9月5日午间英语新闻：英国团队将研发毫无副作用的人工合成酒精

> Company working on ‘synthetic alcohol’ that has no negative side effects

英国团队将研发毫无副作用的人工合成酒精

London-based GABA Labs is working on a type of synthetic alcohol called ‘Alcarelle’, which reportedly provides the relaxing effects of alcohol without hangovers, balance deficiencies or any of its other negative side effects.

总部在伦敦的GABA实验室正在研发一种名为Alcarelle的人工合成酒精，据称这种物质可以像酒精一样让人感到放松而又不会产生宿醉、头晕或其他酒精引起的不良副作用。

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, aka GABA, is a neurotransmitter that blocks certain signals in the brain, thus producing a calming effect. When alcohol reaches the brain, it binds to GABA receptors and produces the same effects, relaxing and calming people down. The problem with alcohol is that it also has other negative side effects, like hangovers, movement difficulties, speaking and thinking problems, etc. GABA Labs is currently working on a type of synthetic alcohol called Alcarelle that is supposed to provide all the positive effects of alcohol consumption, but none of the bad ones.

GABA全称是伽玛氨基丁酸，它是一种能够拦截大脑特定信号从而产生镇定效果的神经传递素。当酒精到达大脑时，就会和氨基丁酸受体结合并产生让人放松镇定的效果。问题是酒精会带来其他不良副作用，比如宿醉、行动困难、言语和思考混乱等。GABA实验室目前正在研发一种名为Alcarelle的人工合成酒精，据称能够提供饮酒的所有快感，同时又没有任何不良的副作用。

"It feels like what a glass of wine feels like,” GABA Labs founder Dr. David Nutt told The Wall Street Journal. “It feels relaxing. It makes you a bit more chatty, a bit more socially engaged with people.”

GABA实验室的创始人大卫·纳特博士告诉《华尔街日报》：“饮用这种人工合成酒精的感觉就和喝真正的酒一样。它会让你感到放松，让你有点爱说话，更喜欢和人交际。”

Alcarelle is a tasteless substance that can be added to other drinks – alcoholic or non-alcoholic – to boost their tipsiness potential without the negative side effects. If people could get their ‘fix’ from synthetic alcohol without suffering damage to their liver, heart, brain, etc., that could potentially save millions of lives.

显然，Alcarelle是一种添加到其他酒精或非酒精饮料中的没有味道的物质，能够让人产生微醺的感觉却又不会产生不良副作用。如果人们能够从这种人工合成酒精中得到满足，他们的肝脏、心脏、大脑等器官都不会受到损害，那么这种人工合成酒精将可能挽救数百万条生命。

Nutt revealed that he and his partners at GABA Labs hope to launch Alcarelle by 2026. The product has been in development for quite some time, but the regulatory approval process has been very slow.

大卫·纳特博士透露，他和GABA实验室的伙伴们希望能在2026年前推出人工合成酒精Alcarelle。这一产品已经研发了相当长的一段时间，但是监管审批流程走得很慢。

One potential stumbling block for Alcarelle is the fact that it’s not a natural product, unlike alcohol, which has been produced and consumed for millennia. However, the founders of GABA Labs claim that just because something is natural, doesn’t automatically make it good for you. Plus, they are betting that, for many, enjoying the positive effects of alcohol without the hangover will be ‘a pretty powerful reason to partake of it even if it’s not natural’.

Alcarelle上市的一个潜在障碍是它不是天然产品，而天然的酒精饮料已经被生产和饮用了上千年。不过，GABA实验室的创始人表示，天然的东西也不一定对身体有好处。而且他们很肯定会有很多人爱上这种既能享受酒精快感又不会宿醉的饮料，“光是这一条强有力的理由就足以让人去饮用它，即使它不是天然的”。

重点词汇

1、synthetic

英/ sɪnˈθetɪk / 美/ sɪnˈθetɪk /

adj. 合成的，人造的；（感情，行动）不诚恳的，虚假的；（语言）综合型的；（命题）综合的

n. 合成物，合成纤维（织物）

2、hangover

英 / ˈhæŋəʊvə(r) / 美/ ˈhæŋoʊvər /

n. 宿醉；残留物；遗物

3、chatty

英/ ˈtʃæti / 美/ ˈtʃæti /

adj. 饶舌的；爱讲闲话的；非正式的

4、partake

英/ pɑːˈteɪk / 美/ pɑːrˈteɪk /

vi. 吃，喝；分享；参与；分担；带有某种性质

vt. 分担；分享

> China, US commerce authorities to establish new working group

中美商务部宣布建立新沟通渠道

China and the United States will establish a new communication channel between their commerce authorities, according to a statement released by China's Ministry of Commerce.

据中国商务部消息，中美两国商务部之间将建立新的沟通渠道。

During his meeting with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo last week in Beijing, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his US counterpart agreed to form a working group. This group will comprise deputy ministerial and bureau-level government officials from both countries alongside business representatives, to seek solutions to specific commercial issues, said the statement.

中国商务部长王文涛和美国商务部长雷蒙多周一在北京会晤时同意成立一个工作组。声明称，该工作组由中美副部长级和司局级的政府官员组成，并有企业代表参加，以寻求解决具体商业问题的办法。

The working group will hold deputy ministerial level meetings twice a year. Wang and Raimondo have agreed to maintain regular communication and to meet at least once a year.

工作组将每年举行两次副部级会议。两位部长同意经常性沟通，每年至少会见一次。

Both sides have initiated an export control information exchange mechanism, serving as a means to interpret their respective export control systems and enhance communication. They will exchange information related to export control in accordance with their respective laws.

双方还启动了出口管制信息交流机制，作为解释各自出口管制制度和改善沟通的机制。双方将按照各自法律，就出口管制信息进行交流。

At the meeting, the Chinese commerce minister emphasized his serious concerns regarding various issues, including the US Section 301 tariff measures on China, semiconductor policies, two-way investment restrictions, discriminatory subsidies and sanctions on Chinese companies.

王文涛重点就美国对华301关税、半导体政策、双向投资限制、歧视性补贴、制裁中国企业等表达严正关切。

In addition to stressing that broadening the concept of national security is detrimental to normal economic and trade interactions, Wang highlighted that implementing unilateral and protectionist measures goes against market rules and the principles of fair competition, ultimately harming the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

王文涛表示，泛化国家安全不利于正常经贸往来，实施单边、保护主义措施不符合市场规则和公平竞争原则，只会损害全球产业链供应链安全稳定。

Despite multiple assurances from the US that they don't intend to decouple from China, Wang expressed the hope that concrete actions would align with these statements.

王文涛表示，美方多次表示不寻求与中方脱钩，希望美方将表态落在实处。

重点词汇

1、counterpart 

英/ ˈkaʊntəpɑːt / 美/ ˈkaʊntərpɑːrt /

n. 对应的人（或事物）；（法律文件的）副本

2、sanction

英/ ˈsæŋkʃn / 美/ ˈsæŋkʃ(ə)n /

n. 制裁；处罚，惩罚；（正式）许可，批准；<史>（尤指基督教会的）法令，法律；（伦理学）约束力；支持，鼓励

v. 认可，准许；对……实施制裁，处罚

3、unilateral 

英/ ˌjuːnɪˈlætrəl / 美/ ˌjuːnəˈlætərəl /

adj. 单方的，单边的；单侧的，单面的；（父母）单系的；舌边音

4、protectionist 

英/ prəˈtekʃənɪst / 美/ prəˈtekʃənɪst /

n. 贸易保护主义者

adj. 贸易保护主义的；保护贸易论的