Decoding of Genes: Hope or Dread?
Can a person live up to 12007 It must be viewed as a ridiculous question just several years ago. But now, two years after the completion of mapping the human genetic code, some researchers predict that this may eventually come true in the future. On June 26th, 2000, the Human Genetic Project (HGP),an international organization specializing in research of human genes, announced that 97％ of the human genomes had already been decoded and any utilization of the related gene map would be completely free. The news immediately made a sensation throughout the world and even today, the discussion over the controversial application of the gene map and the related genetic tech seems to be forever on the wing. Undoubtedly, the completion of the human gene map marks a milestone in our quest about nature and ourselves, but the point is what this breakthrough will bring to us all:hope or dread? Perhaps the most promising aspect of genetic tech lies in an impending medical revolution it will incur, as many people now believe in that it serves as a new approach to control various diseases, to produce organs for transplantation or to slow down the aging process. What’s more, its feasibility to be adopted and incorporated into medical procedures has a good prospect. Visualize one of our regular calls at hospital in the future, using only a blood sample, doctors can easily detect genes of hereditary diseases and mutations concerned, and follow up with a genetic therapy to eliminate mutated genes and thus the disease itself. Theoretically, by reorganizing our genes to the optimum pattern,man’s life span can be prolonged to large extent. Besides the revolution it will bring in the medical field, genetic tech will also accelerate the development of a number of other scientific branches, biology among them, by providing scientists with a brand new perspective in terms of genes. For example, by comparing human genomes with those of other species, anthropologists may acquire more profound knowledge about human evolution. However, before people cheer for the hope genetic tech bellows, we might have already found us bogged down in so many ethical dilemmas. Let’s take the following into consideration. If everyone lives for 1200 years, then the world population must explode. How can our earth stand that? If parents could examine the genes of their baby before its birth, then who can decide what kind of baby should be born, while some others shouldn’t?If we understand bird genes, probably we will someday soar in the sky by having our own wings. But what if we understand those of tigers, wolves or insects? Seems that those Hollywood thrillers have made a good prophecy. If everyone’s genetic data is open to public inspection, then how can we protect our privacy? And moreover, will discrimination, invasion, or plunder of certain genes take place? And worst of all, if life of an individual can be precisely predicted the moment he is born or even prior,like he will die of lung cancer or he will develop kleptomania in his teens, then where is the fun of life? We may lose life’s uncertainty, the hope that we can strive for something better as well as the belief that we can hold in hands our own destiny. We may lose all these. Are we nothing but genes? Or do we have something more than that? Such ethical and psychological puzzles will continue to haunt the human society. Nevertheless, the completion of the gene map is just the initial step of the entire genetic research. What will this step mean to us? A scientist once made an analogy, it is just like that you are faced with a version of The Collected Works of Shakespeare in which there is no punctuation mark, no space between words,and what’s more, you cannot understand English at all! What will happen with genetic tech in hundreds of years is quite beyond our current perception. But one thing we should always bear in mind, science is for the welfare of human being. So I believe genetic tech will bring us a better tomorrow, although we may come across much hardship on the tortuous road leading to this goal.
简 评 基因破译的新闻引起了世界的哗然。这一事实意味着什么?它给社会的伦理、道德将带来怎样的冲击?没有人能预知未来，而这一基因学的硕果将造福人类，还是带给人类一场浩劫?这也是对人性的考问。 文章的论题对于普通读者来说是晦涩难懂的，冒雯雯同学恰当地采用了例证的手法来阐述基因学这一发现的意义。而一个未知领域往往带给人困惑和恐惧。冒雯雯同学在文章中大篇幅的发问正是这种困惑的表达。第四段由8个问句构成，其中前六个问句指出了人类将要面对的六种困惑，后两个问句概括论述指出，“Are we nothing but genes?Or do we have something more than that?Such ethical and psychological puzzles will continue to haunt the humansociety．”文章多处采纳问句的表达方式，使论述有力，发人深省，震撼读者的心。 文章在结尾用一个恰当的比喻来解释基因学的发现，使原本晦涩难懂的基因学，以形象、贴切、易理解的方式被表达出来，也是文章的点睛之笔。(点评教师：卢爱华)
基因破译:希望或害怕? 一个人能活到12007必须视为荒谬的问题只是几年前. 如今,两年后完成绘制人类基因密码,有些研究人员估计,这可能会成为事实的可能性. 在2000年6月26日,人类基因工程(人类基因组),这是一个国际组织,专门从事人类基因研究,宣布对97ฃฅ人类基因组密码已被使用,任何有关的基因地图将完全免费. 消息立即轰动了全世界,直到今天,讨论在有争议的申请及相关基因的基因图技术似乎永远在机翼. 无疑,完成了人类基因图的一个里程碑,标志着我国自己的追求和对大自然的,但问题是这一突破使我们大家:希望和恐惧. 也许是最有希望的基因技术方面是一个迫在眉睫的医疗革命将要付出,因为现在很多人认为,这是一种新的方法 来控制各种疾病产生器官作移植或减缓老化的过程. 何况,将通过其可行性,并纳入医疗程序有良好的前景. 我们看到一个经常在医院要求今后只用抽血,医生很容易发现的遗传疾病的基因突变有关,以及后续的基因疗法,以消除那种基因疾病,因此本身. 理论上,我们的基因重组的最佳方式,人的寿命延长,在很大程度上可以. 除了革命,将在医学领域,基因技术将加速发展若干其他分支科学、生物学当中,为科学家提供了一个全新的角度而言基因. 例如,通过比较人类与其他物种的基因组,可获取更多的人类学知识对人类进化. 然而,人们在欢呼基因科技Bellows希望,我们会发现美国已经陷入困境,许多道德. 让我们考虑采取以下. 如果大家对1200年的生活,那么世界上人口要爆炸. 如何使我们的地球站? 如果父母对他们的基因研究可在婴儿诞生,然后,他们可以决定什么样的孩子要出生,而有的则没有. 如果我们了解鸟类的基因,可能会增加多少,自己的天空由翅膀. 但如果我们知道这些组织,或者昆虫之狼? 看来,好莱坞的悬疑恐怖电影有了良好的预言. 如果每个人的基因数据,供公众查阅,又如何保护我们的隐私? 而且,歧视、侵略、掠夺或某些基因发生? 而更坏的情况是,如果一个人的生命可以准确地预测他的时候,甚至是出生前,他希望将死于肺癌或将开发kleptomania他才十来岁,当时是在生活的乐趣. 我们可能会失去生活的不确定性,希望能争取更好的信念,以及我们能够掌握自己的命运进行. 我们可能会失去一切. 不过,我们的基因? 还是有比? 这种道德和心理困惑会继续困扰着人类社会. 不过,基因图的完成,只是阶段性的整个基因研究. 什么是我们这一步? 科学家曾经比喻,就像你面对一个版本的莎士比亚的文集中没有标点符号,没有任何文字之间的空间,何况,你不知道英文! 又如何与基因技术在几百年以后的相当当前看法. 但有一点要牢记,科学是造福于人类. 所以我相信基因技术将带来更美好的明天,我们遇到很大困难,但在通往这一目标的曲折.