Scientists in the Philippines are working to make changes to rice. They hope these changes will help solve one of the world's biggest health issues: the lack of Vitamin A.
菲律宾科学家正致力于改变水稻。他们希望这些变化将有助于解决世界上最大的健康问题之一：缺乏维生素A。
It is called "golden rice" because the rice is yellow. It has been genetically changed, or modified, to produce beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A.
因为这种水稻是黄色的，故被称之为黄金水稻。它已经过基因改良以产生β-胡萝卜素，这是维生素A的一种形式。
Opponents of genetically modified foods – including the environmental group Greenpeace – do not like what the scientists are doing. But supporters of golden rice say it could help save as many as two million lives a year. Young children and pregnant women can, and do, die from Vitamin A deficiency.
包括环保团体绿色和平组织在内的转基因食品反对者不喜欢科学家们的所为。但黄金水稻的支持者表示，它每年能帮助挽救多达2百万人的性命。幼儿和孕妇会因为缺乏维生素死亡。
Vitamin A is missing from the food of millions of people in the developing world. The deficiency is the leading cause of childhood blindness. It is a public health problem in half of all countries, including many in Africa and Southeast Asia.
维生素A在发展中国家数以百万计人的食物中缺失。这种缺失是儿童失明的主要原因。这是全球半数国家的一种公共健康问题，包括许多非洲和东南亚国家。
Patrick Moore is an ecologist and former Greenpeace president. He supports production of golden rice. He says there should not even be debate about the issue while children starve.
帕特里克·摩尔（Patrick Moore）是一位生态学家，也是绿色和平组织的前任总裁。他支持生产黄金大米。他说，当孩子们还在挨饿时，甚至都不该应该争论这个问题。
Mr. Moore left Greenpeace in the 1980s and disagrees with many of its positions.
摩尔先生于上世纪80年代离开绿色和平组织，他对该组织的很多立场都不认同。
VOA asked Greenpeace to answer Mr. Moore's criticisms of its opposition to golden rice. The group answered in an email. It read: "Genetically engineered crops consist almost entirely of herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant crops marketed to developing countries."
美国之音让绿色和平组织回应摩尔先生对黄金水稻的反对意见。该组织在电子邮件中回复称，基因作物几乎全部由销售给发展中国家的抗除草剂和抗虫作物组成。
It said this agricultural model damages human health and hurts farmers and the environment.
它表示，这种农业模式会损害人类健康，并伤害农民和环境。
Large companies do produce some genetically modified crops. They gain legal control of the plant production through patents. But in the Philippines, government and donor money is being used to develop golden rice in the Philippines. These groups hope farmers throughout the developing world will someday grow it. They hope it will help solve a problem that many scientists believe is as serious as malaria or tuberculosis.
大公司的确繁育了一些转基因作物。他们通过专利获得对这种作物生产的法定控制权。但在菲律宾，政府和捐赠资金被用于开发黄金水稻。这些组织希望整个发展中世界的农民有一天都种植这种水稻。他们希望这种水稻有助于解决科学家认为同疟疾和结核病同样严重的某个问题。
Daniel Ocampo is a Southeast Asia agriculture expert for Greenpeace in Manila. He argues that golden rice is still not ready as a food for humans after 20 years of research. He says it could be more dangerous than its supporters will admit.
丹尼尔·奥坎波（Daniel Ocampo）是马尼拉绿色和平组织的东南亚农业专家。他认为，经过20多年的研究黄金水稻仍然不具备作为人类食物的条件。他说，它可能比其支持者会承认的更为危险。
The International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines has been experimenting with golden rice for nine years. It says it has more work to do before the rice can be eaten by humans.
菲律宾国际水稻研究所这九年一直在试验黄金水稻。该研究所表示，在这种水稻能被人类食用之前还有很多工作要做。
I'm Marsha James.
我是玛莎·詹姆斯（Marsha James）。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)