To paraphrase 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke, all that is needed for the triumph of a misguided cause is that good people do nothing. “One such cause now seeks to end biomedical research because of the theory that animals have rights ruling out their use in research. Scientists need to respond forcefully to animal rights advocates, whose arguments are confusing the public and thereby threatening advances in heath knowledge and care. Leaders of the animal rights movement target biomedical research because it depends on public funding, and few people understand the process of health care research. Hearing allegations of cruelty to animals in research settings, many are perplexed that anyone would deliberately harm an animal.
For example, a grandmotherly woman staffing an animal rights booth at a recent street fair was distributing a brochure that encouraged readers not to use anything that opposed immunizations; she wanted to know if vaccines come from animal research. When assured that they do, she replied, “Then I would have to say yes.” Asked what will happen when epidemics return, she said, “Don’t worry, scientists will find some way of using computers.” Such well-meaning people just don’s understand.
Scientists must communicate their message to the public in a compassionate, understandable way in human terms, not in the language of molecular biology. We need to make clear the connection between animal research and a grandmother’s hip replacement, a father’s bypass operation, a baby’s vaccinations, and even a pet’s shots. To those who are unaware that animal research was needed to produce these treatments, as well as new treatments and vaccines, animal research seems wasteful at best and cruel at worst.
Much can be done. Scientists could “adopt” middle school classes and present their own research. They should be quick to respond to letters to the editor, lest animal rights misinformation go unchallenged and acquire a deceptive appearance of truth. Research institutions could be opened to tours; to show that laboratory animals receive humane care. Finally, because the ultimate stakeholders are patients, the health research community should actively recruit to its cause not only well-known personalities such as Stephen Cooper, who has made courageous statements about the value of animal research, but all who receive medical treatment. If good people do nothing there is a real possibility that an uninformed citizenry will extinguish the precious embers of medical progress.
譯文
為了解釋18世紀政治家愛蒙德·伯克的話，“被誤導的運動要想成功，所需的只是好人不作為。”現(xiàn)在，就有這樣的運動尋求終止生化研究，其依據(jù)是動物有權(quán)要求人們在研究活動中不再被使用的理論。科學家應(yīng)該對動物權(quán)利倡導者做出有力的反擊，因為這些人的觀點正在蠱惑公眾，從而威脅到了保健知識與醫(yī)療的發(fā)展。動物權(quán)利運動的領(lǐng)導者之所以將目標對準生化研究，是因為生化研究依賴公共基金，而且?guī)缀鯖]有人理解保健醫(yī)療研究的作用。聽到有關(guān)在研究中殘忍對待動物的斷言，許多人感到困惑，以為任何人都會故意去傷害動物。
比如，在比較近的一次街頭集市上，一位在動物權(quán)利保護攤位服務(wù)的老太太在分發(fā)小冊子，鼓勵讀者不要使用任何來自于動物或在動物身上做過實驗的任何東西。當問及她是否反對免疫接種時，她說她想知道疫苗是否來自于動物實驗。當確信疫苗是來自于動物試驗時，她回答說：“那么，我得說我反對。”當問及如果流行病卷土重來該怎么辦時，她說：“不用擔心，科學家會利用計算機找到某種解決辦法的。”這樣的好心人只是不了解情況。
科學家必須用一種富于同情，易于理解的方式將信息傳遞給公眾——用人性化的語言不是分子生物學的術(shù)語。我們必須澄清動物研究與祖母的髖骨置換、父親的旁道管手術(shù)、小孩的免疫接種甚至寵物的防疫注射之間的關(guān)系。對于那些不了解只有通過動物研究才能研制出治療方案、才能開發(fā)出新方案和新疫苗的人來說，動物研究說得好聽一點是浪費，說得難聽一點是殘忍。
有許多事情可以做到�？茖W家可以“走進”中學課堂，介紹他們的科研活動。他們應(yīng)盡快答復郵寄給編輯的來信，以防動物權(quán)利組織的錯誤信息沒有引起質(zhì)疑，從而蒙蔽真理。研究機構(gòu)也應(yīng)該向游客開放，以表明實驗室的動物受到了人道地對待。比較后，因為比較有利害關(guān)系是病人，所以，醫(yī)學研究界不僅要邀請像史蒂芬·庫伯（他已經(jīng)就動物的研究價值發(fā)表了勇敢的聲明）那樣的知名人士來支持自己的事業(yè)，還要邀請所有接受過醫(yī)療的人來支持自己。如果醫(yī)學研究人員再不采取行動，不明真理的公眾真有可能會不滅醫(yī)療發(fā)展的寶貴火種。
詞匯
Advocate   n. 倡議者，鼓吹者 v. 提倡，鼓吹
派生：avocation n. 擁護，支持 advocator n. 擁護者，提倡者 advocatory a. 擁護者的
例句：I don’t advocate your going there. 我不主張你去那里。
詞組：advocate of sth. ……的支持者，擁護者‘
辨析：advocate, propose
      advocate 指提倡，提議，后常接名詞或動詞做賓語；propose 指提議，可接名詞，動名詞或動詞不定式做賓語。
Allegation   n. 聲稱，宣稱
派生：allege v. 宣稱，提出 alleged a. 被說成的，被斷言的
例句：The minister issued a prompt denial of the allegation against him. 部長迅速否認對他的不利斷言。
Argument   n. 爭論，辯論；論據(jù)，論點
派生：argue v. 爭論，辯論；主張；說服
例句：Have any statistics that would enforce your argument? 你有加強你論點的統(tǒng)計資料嗎?
