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1．Radioactivity occurs naturally. The main sources are in space, rocks, soil, water and even the human body itself. This is called background radiation and levels vary from place to place, though the average dose is fairly constant. The radiation which is of most concern is artificial radiation which results from human activities. Sources of this include the medical use of radioactive materials, fallout and contamination from nuclear industry, and the storage and dumping of radioactive waste.
1、輻射在自然界中普遍存在。（radioactivity n. 放射性；放射；occur vi.存在；發生；出現）主要的輻射源存在于空間、巖石、土壤、水、甚至是人體之中（even the human body itself）。這叫做背景輻射（be called 被叫做…；被稱為…）。輻射強度會因地點而異（vary vi. 變化；變異; from place to place 各地，到處），但平均輻射量實則(does, 強調，加強語氣的作用)大致相同（fairly adv. 相當地；公平地；constant n. 常數；恒量）。最令人擔憂（which is of most concern定語從句修飾the radiation）的是人類活動造成(which results from human activities定語從句修飾artificial radiation)的人工輻射（artificial adj. 人造的；虛偽的；武斷的）。輻射源包括醫用放射性材料（radioactive materials）、核工業的放射性沉降物和污染物（fallout and contamination），以及輻射廢棄物(radioactive waste)的積存和傾倒(the storage and dumping)。
2. While artificial radiation accounts for a small proportion of the total, its effects can be disproportionate. Some of the radioactive materials discharged by human activities are not found in nature, such as plutonium, while others which are found naturally may be discharged in different physical and chemical forms, allowing them to spread more readily into the food-chain.
2、雖然(while)人工輻射只占輻射總量的一小部分，其后果卻很嚴重。（accounts for 占…比例；proportion n.比例；部分；disproportionate adj. 不成比例的）人類活動所排放（discharged by human activities過去分詞作定語，修飾some of the radioactive materials；discharge vt. 放出）的一些放射性物質本在自然界中無處可尋(are not found被動語態否定形式)，比如說钚（plutonium）。然而(while)另外一些本來天然存在(which are found naturally)的物質卻以各種不同的物理或化學形式(in different physical and chemical forms)被釋放出來，致使它們能更輕易地(more readily; readily adv. 容易地)進入食物鏈。
3. For all these reasons, simple comparisons of background and artificial radioactivity may not reflect the relative hazards. Equally important, it has never been shown that there is such a thing as a safe dose of radiation and so the fact that we are progressively raising global levels should be of as much concern to us as the possibility of another major nuclear test, nuclear reactor or shipment of plutonium means an additional and unnecessary health risk.
3、基于這些原因，也許僅僅拿背景輻射和人工輻射作簡單比較（simple comparisons of background and artificial radioactivity）并不能夠反映相關的危險性（the relative hazards）。同樣重要的是(Equally important)，從來也沒有過輻射存在安全攝入量(there is such a thing as a safe dose of radiation; dose n. 劑量)這種說法（such… as… 像…這種的；諸如…之類的）。因此(so)，事實上：就像處理另一場大型核試驗、核反應堆的制造、钚材料的運送等可能發生的事情（possibility n.）會對健康形成潛在威脅一樣，不斷増加輻射總量(we are progressively raising global levels; progressively adv.日益增多地)也應該引起我們足夠重視。（that……health risk是同位語從句，進步一說明the fact；從句是一個比較句，比較的內容是兩個句子；可譯為：我們不斷増加的輻射總量（現在進行時；在比較句中做主語）和處理另一場大型核試驗、核反應堆的制造、钚材料的運送等可能發生的事情會對健康形成潛在威脅（一般現在時）一樣，它們都應引起我們足夠多的關心）
4. In general, the effects of radiation can be divided into those which affect the individuals exposed and those which affect their descendants. Somatic effects are those which appear in the irradiated or exposed individual. These include cancer and leukaemia. Hereditary or genetic effects are those which arise in subsequent generations.
