Title: The promise and perils of synthetic biology
promise n.希望成功的前景
peril n.巨大的危险；险情，险境
释义：the perils of sth. are the danger or problems it may involve.
the perils of drug abuse 吸食毒品的危害
synthetic biology 合成生物学 synthetic materials 合成材料
For the past four billion years or so the only way for life(生物生命的总称) on Earth to produce a sequence of DNA—a gene(基因)—was by copying a sequence it already had to hand. Sometimes the gene would be damaged(破坏) or scrambled(突变), the copying (was) imperfect(不完美的，不完全的) or undertaken repeatedly(重复的复制). From that raw material(原材料) arose(谓语动词)the glories(主语) of natural selection. But beneath(在…之下) it all, gene begat gene(基因生基因).
for the past four billion years or so 在过去大约40亿年中
the only way 唯一的办法/方法
a sequence of 一连串，一系列
释义：A number of things that come one after another in a particular order.
辨析：a sequence of, a series of
sequence 更强调事情的先后顺序，比如 He described the events of that day in sequence. 他按先后顺序描述了那天的情况
而 series 对于先后顺序就没有那么严格的要求， a series of accidents 一连串的事故， 但事故发生的顺序就不那么重要了
have to hand 现有的
scramble v.打乱（单词或字母使之不再有任何含义） scrambled eggs 炒蛋
undertake v.承担; 从事; 负责; 承诺; 允诺; 答应
repeatedly adv.重复地; 反复地; 再三地
glory [可数名词] n. 辉煌的事物
arise v.[不及物动词] 出现；产生，形成 arise from
Problems have arisen. 问题的出现
Difficulties arose 麻烦的出现
Most conflicts arise from ignorance 大多的冲突都来源于无知
From that raw material arose the glories of natural selection [倒装句]
=> the gloriees of natural selection arose from the raw material
自然选择的辉煌壮丽就诞生于基因变异这些原材料中
beneath it all 在所有这些现象的下面
beget v.导致；成为…的父亲
释义：to cause or bring about
Poverty begets debts. 一贫如洗的人反而更容易债台高筑
That is no longer true. Now genes can be written from scratch and edited(编辑) repeatedly, like text in a word processor(文字处理器). Immune cells(免疫细胞) can be told to follow doctors’ orders; stem cells(干细胞) (can be) better coaxed to turn into new tissues(生物的组织); fertilised eggs(受精卵) (can be) programmed(编程) to grow into creatures quite unlike(介词) their parents. The scale(规模) of the potential changes seems hard to imagine(想象). To harness the promise and minimise the peril, it pays to learn the lessons of the past.(吸取过去的经验教训是大有必益的)
from scratch 从零开始；白手起家
He built his own company from scratch 他白手起家建立了自己的公司
coax v.哄劝，哄骗，劝诱
His friends coaxed him into talking about his own problems.
fertilise v.使受精，使受孕，使受粉
creature n.生物; 动物; (具有某种特征的) 人;
potential adj.潜在的; 可能的; n.可能性; 潜在性; 潜力; 潜质; 电位; 电势; 电压;
harness v.控制；利用…的动力
minimise v.把…减至最低数量〔程度〕; 对(某事物)作最低估计；极力贬低(某事物)的价值〔重要性〕;
peril n.严重危险; 祸害; 险情;
it pays to do sth. 做某事有利可图，做某事有好处
The earliest biological transformation(生物转化)—domestication—produced what was hitherto the biggest change in how humans lived their lives. This allowed(使…变得可能) new(全新的) densities of settlement(定居生活，定居点) and new forms of social organisation: the market, the city, the state(国家).
biological adj.生物学的; 生物的; 与生命过程有关的; 加(生化)酶的;
transformation n. (彻底的) 变化，改观，转变，改革; (用于南非) 民主改革;
domestication n.驯化，驯养 domesticate v.
hitherto adv.迄今为止 近义词 => so far
was hitherto the biggest change 迄今为止最大的变化
humans lived their lives 人们生活方式
density n.密度 population density 人口密度
social organisation 社会结构
Synthetic biology will have a similar cascading effect, transforming humans’ relationships with each other and, potentially(潜在地，可能地), their own biological nature. The ability to reprogram(重新编辑，改编) the embryo( n. 胚胎) is, rightly(正当地，合理地), the site(n.某事发生的地点/现场) of most of today’s ethical(道德的，伦理的) concerns(伦理担忧). How humans may choose to change themselves biologically is hard to say; that some choices will be controversial(引起争论的; 有争议的) is not (hard to say). It will challenge(v. 挑战) the human capacity(能力) for wisdom(智慧) and foresight(远见卓识). It might defeat(击败，超出，突破) it. But carefully(精心地) nurtured, it might also help expand it.
cascade effect 级联效应 cascade n.瀑布； v.像瀑布一般地落下
domino effect 多米诺骨牌效应
ability n.能力; 才能; 本领; 才智;
capacity n.容量; 容积; 容纳能力; 领悟(或理解、办事)能力; 职位; 职责;
nurture v.培育，养育
expand v.扩大，增加，增强(尺码、数量或重要性); 扩展，发展(业务); 细谈; 详述; 详细阐明