你的感情是不是容易受伤？你是不是感觉在嘈杂的环境中很难进行交谈？你的妈妈是不是健在？你一般在头部哪一侧用手机？
Are your feelings easily hurt? Do you find it difficult to follow a conversation if there is background noise? Is your mother still alive? On what side of the head do you usually use a mobile phone?
以上只不过英国历史上最大规模、最为雄心勃勃的健康研究中的部分问题。这次调查研究的目的，是为了探求一些特定基因、生活方法和健康情况之间的关系。
These are just some of the questions being asked as part of the UKs largest and most ambitious health study looking at the relationship between certain genes1, lifestyles and health.
由英国政府发起成立的英国生物库作为这次调查的实行者，计划在全国40至69岁人群中采集50万份DNA样本。
The study is being carried out by the UK Biobank, a government initiative, which plans to collect DNA3 samples from 500,000 people aged4 between 40 and 69 across the UK.
大规模搜集基因信息样本、生活方法选择和血缘数据，目的是为了提升对一些遗传类疾病致病基因的理解，包含癌症、心脏病、糖尿病和一些特定的精神疾病。
Collecting large sample groups of genetic5 information, together with data on lifestyle choices and genealogy6, is aimed at enhancing the understanding of the genetic causes of hereditary7 diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes8 and certain mental problems.
这个项目的志愿者招募活动已经在今春启动，现在已经有约1万人在全国各地的测试中心捐献了40到50毫升血样和尿样。
Recruitment for the project started in spring and so far about 10,000 people have donated 40ml-50ml of blood and urine in assessment9 centres round the country.
英国生物库已经收到来自Wellcome Trust、英国医学研究理事会、英国卫生部和苏格兰行政院的6100万英镑资金。
The initiative has received ￡61m in funding from the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council, the Department of Health and the Scottish Executive.
冰岛曾展开过一个类似的项目。该国的30万人口具备异常纯种的DNA，其直接缘由就是该国在地理上是一个孤岛。而这种高度一样的基因库也就成了研究遗传类疾病的无价之宝。
A similar project was carried out in Iceland, where the 300,000 population has unusually homogenous10 DNA. The compressed gene2 pool is a direct result of the countrys geographical11 isolation12, making it an invaluable13 resource for studying inherited diseases.
冰岛有超越半数的人口捐献了DNA或详细的医疗记录。在上世纪90年代末，冰岛成为世界上第一个向生物科技公司供应全国人口基因代码用权的国家。
More than half of Icelands population has donated DNA or detailed14 medical records and at the end of the past decade Iceland became the first country in the world to sell the rights to the entire populations genetic code to a biotechnology company.
英国这个项目的支持者期望，将来，大夫将可以依据一个人的基因特质，精确确定他患有某种特定疾病的风险。
Supporters of the UK project hope that in future doctors will be able accurately15 to pinpoint16 a persons risk of developing a particular disease, based on their genetic predisposition.
英国生物库的首席调查员罗里?柯林斯教授表示：在将来的10年、20年或30年，研究员将可以研究疾病的成因，并找出治疗和避免的办法。
Rory Collins, UK Biobanks principal investigator17, says: Researchers over the next 10, 20 or 30 years can study the causes of disease and identify ways to treat and prevent it.
此次的英国项目将保留具名档案。志愿者需要填写一份详细的调查表，捐献血样和尿样，并提供我们的名字、住址、性别、国民健康服务号码、出过生日期和常用大夫的信息。
The UK project will hold named records. Volunteers must fill out an extensive questionnaire, give blood and urine samples and provide their name, address, sex, National Health Service number, date of birth and general practitioner18.
但在信息库中存储详细的血缘、医疗和基因资料的做法引来了争议。批评人士称，这个项目是不道德的，且大概被滥用，并存在紧急的隐私问题。
But storing detailed genealogical, medical and genetic material in a database is proving controversial. Critics say the project is unethical and open to abuse, and raises serious privacy issues.
非营利性政策研究公司GeneWatch UK的海伦?华莱士表示：隐私方面的一个主要问题是，依据现在的法律，假如警方可以成功说明这事关公众利益，那样，他们将可以接触到这个数据库。
Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, a not-for-profit policy research company, says: One major privacy concern is that under current law the police can seek access to the database if they can successfully argue it is in the public interest.
这里还有一个关于保险公司和雇主的长期问题。假如大家开发出一种办法，可以辨别出那些存在高基因风险人群，保险公司和雇主将会对这种信息很有兴趣。
There is also a longer-term concern about insurers and employers. If we can develop a way of identifying those at high genetic risk the likes of insurance companies and employers will be very interested to get their hands on this information.
柯林斯教授表示，他很反对出于这类目的用法这种资源，并将竭力抗争，以防止这种状况的发生。
Prof Collins said he was very opposed to the resources being used for such purposes and would fight vigorously to prevent it.
基因歧视这个定义现在还是科幻小说的范畴。电影《千钧一发》（Gattaca，又名《变种异煞》）对此类状况进行了探讨。在片中，一个人在出生时即对预期寿命和易患病程度进行测评，社会则据此予以歧视对待。
The concept of genetic discrimination currently lies in the realm of science fiction. It was explored in the film Gattaca, in which life expectancy19 and susceptibility to disease are ascertained20 at birth and society discriminates21 on that basis.
英国生物库的反对者相信，基因歧视是根据基金对大家进行分类的自然结果，并呼吁拟定有关立法。
Opponents of the UK Biobank believe genetic discrimination is a logical consequence of classifying people according to their genes and are calling for legislation to be introduced.
英国生物库是一个公共实体，但依据现有法律，包含外国研究职员和研究组织在内的机构可以获得这次调查的数据，并对我们的发现（包含与某种疾病有关的基因）申请常识产权。
The Biobank is a public entity23 but under current law companies including foreign researchers and organisations can gain access to the research and claim intellectual property rights on their findings including genes they link with particular diseases.
柯林斯教授表示：大家正在建设一个能够帮助改变健康的资源，其中包含与学术和商业研究职员合作。现在已经愈加难区别纯学术研究和纯商业研究。
Prof Collins says: We are building a resource to help improve health and that includes collaborating24 with academia and commercial researchers. It is increasingly difficult to discriminate22 between pure academic and pure commercial research.
华莱士表示：这很具备争议性：一家公司能否拥有生命信息的常识产权，还是应该对公众开放这类信息。她补充说：除此之外，基因研究尚未获得期待中的结果。基因差异在普通疾病中有哪些用途，并不是像开始想象的那样要紧。所以，英国生物库能否依据DNA判断哪个有患癌症和心脏病的风险，这一点值得怀疑。
Ms Wallace says: This is highly controversial: whether a company should be able to own information about life, or whether it should be publicly available. She adds: Furthermore, genetic research has not been delivering the expected results. Genetic differences are turning out to be less important in common diseases than initially25 thought. So the idea that the Biobank will work out who is at risk of cancer and heart disease based on DNA is questionable26.
但研究机构和制药公司对生物库行业已表现出巨大的兴趣。生物库的合伙人和赞助商包含葛兰素史克、阿斯利康和默克。
But research organisations and pharmaceutical27 companies have shown great interest in the biobanking industry. Partners and sponsors include GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Merck.
柯林斯教授强调，参与者的动力来自他们的无私奉献。他表示：参加这个项目没任何回报。这个项目没反馈，更不是一个健康检查。大家的付出是这个项目的所有。
Prof Collins stresses that altruism28 alone motivates participants. He says: There is nothing in it for those who take part. There is no feedback and this is not a health check. It is simply about people giving.