4、總的來說（in general），輻射的危害可以分為(be divided into)對輻射接收者本人(the individuals exposed; exposed 是過去分詞作定語，修飾the individuals；expose vt. 暴露)的影響以及對其子孫后代的影響（descendant n. 子孫；后代）。身體（somatic adj. 軀體的；肉體的）傷害尤見于輻射接受者本身（those which appear in the irradiated or exposed individual是表語從句；appear in 出現在…；irradiated adj. 被輻射的；radiated adj. 輻射的），包括癌癥和白血病（leukaemia）這類病癥。遺傳（hereditary adj. 遺傳的; genetic adj. 遺傳的）影響則發生（arise vi. 出現；生產）在其后代身上（in subsequent generations）。（本段中的those which在從句中做主語，指代前面提到的事情，它應該是集體代詞，當它被看作整體時，謂語動詞用單數形式，而著重強調組成該集體的各個成員時，謂語動詞用復數形式，這里使用的是謂語動詞的復數形式）
5. Many of the elements which our bodies need are produced by the nuclear industry as radioactive isotopes or variants. Some of these are released into the environment, for example iodine and carbon, two common elements used by our bodies. Our bodies do not know the difference between an element which is needed and which is not. So radioactive elements can be absorbed into living tissues, bones or the blood, where they continue to give off radiation. Radioactive strontium behaves like calcium—an essential ingredient in our bones—in our bodies. Strontium deposits in the bones send radioactivity into the bone marrow, where the blood cells are formed, causing leukemia.
5、我們身體所需要(which our bodies need是定語從句，修飾many of the elements)的許多元素是由核工業以放射性同位素或者變體的形式（as radioactive isotopes or variants）排放（或產生）出來的。其中有一些被釋放到環境中，比如說碘(iodine)和碳(carbon)，這是我們身體所需的兩種常見元素(two common elements used by our bodies)。我們的身體并不知道需要哪種元素，不需要哪種元素。所以放射性元素能夠被我們的活細胞組織(living tissues)、骨骼和血液吸收(be absorbed into 被吸收到…)，而進入人體后其輻射并未停止(continue to give off… 繼續釋放…)。在我們體內的放射性元素鍶(strontium)與人體骨骼中必需的元素（an essential ingredient; ingredient n. 原料；要素；組成部分）鈣(calcium)具有類似的表現。在骨骼中鍶的沉積物（deposits n. 沉積物）將放射能(radioactivity)傳遞至產生血液細胞（where the blood cells are formed）的骨髓（the bone marrow）之中，從而引發白血病。
6. There are three principal effects which radiation can have on cells: firstly cells may be killed; secondly the way cells multiply may be affected, resulting in the cells of the ovaries or testes, leading to the development of a child with an inherited abnormality.
6、輻射可以對細胞產生三大主要影響（which radiation can have on cells定語從句，修飾effects; principal adj. 最重要的；可直譯為：輻射可以對細胞產生的影響有三大主要方面）：第一，細胞可能會被殺死；第二，細胞的繁殖可能會受影響，進而影響到卵巢或睪丸中的細胞（result in 導致，結果是），引起先天性胎兒畸形(lead to 導致；引起；abnormality 畸形；異常；兩個現在分詞短語做句子的狀語，表結果)。；(thirdly ???)
7. In most cases, cell death only becomes significant when large numbers of cells are killed, and the effects of cell death therefore only become apparent at comparatively high dose levels. If a damaged cell is able to survive a radiation dose, the effects of the cell damage may never become apparent. A few malfunctioning cells will not significantly affect an organ where the large majority are still behaving normally.
7、在多數情況下，只有當大量細胞被殺死時（when large numbers of cells are killed），細胞死亡才會引起嚴重后果（significant adj. 重大的；值得注意的）。因此細胞死亡這一問題只有在輻射量相對較大的情況下（at comparatively high dose levels; comparatively adv. 相當地; dose不要看作does；dose n. 劑量；用量，在第1段已出現過：the average dose）才得以凸顯（apparent adj. 顯然的；明顯的）。如果一個受損(damaged adj.)細胞在接觸一定量的輻射后存活下來（be able to do sth. 能夠做某事），那么細胞受損的危害(the effects of the cell damage)就不易被察覺。當大多數細胞在器官內正常運作時(where the large majority are still behaving normally, where指在器官內)，個別受損細胞（a few malfunctioning cells; malfunctioning adj. 出故障的）并不會對整個器官產生重大影響。
8. However, if the affected cell is a germ cell within the ovaries or testes, the situation is different. Ionizing radiation can damage DNA, the molecule which acts as the cell's "instruction book". If that germ cell later forms a child, all of the child's cell will carry the same defect. The localized chemical alteration of DNA in a single cell may be expressed as an inherited abnormality in one or many future generations.
