科学家警告说我们即将进入一个后抗生素时代。研究人员在中国的病人和牲畜身上发现了一种能对抗最有效的抗生素“粘菌素 (colistin) ”的超级细菌。以下是 James Gallagher 的报道。

Bacteria becoming completely resistant to antibiotics could plunge medicine back into the dark ages. It would affect not only infections but also surgery and cancer treatment.

Resistance to colistin has emerged in isolated cases before, but this time it is in a form that can spread easily between bacteria. It has already been found in multiple species of bacteria and in other Asian countries.

The bacteria which can't be treated with colistin can be destroyed by using other antibiotics for now, but the concern is that it will share its resistance with other bugs to create untreatable infections.

Resistance is thought to have emerged after the drug was used to treat farm animals.

Chinese ministers are meeting with the research team this weekend to discuss whether colistin should be banned in agriculture.

词汇表

plunge (something) back into 使某物退回、再次陷入…
the dark ages 黑暗时代
isolated cases 个案，个别情况
multiple 多个的
bugs （此文指）细菌
untreatable 无法医治的
banned 被禁用
agriculture 农业

测验

请听报道并回答下列问题。

1. What does the reference to the dark ages in the report mean?

2. What has alarmed scientists about the new resistance to colistin?

3. True or false? If colistin can't destroy a particular bacteria, nothing can and that's why scientists are very worried.

4. What might be decided in a meeting this weekend? 

答案

1. What does the reference to the dark ages in the report mean?
The reference means that modern medicine could become as ineffective as it was in the distant past.

2. What has alarmed scientists about the new resistance to colistin?
The fact that resistance to colistin can spread easily between bacteria and has been found in multiple species.

3. True or false? If colistin can't destroy a particular bacteria, nothing can.
False. According to the report, the bacteria which can't be treated with colistin can be destroyed by using other antibiotics.

4. What might be decided in a meeting this weekend?  
Chinese ministers might decide that the antibiotic colistin should not be used to treat farm animals any more.