配音整理：BBC英語速讀
譯文原創：Howard Chen
原文來源：Local 4 News
Since virtually the beginning of the outbreak, scientists have known the genetic sequence of the covid-19 virus.
事實上，從疫情爆發之初起，科學家就知道了covid-19病毒的基因序列。
Karen: But over time researchers have seen it change giving rise to the theory is that the virus mutating. Dr. Frank McGeorge is here tonight to put that claim to the trust index.
凱倫：但隨著時間的推移，研究人員發現它發生了變化，於是產生了病毒變異的理論。弗蘭克·麥克喬治博士今晚將在這裡把這一說法列入信任指數。
Frank McGeorge: A virus has two main objectives it needs to infect a cell and hijack it to make copies of itself, so it can infect other cells and then repeat the cycle.
弗蘭克·麥克喬治：病毒有兩個主要目標，即感染一個細胞和劫持它來複製自己，這樣它就可以感染其他細胞，然後重複這個周期。
Now, while the newly hijacked cell is making parts to build new viruses, it's also copying the virus's genetic code and that's where mutations can occur.
現在，當新被劫持的細胞製造新病毒的部件時，它也在複製病毒的遺傳密碼，這就是突變發生的地方。
The RNA genetic code for the SARS-CoV-2 is 30,000 base pairs long, you can think of base pairs as words and a manual to make more virus. Let's use the pages in this paperback book to represent the genetic code, every page has about 350 words on it so the genetic code would be about 100 pages long.
SARS-CoV-2的RNA遺傳密碼有3萬個鹼基對長，你可以把鹼基對想像成單詞和製作更多病毒的手冊。讓我們用這本平裝書的書頁來代表遺傳密碼，每頁大約有350個字，所以遺傳密碼大約有100頁長。
Imagine transcribing 30,000 words or a hundred pages of text over and over. Every so often you would accidentally switch words, put the wrong word in or make some typos.
想像一下，你要一遍又一遍地抄寫3萬字或100頁的文字。你經常會不小心換詞、放錯詞或打錯字。
Well, the same happens when the 30,000 base pairs are copied. There is a proofreader protein that catches most of the typos but some make it through and become a permanent part of the new instruction manual, a newly made virus that goes on to spread.
當3萬個鹼基對被複製時也會發生同樣的事情。有一種校對蛋白質可以捕捉到大部分的打字錯誤，但有些錯誤會通過，並成為新操作手冊的永久組成部分，這是一種新的病毒，會繼續傳播。
Now, all of these typos are a mutation, a lasting change in the virus. They are so common that we expect mutations to occur. Now these mutations usually have no effect on the function of a virus.
所有這些拼寫錯誤都是一種突變，一種病毒的持久變化。它們是如此常見，以至於我們預計突變會發生。這些突變通常對病毒的功能沒有影響。
It would be like changing a word on page 47 from pen to car. It wouldn't make sense and it would largely be ignored. But occasionally a change or a mutation is important, for example, changing the word wasn't - was on page 53, changes the meaning of the paragraph.
這就像把47頁上的一個單詞從pen改成car一樣。這樣做毫無意義，而且在很大程度上會被忽視。但偶爾的變化或突變是很重要的，例如，改變53頁上的單詞wasn't，改變了段落的意思。
Like changing the structure or function of a protein. That mutation could be a problem if it allows the virus to spread faster, kill more easily or make it more difficult for us to find with the tests that we've developed, but it could also be a benefit if it damages the virus.
比如改變蛋白質的結構或功能。如果這種變異讓病毒傳播得更快，更容易殺死病毒，或者讓我們更難通過我們開發的測試發現它，那麼它就會成為一個問題，但如果它破壞了病毒，它也可能是一個好處。
This subtle evolution of a virus over time can allow it to find a sweet spot where it can maximally spread without being so dangerous that it kills its host before it makes the leap to the next person.
隨著時間的推移，病毒的這種微妙的進化可以讓它找到一個最佳位置，在那裡它可以最大限度地傳播，而不會太危險，在傳染給下一個人之前殺死它。
So, as far as the existence of mutations, I'll give this an it's true on the trust index. But it all has to be kept in perspective. Fortunately, the Tsarskoe v2 virus appears to change very slowly and sustain mutations do not occur frequently.
所以，只要存在突變，我就用信任指數來表示。但這一切都必須正確看待。幸運的是，看上去病毒似乎變化非常緩慢，維持突變並不經常發生。
In fact, it's estimated that notable new changes occur at a rate of about two per month which is actually pretty minimal. Now, the thing is mutations do have an important role, and I'll talk about that later. Back to you.
事實上，據估計，顯著的新變化大約每月發生兩次，這實際上是非常小的。現在，問題是突變確實有一個重要的作用，我稍後會講到。把話筒交給你。
All right, we'll be looking forward to it. Dr. thank you.
註：本文部分素材來源於網絡，版權歸原作者，僅供學習與研究。若有異議請後臺聯繫
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