Dementia and Heredity

Dementia is the term used to describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses, which cause a progressive decline in a person’s mental functioning.

痴呆症是一个用来描述一大堆病态症状的术语，这些疾病导致了人们在精神功能上的逐步退化。

l         Is the term …..的术语

l         注意which 的指代， 这里指的是 a large group of illnesses

l         Cause 导致

l         Progressive decline 逐步递减 （逐步退化）

dementia [简明英汉词典]

n.[医] 痴呆

functioning [简明英汉词典]

机能

It is a broad term which describes a loss of memory, intellect, rationality, social skills and normal emotional reactions.

这也是个广泛的术语用来描述记忆，智力，理性，社交技能和正常情感反应的丧失。

rationality [简明英汉词典]

n.合理性, 唯理性

emotional [简明英汉词典]

[i5mEuFEnl]

adj.情绪的, 情感的

Dementia causes significant impairment in a person’s day to day functioning.

痴呆症对人们日复一日的机能（活动）产生了严重的损害

impairment [简明英汉词典]

n.损害, 损伤

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 50% and 70% of all cases of dementia.

早老性痴呆症是痴呆症里最常见的形式，占到所有痴呆症的50%-70%。

l         Most common form 最常见的形式

Alzheimer’s disease

早老性痴呆症

It occurs relatively frequently in the elderly, regardless of family history.

相对而言，这种症状经常发生在老人身上，和家族遗传史无关

l         这里的relatively翻译的时候提到前面，译为“相对而言”。

Over the age of 65 it affects one person in 50, with the risk rising to one person in five by the age of 80.

65岁以上的人每50个就有一个人患这种病，而到了80岁，患上这种病的风险有所增加，每5个人里面就有1个。

l         句子的通顺为主，可以把一句话拆开来翻译，注意连接词

Having a close relative with the disease is not evidence of a genetic link.

有一个患有这种疾病的近亲并不意味着是基因上的联系

l         Close relative 这里指的是近亲

However, when Alzheimer’s disease develops after the age of 65, certain genes do appear to influence a person’s susceptibility to developing the disease.

然而，当在65岁以后患上老年痴呆症， 确实出现了某种基因使人们很容易患上这种疾病。

l         Develop disease 患上疾病

l         Do 这里是增强语气，确实……

susceptibility [简明英汉词典]

n.易感性, 感受性, 感情, [物]磁化系数

The most important gene discovered to date is the Apolipoprotein E gene， which is found on chromosome 19.

迄今为止发现的最重要的基因是发现在染色体19中的阿朴脂蛋白E基因,

l         …….to date 迄今为止

apolipoprotein [简明英汉词典]

n.[生化]阿朴脂蛋白

chromosome [简明英汉词典]

n.[生物]染色体

This gene occurs in three forms in humans: types 2, 3 and 4.

在人身上，这种基因存在三种形式：2号，3号和4号

Every person in the world carries two Apolipoprotein genes: they can be the same type (2,2: 3,3: 4,4), or a mixture of two types (2,3: 2,4: 3,4).

在世界上，每个人都带有两种阿朴脂蛋白基因：它们可能是相同种类：2号和2号；3号和3号；4号和4号， 或者是两种不同形式的混合：2号和3号；2号和4号； 3号和4号。

l         注意标点符号

What has been found is that people with at least one type 4 and especially those with two, such as 4,4, are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease earlier in life than those with the other types of Apolipoprotein E.

经发现，那些带有至少一个4号基因的人，特别是带有两个四号基因的人，与那些带其他脱脂蛋白E基因的相比，患上早老性痴呆症的风险增加了，患病的时间也提早了。

l         What has been found is that…..经发现……

l         这里increased risk, 和 earlier in life都属于比较级， 患病的风险增加了，患病的时间提早了