AI to reduce animal testing

Animal testing is when living animals are used in scientific research to find out how effective a new medicine is, or how safe a product is for humans.
动物实验是指在科学研究中使用活体动物，以确定新药的有效性或产品对人类的安全性。

Scientists in favour of it argue that animal testing shows whether medicines are safe or dangerous for humans, and has saved many lives.
支持动物实验的科学家认为，动物实验可以显示药物对人类是安全还是危险，并且已经挽救了许多生命。

But animal rights campaigners say it’s cruel, and also ineffective because animals and humans are so different.
但动物权利活动家认为这很残忍，而且无效，因为动物和人类差别太大。

Under British law, medicines must be tested on two different types of animals, usually starting with rats, mice or guinea pigs.
根据英国法律，药物必须在两种不同类型的动物上进行测试，通常从大鼠、小鼠或豚鼠开始。

And in everyday English, the term human guinea pig can be used to mean the first people to have something tested on them.
在日常英语中，“人类豚鼠”一词可以用来指第一个接受某种测试的人。

But now, groups both for and against animal testing are thinking again, thanks to a recent development in the debate: AI.
但现在，支持和反对动物实验的团体都在重新思考，因为辩论中出现了一个新的发展：人工智能。

In this programme, we’ll be hearing how artificial intelligence could help reduce the need for scientific testing on animals.
在这个节目中，我们将听到人工智能如何帮助减少对动物进行科学测试的需求。

But first I have a question for you, Georgie.
但首先我有一个问题要问你，Georgie。

There’s one commonly used medicine in particular, which is harmful for animals but safe for humans, but what? Is it:
a) antibiotics?
b) aspirin? or,
c) paracetamol?
有一种特别常用的药物，对动物有害但对人类安全，那是什么？是：
a) 抗生素？
b) 阿司匹林？还是，
c) 对乙酰氨基酚？

Hmm, I guess it’s aspirin.
嗯，我猜是阿司匹林。

OK, Georgie, I’ll reveal the answer at the end of the programme. Christine Ro is a science journalist who’s interested in the animal testing debate.
好的，Georgie，我会在节目结束时揭晓答案。Christine Ro 是一位对动物实验辩论感兴趣的科学记者。

Here, she explains to BBC World Service programme, 'Tech Life', some of the limitations of testing medicines on animals.
在这里，她向 BBC World Service 的节目 'Tech Life' 解释了在动物身上测试药物的一些局限性。

Of course, you can't necessarily predict from a mouse or a dog what's going to happen in a human, and there have been a number of cases where substances that have proven to be toxic in animals have been proven to be safe in humans, and vice versa.
当然，你不能必然从老鼠或狗身上预测出在人类身上会发生什么，并且有很多案例表明在动物身上有毒的物质在人类身上被证明是安全的，反之亦然。

There are also, of course, animal welfare limitations to animal testing.
当然，动物实验也有动物福利方面的限制。

Most people, I think, if they had the choice, would want their substances to be used on as few animals, or no animals, as possible, while still ensuring safety.
我认为，大多数人如果有选择的话，希望他们的物质尽可能少地用于动物，甚至不用于动物，同时仍能确保安全。

Now that's been a really difficult needle to thread, but AI might help to make that more possible.
现在，这一直是一个非常难以做到的事情，但人工智能可能会帮助使其更有可能实现。

Christine says that medicines which are safe for animals, might not be safe for humans.
Christine 说，对动物安全的药物，可能对人类不安全。

But the opposite is also true – what’s safe for humans might not be safe for animals.
但反过来也成立——对人类安全的药物可能对动物不安全。

Christine uses the phrase vice versa to show that the opposite of what she says is also true.
Christine 使用了“反之亦然”这个短语来表示她所说的相反情况也是如此。

Christine also uses the idiom to thread the needle to describe a task which requires a lot of skill and precision, especially one involving a conflict.
Christine 还使用了“穿针引线”这个成语来描述需要大量技巧和精确度的任务，尤其是涉及冲突的任务。

Yes, medical animal testing may save human lives, but many people see it as cruel and distressing for the animal – it’s a difficult needle to thread.
是的，医学动物实验可能会拯救人类生命，但许多人认为这对动物来说是残忍和痛苦的——这是一项难以做到的事情。

But now, the challenge of threading that needle has got a little easier because of artificial intelligence.
但现在，由于人工智能，这一难题已经变得稍微容易了一些。

Predicting how likely a new medicine is to harm humans, involves analysing the results of thousands of experiments.
预测一种新药对人类造成伤害的可能性涉及分析数千次实验的结果。

And one thing AI is really good at, is analysing mountains and mountains of data.
而人工智能真正擅长的一件事就是分析大量的数据。

Here’s Christine Ro again, speaking with BBC World Service’s, Tech Life.
这是 Christine Ro 再次与 BBC World Service 的 'Tech Life' 节目对话。

So, AI isn't the whole picture of course, but it's an increasingly important part of the picture.
所以，当然，人工智能并不是全部，但它是越来越重要的一部分。

And one reason for that, is that there is a huge amount of toxicology data to wade through when it comes to determining chemical safety, and on top of that, there's this staggering number of chemicals being invented all of the time.
其中一个原因是，在确定化学品安全性时，需要处理大量的毒理学数据，此外，还有大量新化学品不断被发明。

AI helps scientists wade through huge amounts of data.
人工智能帮助科学家处理大量的数据。

If you wade through something, you spend a lot of time and effort doing something boring or difficult, especially reading a lot of information.
如果你在处理某件事，你会花费大量的时间和精力做一些无聊或困难的事情，尤其是阅读大量的信息。

AI can process huge amounts of data, and what’s more, that amount keeps growing as new chemicals are invented.
人工智能可以处理大量的数据，而且随着新化学品的发明，这些数据量还在不断增加。

Christine uses the phrase on top of that, meaning 'in addition to something', often this extra thing is negative.
Christine 使用了“此外”这个短语，意思是“在某事之外”，通常这个额外的事物是负面的。

She means there’s already so much data to understand and additionally, there’s even more to be understood about these new chemicals.
她的意思是已经有这么多数据需要理解，此外，还有更多关于这些新化学品的数据需要理解。

Of course, the good news is that with AI, testing on animals could one day stop,
当然，好消息是，随着人工智能的发展，有一天动物实验可能会停止。

although Christine warns that AI is not the whole picture, it’s not a complete description of something which includes all the relevant information.
尽管 Christine 警告说，人工智能并不是全部，它不是包括所有相关信息的完整描述。

Nevertheless, the news is a step forward for both animal welfare and for modern medicine.
尽管如此，这个消息对于动物福利和现代医学来说都是一个进步。

Speaking of which, what was the answer to your question, Phil?
说到这，你的问题答案是什么，Phil？

What is a commonly used medicine which is safe for humans, but harmful to animals?
哪种常用药物对人类安全但对动物有害？

I guessed it was aspirin.
我猜是阿司匹林。

Which was the correct answer!
这是正确答案！

Right, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve discussed,
好的，让我们回顾一下我们讨论过的词汇，

starting with human guinea pigs meaning the first people to have something new tested on them.
首先是“人类豚鼠”，意思是第一个接受新测试的人。

The phrase vice versa is used to indicate that the opposite of what you have just said is also true.
“反之亦然”这个短语用来表示你刚才所说的相反情况也是如此。

To thread the needle describes a task which requires extreme skill and precision to do successfully.
“穿针引线”描述了一项需要极高技巧和精确度才能成功完成的任务。