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导读
定制婴儿早已不是什么新鲜的话题了，早在多年前，当定制婴儿的概念被科学家提出时便引发了人们的广泛争议。如今，随着基因技术的不断发展，定制婴儿的想法或许真的可以实现了，但它带给人类的究竟是繁荣还是毁灭？
定制婴儿的福与祸
英文部分选自经济学人展望版块
A new type of genetic profiling promises cleverer, better-looking children.一种新型基因分析技术有望繁衍更聪明、更漂亮的孩子
Debate about using science to create “bespoke” human beings of one sort or another usually revolves around the ideas of genetic engineering and cloning. People worry about these for two reasons. 关于利用科学创造种种“定制”人类的争论往往是围绕基因工程和克隆技术展开的。人们之所以会担心主要有两方面的原因。
One is practical. The tinkering involved could end up harming the resulting individual. The other is a more visceral dislike of interfering with the process of reproduction, perhaps best encapsulated in the phrase “playing God”.其一是出于实际考虑。修修补补可能会对最终的孩子造成伤害。其二，更多的是出于对生殖过程干预（概括而言可称之为“扮演上帝”）本能的反感。
There is, however, a third way that the genetic dice which are thrown at the beginning of human life might be loaded—and it does not involve any risky tinkering. 但其实还存在着第三种方式，即对人类生命孕育之初所抛出的基因骰子动手脚，而且这种方式不涉及任何存在风险的修修补补。
It is a twist on the well-established procedure of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The twist would be to decide, on the basis of their DNA, which of a group of available embryos should be implanted and brought to term.它是基于成熟的体外受精技术的一种方式。与传统的体外受精不同之处在于，它会根据一组可用胚胎的DNA来决定将哪一个胚胎植入子宫直至分娩。
The result would be a child optimised with the best-available genetic profile for a long and healthy life. And this is not science fiction. Two American firms have been working on the idea for some time, and one of them is now implementing it.最终将得到一个带有最优可选遗传特征的以期能够健康长寿的孩子。这并非科幻小说的情节。两家美国公司就这一想法已经展开了一段时间的研究，而其中一家如今已进入实践阶段了。
Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, or “snip”) profiling, as the technique is called, promises healthier offspring—a clear good. It may also provide a way to upgrade things only tangentially associated with health, such as height and, more controversially, intelligence. 这项被称为单核苷酸多态性（SNP，或“snip”）分析的技术有望使我们繁衍更健康的后代，这显然是有益的。同时，它也可以作为一种用以提升无关乎健康特征（比如身高，以及更具争议性的智力）的方式。
Moreover, it is a technique that could be applied generation on generation, to improve grandchildren and great-grandchildren still further.此外，这项技术还可以一代接着一代地使用，由此将进一步优化孙辈和曾孙辈的遗传特征。
SNPs are the smallest possible differences between individuals’ DNA—single genetic letters. Individually, most have little consequence. But there are millions of them in every human genome and their combined effects can be big. SNP 是个体 DNA 之间可能存在的最小单位的变异，即单个遗传字母的变异。就单个遗传字母的变异而言，其对遗传表达的影响是微乎其微的。但在每个人类基因组中都有着数以百万计的这样的变异，它们所产生的综合效应可能是巨大的。
SNP profiling looks for particular combinations of SNPs that research has shown are associated with the risks of developing illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. This is important medical information for people now alive, and can be used to recommend screening programmes, changes of behaviour and prophylactic drugs.SNP 分析旨在寻找那些经研究表明与癌症、糖尿病和心脏病等疾病患病风险相关的特定 SNP 组合。这对当今活着的人来说是重要的医学信息，可用以筛查项目、行为改变和预防性药物的指导。
For a single generation, that may not matter too much to the rest of society. It would be but one extra privilege that the rich enjoy. Piled generation on generation, however, it really might create a genetic elite. SNP-profiling is already used to enhance desired attributes in livestock, so it seems reasonable to assume it will work on people.这项技术若只用于一代人，那么对于这个社会的其他人来说也没什么影响。不过是富人们享有的一项额外的特权罢了。然而，如果一代接着一代地使用这项技术，那么最终或将创造出一个基因精英阶层。SNP分析已经被应用于增强家畜的期望属性，因此将其用于人似乎也是行得通的。
注：
bespoke [bɪˈspoʊk] adj. 定做的，定制的
visceral [ˈvɪsərəl] adj. 出于本能的；发自肺腑的
encapsulate [ɪnˈkæpsjuleɪt] vt. 压缩；概述
fertilisation [ˌfɜ:tələ'zeɪʃən] n. 受精；肥沃
tangentially [tænˈdʒenʃəli] adv. 无关地
prophylactic [ˌproʊfəˈlæktɪk] adj. 预防性的
