看看驴象之争和干细胞研究――Nature调查

Candidates take opposing stances on medical research.

Before President George W. Bush arrived in the Oval Office, most Americans had never heard of a stem cell - a microscopic BioLogical entity that can transform into hair, muscle or other human cell types. But four years on, the issue has escalated into a divisive one in US politics, and looks set to attract continued attention in the forthcoming election.
在布什总统入主（白宫）椭圆形办公室前，绝大多数美国人从没有听说过干细胞――一种显微镜下的生物学实体，它可以转变成头发、肌肉或其它类型的人类细胞。但4年过后，它已经将美国政坛一分为二，而且看起来在即将到来的选举中会越来越吸引眼球。Stem Cells started invading the public consciousness on 9 August 2001, when Bush appeared on national television to declare a new policy on stem-cell research. He stated that scientists funded by the federal government could not derive fresh stem cells from human embryos because, he said, it is immoral to destroy embryos for the purposes of human research. Researchers could work on embryonic stem-cell colonies that were already growing in culture dishes - and were free to study ***** stem cells, which are harvested from more fully developed tissues and grow into a more limited range of cells.
干细胞**次占据人们的思维是2001年8月9日，当时老布在国家电视台上露面宣布了一项对干细胞研究的政策。他宣称，由于毁灭人体胚胎来进行研究是不道德的（行为），因此，从联邦政府获得资助的科学家不被允许从人类胚胎中获得干细胞。研究者可以用已在细胞瓶中进行培养的胚胎干细胞集落开展工作，他们也可以自由的应用成年干细胞进行研究-----这些细胞从更成熟的组织中收获，生长能力进一步受到限制。Scientists have been frustrated by this rule for three years. They say that it is slowing progress in stem-cell research, because the number of existing embryonic stem-cell lines is too few and there are burdensome rules surrounding their use. This hampers their ability to pursue stem-cell therapies that, they say, might one day cure conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
三年来，科学家对这个规定感到非常沮丧。他们抱怨该规定使得干细胞研究进展缓慢，这是因为已有的胚胎干细胞系太少太少，而且在应用它们时又有如此多的限制性规定。他们认为这阻碍了他们寻求用干细胞进行**的能力，（在将来的）某**，这种**方式可能会**糖尿病或心脏病。The scientists have gained an audience and a spotlight. In May, Nancy Reagan announced that she supports embryonic stem-cell research to cure Alzheimer's disease, which claimed the life of her husband, former President Ronald Reagan. Also this year, bipartisan groups of Congressmen and of Senators each wrote to Bush to ask him to change his policy. Some states, such as California and New Jersey, have passed their own measures to support human embryonic stem-cell research.
科学家们是有听众的，他们已经生活在聚光灯下了。在5月份，南希 里根宣称她支持用干细胞进行Alzheimer's**的研究（这个病要了她老公的命-----前总统里根）。也是在今年，bipartisan groups of Congressmen and of Senators（什么东东？我不懂L）质询布什，要求他改变其政策。加州和新哲西等州已经通过了自己的方案来支持人干细胞研究。

In his replies to Nature's questionnaire on science issues, John Kerry says that he will lift the restrictions Bush has placed on stem-cell research while ensuring ethical lines are not crossed. Most stem-cell biologists support this plan.
在约翰 克里回答《自然》杂志对他进行的问卷调查中，老克说他将会搬走布什在干细胞研究中设下的障碍，同时保证道德准则不被破坏。大多数的干细胞科学家支持这个计划。

But scientists caution that, if elected, Kerry must work carefully with politicians and scientists to hammer out a stem-cell policy that frees up research while ensuring that the collection and manipulation of embryos to make stem cells is properly regulated. "My hope is that whoever takes office will see the light and work with Congress to give us a policy that makes sense," says Lawrence Goldstein, a cell biologist at the University of San Diego, California, who supports embryonic stem-cell research.

但是科学家们也警告，如果Kerry被选上，他必须和政客以及科学家们一起非常谨慎的工作来推敲出一项干细胞政策，既解开研究的小脚，又让收集和操作胚胎来制作干细胞得到合理的控制。加州大学圣迭哥分校支持胚胎干细胞研究的一位细胞生物学家Lawrence Goldstein说，“不管谁当选，我都希望他能看得见希望，而且和国会一起给我们制定出一项有意义的政策。”