最保证能让人脸红脖子热的其中一个科学话题是基因决定论，尤其是如何据称被决定的是行为性的。对于收养孩子（尤其是出生就由不同组父母收养的双胞胎）的研究显示一些行为特征确实是遗传的。不过，基因学家则难以辨识出特定的基因。这就是为什么一项新的研究，对少数的这些证据存在的基因之一的研究，有可能遭到可观的审查并导致大量争议。
One of the scientific subject [best] guaranteed to get people hot under the collar is /the/ genetic determinism, in particularly[/especially] if what is alleged being determined is behavioural. Studies [of] adopted children [and] especially[/particularly] [of] twins adopted at birth by different set of parents suggest that some behaviour traits are indeed inherited. Geneticists, though, have had difficulty identifying /the/ specific genes. That is why a new study[/piece of reearch] on one of the few genes [for which] such evidence exists may[/is likely to] get considerable scrutiny and cause much controversy.
最早的两种基因叫做MAOA和HTR2B。它们据称能够容易让人产生攻击性行为。最新的数据来自芬兰的定罪罪犯。Tiihonen博士及其同事把他们定罪的志愿者分成，从来没有犯过暴力罪行的，被定义为杀人犯的，企图杀人和殴打的，以及那些干过的。他们接着把第二个组再细分为中度暴力以及极端暴力的。
The first two genes are called MAOA and HTR2B. [The behavioural] They /are/ alleged[ly] /to make people/ predisposed [people to] [is] aggressi[on]. The latest data c[o]me from /Finland's/ convicted criminals [in Finland]. Dr Tiihonen and his colleagues divided their convict volunteers into [those who had] never /have/ [committed] [a crime of] violen[ce], defined as homicides, attempted homicide and battery, and those who had. They then subdivided the second category into [the] moderately violent and [the] extremely violent.
研究者们发现，非暴力的囚犯并不会比普通芬兰人更可能拥有低活性的MAOA基因。但是暴力的那些则会。而且极端暴力的那些人可能性高得多。这个结果确实暗示着低活性的对偶质（alleles）MAOA可能会影响到对暴力倾向的发展。相较之下，怀疑版本的HTR2B则普遍存在于非暴力的以及暴力的囚犯，以及（未被逮捕的）普罗大众。
The researchers found[/discovered] that non-violent prisoners were not more likely than [the] average Finn to have [a] low-activity MAOA gene/s/. But those violent ones were. And the extremely violent ones [were] a lot more likely to. The result [does indeed] suggest/s/ that low-activity alleles of MAOA [can have an] affect [on] the development of violent tendencies. By contrast, the suspect version of HTR2B [was as] common/ly found/ in non-violent [as in] violent prion[er]s, and [also as in] the /general/ population at large.
那么Tiihonen博士工作的实际影响，则是确认了一种特定的基因对偶质能够影响到暴力行为。但是关键的问题在于，影响这个词的意思是什么。诸如一半人口拥有低活性MAOA对偶质的事儿，而且显然，他们中绝大多数并非暴力罪犯。但是Tiihonen博士及其团队所做的是提供了第三个数据点给这假设——低活性MAOA能够在正确情况下触发暴力。这并没有证明该假设。但是它应该让人更加认真看待它。
The [net] effect of Dr Tiihonen's work, [then,] is to confirm [the idea] that one particular gene[']s alleles can /have an effect on/ [affect] violent behaviours. But the crucial problem[/question] is, [what is meant by] /the meaning of/ the word [a]ffect. /For example/ [something like] half the popular [has] [a] low-activity MAOA alleles and obviously the overwhelming majority of them are not violent criminals. But what Dr Tiihonen and his team have done is [provide] [a] third data point for the hypothesis that low-activity MAOA can, in the right circumstance[s], trigger violence. Th[is] [does] not prove the hypothesis. But it should make people take it more seriously.
8.10
scientific subjects
best guaranteed to
get people hot under the collar
genetic determinism/being determined is behavioural
especially/particuarly
adopted children/twins adopted at birth by different sets of parents
studies/a new piece of research on
behaviour/behavioural traits
heritable/gene/genetic/Geneticists
had difficulty identifying specific genes.
for which such evidence exists
get considerable scrutiny and cause much controversy
MAOA / HTR2B/genes/alleles
predispose to aggression
convicted criminals/convict volunteers
never committed a crime of violence, defined as homicide, attempted homicide and battery, and those who had
divide/subdivide
moderately violent, and the extremely violent.
Finland/average Finn
low-activity MAOA
have an effect on the /net effect
affect/
as common in non-violent as in violent prisoners,
half the population /overwhelming majority /in the population at large.
a third data point
does not prove the hypothesis
