2017考研英语阅读精选：世界首例换头术明年实施

　　考研英语阅读真题中的文章，多摘自英美主流外刊，有时候你认识所有单词、搞清全部语法还不够，还需要了解英美文化，掌握他们的表达方式，这就是阅读的潜台词。有时候是一些俗语和俚语，有时候是固定搭配，有时候需要借助历史、风俗、文化才能理解某种现象或表达。总之，这些地道的英语文章背后都有潜台词，一般人不容易读出，但往往是理解文章的关键。

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　　Doctor ready to perform first human head transplant

　　世界首例换头术明年实施

　　Lost your mind? You can get a new one. Literally. Actually, you can get more than a new mind — a doctor is now preparing to prepare the very first ever whole head transplant. No, DT hasn’t turned into a science fiction publication — this is the latest in scientific advancement.

　　没了头脑?你真的有可能换个新的。事实上，你可以拥有不止一个头脑——目前一名医生正在准备世界上第一例头部移植手术。当然，我们正在讨论的不是一部科幻小说——而是最新的科技进步。

　　It’s a plan that Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero has been concocting for years, first introducing the notion to the public in 2013. The two-part procedure is composed of HEAVEN (head anastomosis venture) and Gemini (the subsequent spinal cord fusion).

　　意大利神经科医生塞尔吉奥.卡纳维洛已经对“换头术”研究多年。2013 年首次向公众提出这一概念。这一手术流程分为两个部分：第一部分是头部吻合(HEAVEN)，第二部分是脊髓融合(Gemini)。

　　The whole process involves 36 hours, 150 people (doctors, nurses, technicians, psychologists, and virtual reality engineers), and around $20 million. Valery Spiridonov, a 31-year-old Russian program manager suffering from the rare muscular atrophy disorder Werdnig-Hoffman disease, has already signed on to become the first patient.

　　整个过程持续36个小时，参与者有150人，包括医生、护士、技术人员、心理学家和虚拟现实工程师，耗资约2000万美元。31岁的俄罗斯程序员瓦莱里·史比里道诺夫，患有罕见的肌肉萎缩症韦德尼希-霍夫曼病，目前已经签字，将成为首位换头手术者。

　　So how will it work?

　　那么手术怎么进行呢?

　　According to Canavero, there will be two surgical teams working at the same time. One will focus on Spiridonov, the living patient, while the other will focus on a donor’s body. The donor will be brain-dead and selected based on height, build, and immunotype. Both patients will be anesthetized and hooked up to breathing machines and electrodes to keep tabs on brain and heart activity. Then, Spiridonov will have his head nearly frozen — temporarily brain-dead himself.

　　根据卡纳维洛所述，这次手术将由两个手术团队同时工作。一方负责活病人史比里道诺夫，另一方则负责捐献者的身体。捐献者脑已经死亡，需根据身高、构建以及免疫表型进行选择。两名患者都将被麻醉，并连上呼吸机和电极，以检测大脑和心脏活动。接着，史比里道诺夫的头部将会被冷却——经历短暂的脑死亡。

　　At this point, attending physicians will drain the blood from his brain, and flush it with a surgery solution. Tubes will be looped around major arteries and veins to stop blood flow, and then later removed to allow for circulation once the new body is attached.

　　在这个时候，主治医师从他的大脑中抽取血液，并用手术溶液清洗头部。主动脉和静脉将会被管道系住，以让血液停止流动。一旦新的头部移植过来，管道将被移除，以便让血液流通。

　　Then, the most important part of all — cutting both spinal cords. This will be done with a $200,000 diamond nanoblade, which comes from the University of Texas. Once Spiridonov’s head is no longer attached to his body, he’ll have to have a new body within one hour. All the necessary arteries and veins will be reconnected, and theoretically, the new blood flow will re-warm Spiridonov’s head. From there, the spinal cord segments will be fused in yet another novel procedure, and all severed muscles and skin will be sewn back together as well.

　　然后，是手术最重要的部分——切断两名患者的脊髓。这一过程将借助德克萨斯大学的金刚石纳米刀片。一旦史比里道诺夫的头部不再属于他自己的身体，一小时之内必须换上新的头部。所有主动脉和静脉将被重新连接。并且，从理论上说，新的血液流动会重新温暖史比里道诺夫的头。接下来，就进入脊髓融合流程。所有切断的肌肉和皮肤也将一并缝合好。

　　If all goes according to plan, Spiridonov could be up and walking three to six months after surgery.

　　如果一切按计划进行，术后三到六个月，史比里道诺夫就可以离床行走了。

　　Needless to say, skeptics abound for the procedure, but the patient says that he’s willing to risk death to escape his current condition. The procedure is currently slated to take place late next year.

　　不用说，怀疑者比比皆是，但患者自己说，他愿意冒着生命危险来摆脱他目前的状况。目前，这一手术预计在明年下半年进行。

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