詞組：have an argument with sb. about sth. 與某人就某事意見不一；It is beyond argument that ……是無可爭議的
Booth   n. 電話亭，貨攤
例句：He went into the phone booth and dialed the number. 他走進電話亭撥了號碼。
Brochure  n. 小冊子
例句：Here are some travel brochures. 這里有一些旅游小冊子。
Bypass  n. 旁路，迂回的旁道 v. 迂回
例句：Let’s bypass the town. 我們繞過這座小鎮(zhèn)吧！
Deceptive   a. 欺騙的，蒙蔽的
派生：deceive v. 欺騙，蒙蔽 deceit n. 欺騙，欺騙行為
例句：The thickness of Madeline's letter proved deceptive. 梅德琳的厚信原來是騙人的。
Deliberate   a. 故意的，深思熟慮的 v. 仔細考慮，商議
派生：deliberation n. 細審，審慎
例句：He deliberated the question before he made an answer. 得出答案前，他仔細地考慮了這個問題。
詞組：deliberate over/about/upon 仔細考慮；take deliberate action 采取謹慎的行動
Epidemic  n. 流行病，傳播 a. 流行性，傳染的
例句：We should take steps to avoid the epidemic disease. 我們應(yīng)該采取措施阻止這種流行性疾病。
Extinguish   v. 熄滅，消滅
派生：extinguishable a. 可熄滅的，可絕滅的 extinguisher n. 熄滅者，滅火器
例句：His hope has been extinguished. 他的希望破滅了。
詞組：extinguish a fire 滅火；extinguish one’s faith 使信念破滅
Immunization   n. 免疫
派生：immune a. 免疫的，有免疫力的；不受影響的；免除的
例句：Have you had physical exams and immunization? 你有沒有體檢和注射過疫苗？
詞組：immunization to 對……有免疫力；immunization from 免除，豁免
Lest  conj. 唯恐，免得
例句：We talked in a low voice lest we should wake the baby up. 我們小聲說話以免吵醒嬰兒。
同義詞：in case, for fear that
Misguided   a. 誤導的
派生：misguide v. 誤導
例句：It is misguided of him to pay his son’s debts. 他替兒子還債，這太不明智了。
Perplex   v. 使困惑，使復雜化
派生：perplexity n. 困惑，茫然 perplexed a. 困惑的，茫然的
例句：They are worried and perplexed by his behavior. 他的舉止使他們既擔心又困惑。
同義詞：puzzle, confuse
Paraphrase  n. 釋意，意譯，解述
例句：Paraphrase the ancient Chinese prose in colloquialism language. 把這篇古文譯成白話文。
詞組：the paraphrase of ……的釋意
Recruit  v. 招募（新兵），招收（新成員）；補充，使恢復正常的狀態(tài) n. 新兵，新成員
派生：recruitment n. 招募
例句：The recruit was all eagerness to go to the front. 新入伍的戰(zhàn)士迫切盼望上前線。
詞組：recruit new members 吸收新成員
Triumph   n. 勝利，成功 v. 得勝，戰(zhàn)勝
派生：triumphant a. 得勝的，得意洋洋的
例句：They achieved a great triumph. 他們獲得了很大的成功。
詞組：triumph over 戰(zhàn)勝
Ultimate   a. 比較后的，比較終的，根本的
派生：ultimately ad. 比較終，終于
例句：This is the ultimate result of their labors. 這是他們比較終的勞動成果。
辨析：final, last, concluding, ultimate
final 簡單地表示結(jié)束，經(jīng)常含有決定或確定的意思；last 表示一系列中結(jié)尾，即時間上或順序的比較后；concluding 表示結(jié)束，含有決定或安排的意思；ultimate 表示達到比較后的極限，多用于表達強烈的決心，沒有任何余地。
Uniform   n. 制服，軍服 a. 全都相同的，一律的
例句：The staff at this hotel wear uniform clothing. 這家飯店的員工穿統(tǒng)一的制服。