Unit 12 Shelly the scientist
第12单元
Shelly saw it a mile away. A big, fat bumblebee. She kept her distance. Already today she had been stung twice. The bees were attracted to the sweet smell of the rare and exotic flowers. Their pink and yellow petals seduced the bees.
雪莉是在一英里外看到这只又大又肥的大黄蜂,她保持距离以策安全,因为她今天已经被蛰两次了。这些蜜蜂是被这种稀有奇特的花朵的芳香吸引过来的,而这种香味主要来自这种花朵本身粉红色和黄色相混的花瓣,蜜蜂就是被它们引诱的。
But bees were not the only ones seduced by these flowers. Scientists, such as Shelly, traveled all over the world in search of these flowers. It has been proven that the pollen had cancer-curing properties. With only a small dose of this pollen, people with cancer had a better chance of survival.
不过被这些特殊的花朵吸引的并不止是蜜蜂而已,像科学家雪莉旅行了全世界,目的就是在寻找这些花朵。它的花粉已经证明具有治疗癌症的特性,小小的花粉剂量,就可以让癌症病人存活的机会提高许多。
But, there was only one problem. The nectar from the flower was poisonous. Shelly and her co-worker had to use extreme caution. If the nectar so much as touched one's skin, it developed into an itchy rash that spread and blistered all over the body.
不过有个问题就是,这种花的花蜜有毒,雪莉和她同事必须非常小心地使用;这种花蜜一旦接触到皮肤,皮肤就会长出发痒的疹子,接着就会扩散到全身并起水泡。
There was no known cure for rash. It was a dangerous job, but for the good of humanity, Shelly accepted the ob and saw it not only as an adventure, but also as a way to help people all over the world.
目前还不知道有什么药物可以治疗。这是一项危险的工作,不过为了全人类的福祉,雪莉接下了这份工作;她不仅视它为一项冒险,同时也是一种帮助世人的方法。
【美】 Tara McAteer 著 黄惟郁 译
上海交通大学出版社出版