饿, to reject US offers of food aid containing包含,容纳,含有的,包含的,封闭的 GM grain. Most have since relented变宽厚, 变温和, 动怜悯之心, provided that假如; 设若 the grain is milled to prevent planting. But as Nature went to press, Zambia was still holding out.Elsewhere in developing world, attitudes体态,姿势,态度,意向 are diverging. 分歧,散发 India emerged出现,射出,形成 as a GM proponent建议者, 支持者 in March when it approved 核准, 认可, 证实; vbl. 核准, 认可commercial商业的,商品化的plantings of cotton engineered by Monsanto to produce bacterial insecticide细菌杀昆虫药. In Brazil, meanwhile, the official line seems set to swing摇摆, 使旋转, 动摇 against transgenic agriculture after the victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a left-winger左翼人士, 急进分子; (足球等)左锋队员 allied to the countrys small-scale farmers, in Octobers presidential election. Lulas administration行政, 管理, 中央政府 replaces a government that approved经核准, 被认可 commercial商业的,商品化的 planting of GM soya大豆, only to be blocked by a legal法律的, 法定的, 合法的 challenge挑战, 盘问 from Greenpeace and a local consumer group. The case is still awaiting等候, 准备以待 resolut