A Chinese scientist claims he successfully created the world's first genetically-edited babies.
一位中國科學家宣稱自己成功創造了世界上第一批經過基因編輯的嬰兒。
Chinese researcher He Jiankui made the claim in interviews with the Associated Press. He also spoke about his research with organizers of an international conference on gene editing in Hong Kong, the AP reported.
中國研究人員賀建奎在接受美聯社採訪時發表了上述聲明。據美聯社報導，他還跟香港一場基因編輯國際會議的組織者談到了他的研究。
He is a research professor at China's Southern University of Science and Technology in the southern city of Shenzhen.
賀建奎是位於南方城市深圳的中國南方科技大學的一名研究教授。
He said he had edited the genetic substance, or DNA, of twin girls born a few weeks ago. There was no independent confirmation of He's work and he did not provide written documentation of his research. Many scientists working in genetics say they believe such experimentation is dangerous.
他聲稱自己編輯了幾周前出生的一對雙胞胎女嬰的DNA。目前尚未能對賀建奎的工作進行獨立確認，他也沒有提供這項研究的書面文檔。很多從事遺傳學工作的科學家都表示，他們認為這種實驗非常危險。
He's claims were immediately condemned by some scientists as unsafe and unethical. This kind of gene editing is banned in the United States and many other countries. Such changes to a person's DNA can pass to future generations and risks harming other genes.
一些科學家對賀建奎的聲明發出譴責，稱這是不安全和不道德的。這種基因編輯在美國和其它很多國家都被禁止。人類DNA的這種改造可以傳遞給後代，並且有可能會危害其它基因。
In interviews, He Jiankui defended his work. He said he had performed the gene editing to help protect the babies from future infection of HIV, the virus responsible for the disease AIDS. He said the process had "worked safely" and the twin girls were "as healthy as any other babies."
賀建奎在採訪中為自己的工作進行了辯解。他說，他已經進行了這項基因編輯工作，以幫助嬰兒免受愛滋病毒的感染。愛滋病毒會導致愛滋病。他說，這一過程「安全有效」，這對雙胞胎女嬰「像其他嬰兒一樣健康。」
He told the AP he felt a strong responsibility "not just to make a first, but also to make an example" for future research. "Society will decide what to do next," he said.
賀建奎對美聯社表示，他感覺有責任「不僅要邁出第一步，還要為未來的研究做出榜樣。」他說：「社會會決定下一步該怎麼做。」
China to investigate He's activity
中國調查賀建奎的行為
He had studied in the past at Rice and Stanford universities in the United States. He then returned to his homeland China to open a laboratory at Southern University of Science and Technology.
賀建奎過去曾經在美國的賴斯大學以及史丹福大學深造。然後他回到了自己的祖國，並在中國南方科技大學開設了一個實驗室。
When He's claims became public, the university issued a statement saying his work had "seriously violated academic ethics and standards." University officials said they had no knowledge of his research and had launched an investigation. A university spokesman said the professor had been on a break from teaching since early this year. But he remains an employee and still works in the laboratory.
當賀建奎的言論公之於眾時，中國南方科技大學日報聲明稱，他的工作「嚴重違反了學術倫理規範。」大學官員聲稱對他的研究不知情，並已經對此展開調查。一位大學發言人表示，自今年年初以來，該教授一直暫停教學，但他仍然是該大學的員工，仍然在該實驗室工作。
China's National Health Commission said it was "highly concerned" about the claims and ordered local health officials "to immediately investigate" He's activity. "We have to be responsible for the people's health and will act on this according to the law," the commission said in a statement.
中國國家衛生健康委員會表示對此高度重視，並已下令當地衛生官員立即對賀建奎的行為展開調查。該委員會表示：「我們必須對人民的健康負責，並將依法採取行動。」
Limited use of gene-editing
基因編輯的有限應用
Scientists discovered in recent years a new way to edit genes that make up a person's DNA throughout the body. The tool, called CRISPR-cas9, makes it possible to change DNA to supply a needed gene or take one away that is causing problems.
科學家們近年來發現了一種新方法，可以用於編輯構成人體DNA的基因。這種名為CRISPR-cas9的工具使得改造DNA提供所需基因或是去掉某種致病基因成為可能。
So far the tool has only been used on adults to treat deadly diseases, and the changes only affected that person. Editing sperm, eggs or embryos is different because such changes can be passed down. In the U.S., the process is only permitted for lab research. China bans human cloning, but not specifically gene editing.
截至目前為止，該工具僅用於成年人治療致命疾病，並且這種改造只會影響本人。編輯精子、卵子或是胚胎則有所不同，因為這種改造可以遺傳。在美國，該過程僅允許進行實驗室研究。中國禁止人類克隆，但是並未具體針對基因編輯。
Kiran Musunuru is a University of Pennsylvania gene editing expert and editor of a genetics journal. He told the Associated Press that if such an experiment had been carried out on human beings, it could not be "morally or ethically defensible."
Kiran Musunuru是賓夕法尼亞大學的基因編輯專家，也是一位遺傳學期刊編輯。他對美聯社表示，如果在人類進行這種實驗，在道德和倫理上就站不住腳。
Julian Savulescu, a medical ethics expert at Britain's University of Oxford, agreed. "If true, this experiment is monstrous," he told Reuters.
牛津大學醫學倫理專家Julian Savulescu表示認同。他說：「如果事實如此，那這個實驗也太可怕了。」
However, one well-known geneticist, Harvard University's George Church, defended the attempt to edit genes to prevent infections of HIV. He told the AP that since HIV is "a major and growing public health threat" he finds such experiments "justifiable."
然而，哈佛大學一位著名的遺傳學專家George Church對編輯基因防止愛滋病感染的嘗試進行了辯護。他對美聯社表示，既然愛滋病毒是「一種主要的、而且不斷增長的公共衛生威脅，」他認為這種實驗「合情合理。」
I'm Anna Mateo.
我是安娜·馬特奧。
每日一句 16th Dec
The world may be full of cheating, however we never lack friends with a warm heart.
這個世界也許是假的，但並不缺少真心對待我們的人。
——《楚門的世界》