《中英對照讀新聞》Couch potato pill may also prevent heatstroke 沙發馬鈴薯藥丸或也能預防中暑
◎國際新聞中心
A drug discovered nearly four years ago that builds muscles in lazy mice may also prevent heatstroke, according to lab research reported. If further tests work out, the compound could help athletes or soldiers who are so sensitive to heat that they could die from exertion on a hot day, its authors say.
美國實驗室研究指出，研究人員近4年前發現有助懶散老鼠肌肉生長的藥物，可能也能預防中暑。研究報告作者表示，如經進一步測試，這種化合物或有助避免對高溫敏感的運動員或士兵在酷熱天力竭身亡。
In 2008, a drug known as AICAR became dubbed the "couch potato pill" after it was found to develop muscles and boost endurance among completely inactive laboratory rodents.
2008年，一種名為AICAR的藥物被發現能促進實驗室中完全不活躍的老鼠肌肉生長且提升耐力之後，獲封「沙發馬鈴薯藥丸」稱號。
In a paper published by the journal Nature Medicine, researchers in the United States said they discovered by chance that AICAR also protects mice against a disorder called malignant hyperthermia. This deadly condition is linked to a basket of flaws in a gene called RYR1.
美國研究人員發表於「自然醫學雜誌」的研究報告指出，他們偶然發現，AICAR也能預防老鼠出現惡性高溫症。此致命症狀與第一型理阿諾鹼受體（RYR1）的諸多基因缺陷有關。
Tests on mice genetically engineered to have the RYR1 mutation found that AICAR worked perfectly in preventing malignant hypothermia, says the study.
這份研究說，針對改造成擁有RYR1變種基因的老鼠進行測試後發現，AICAR對於避免惡性高溫症效果非常好。
The finding may lead one day to a drug that would be used preventatively for heat-sensitive young athletes or soldiers in the desert who must wear heavy gear. （AFP）
這份研究的發現，有朝一日或能引領出一種藥物的研發，可供對熱敏感的年輕運動員或在沙漠中穿戴笨重裝備的士兵當作預防使用。（法新社）
新聞辭典
dub：動詞，被封為…。例句：She was dubbed by the newspapers ’The Angel of Death’.（她被報章封為「死亡天使」。）
by chance：片語，僥倖，偶然。例句： I got this job completely by chance.（我得到這工作完全是僥倖。）
disorder：疾病。例句：The family have a history of mental disorder.（這家族有精神病史。）
Military Struggles To Make Couch Potatoes "Army Strong"
Americans tend to think of boot camp as a never-ending series of push-ups, but that's certainly not the case anymore—at least not at the beginning of training, when most recruits simply aren't capable of Band of Brothers-style exertion. According to NPR, "a decade ago, the Army started to notice that new recruits were, in general, getting weaker—their endurance was down, so they were more prone to injury." These days, most recruits "grew up on the couch, playing video games, rather than horsing around outside." "You'd be surprised, the soldiers that we get," the director of the Army's fitness school said. "They can't do simple motor function movements, like a shoulder roll, the ability to skip—so we've got to lay a base of foundational fitness, without injuring them." That has required commanders to revamp both how they train and how they feed their soldiers. The training starts out slower than it used to—with "stretching and holding, mastering simple, precise movements," the sort of moves necessary to "carry a wounded comrade, or to dart across a street, under fire, with 90 pounds of gear." And while recruits still get barked at in the mess hall, it's while they're chowing down on "low-fat yogurt and sliced fruit," not "French fries, burgers, deep-fried meat and soda."
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NPR | Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010
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