8、然而，如果受損（affected adj.）細胞是卵巢或者睪丸中的生殖細胞(germ cell )，情況就不容樂觀了。電離輻射(ionizing radiation; ionizing adj. 電離的；離子化的)可以破壞在細胞中充當著“指令書”作用的DNA分子（molecule n. 分子；act as充當；the molecule… 是DNA的同位語；同位語是名詞性的，兩者的意思互相補充，也可以理解為主語或賓語的定語）。如果受損的生殖細胞之后發育形成了胎兒，那么這個孩子體內所有的細胞(all of the child's cell)都會帶有同樣的缺陷(the same defect; defect n. 缺點；缺陷)。單個細胞中DNA的局部化學成分的改變（the localized chemical alteration; localized adj. 局部的；地區的；alteration n. 修改；改變）將會在未來一代或者幾代人身上以畸形的方式表現出來（be expressed as…表示為…）。
9. In the same way that a somatic cell in a body tissue is changed in such a way that it or its descendants escape the control processes which normally control cell replication, the group of cells formed may continue to have a selective advantage in growth over surrounding tissues. It may ultimately increase sufficiently in size to form a detectable cancer and in some cases （it many）cause death by spreading locally or to other parts of the body.
9、在體組織中的體細胞(a somatic cell in a body tissue)通過(in such a way that)逃脫(escape)控制細胞復制方式(which normally control cell replication定語從句，修飾the control processes)的控制過程來使體細胞自身或者后代（it or its descendants）發生改變，以同樣的方式(in the same way)，新形成的細胞群體(the group of cells formed; formed 過去分詞作定語，修飾the group of cells)在增殖過程中（in growth）來獲得(continue to have)一種優于其周圍組織(over surrounding tissues)的選擇性優勢(a selective advantage) (本句子翻譯做了少許修改) 。最終(ultimately)它們可能在數量上急劇增加，以形成一種可檢測性的（to form a detectable cancer不定式作目的狀語; detectable adj.）癌癥。在某些情況下(in some cases)，這些細胞的局部擴散或擴散到身體的其他部位(by spreading locally or to other parts of the body; spread vt. 傳播; spread to 傳到，蔓延到)還會導致死亡。
10. While there is now broad agreement about the effects of high-level radiation, they are complicated by the length of time it takes for effects to show up and the fact that（同位語從句） the populations being studied (bomb survivors, people exposed to nuclear industry) are small and exact doses are hard to calculate.
10、雖然(while)關于髙能輻射的危害性如今已達成廣泛共識(broad agreement)，但由于輻射傷害往往要很長時間才得以顯現（to show up），而且可供研究的對象（the populations being studied; being studied 現在分詞被動語態）（爆炸幸存者、接觸核工業的人群）人數很少，他們體內的輻射量很難(be hard to)被精確測算，這些都使問題變得更加復雜(complicated adj. 難懂的；復雜的)。
11. All that can be said is that predictions made about the effects of a given dose vary. A growing number of scientists point to evidence that（同位語從句） there is a disproportionately high risk from low doses of radiation. Others assume a directly proportionate link between the received doses and the risk of cancer for all levels of doses, while there are some who claim that at low doses there is a disproportionately low level of risk.
11、我們只能說，人們做出的關于特定輻射量對人體影響程度（made about the effects of a given dose過去分詞作定語，修飾predictions預測）的猜測層出不窮且各不相同（vary vi.）。越來越多的科學家們指證說明，少量輻射會給身體帶來難以想象的危害（disproportionately adv. 不成比例地）。另一些人則認為不管輻射是多是少（for all levels of doses，即對于所有劑量的輻射水平），人體受到的輻射量和癌癥患病風險之間都存在著某種直接的比例關系（assume vt. 假設）。但是（while）也有一些人，他們聲稱輻射少則危害小（直譯：在低輻射下存在著不成比例的低風險水平）。
