Before composer Ludwig van Beethoven died on March 27, 1827, it was his wish that his ailments be studied and shared so "as far as possible at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death."
作曲家路德維希·范·貝多芬於1827年3月27日去世之前，他曾希望他的疾病能夠被研究和分享，想要「在我的死後，至少儘可能讓世界認同我。」
ailment ['eɪlmənt] n.
ailment指的是身體上的不適或疾病，通常是輕微的疾病，但也可能是長期或嚴重的疾病。
例句：The hospital treated a wide variety of ailments, ranging from the common cold to more serious conditions like heart disease.
（這家醫院治療各種各樣的疾病，從普通感冒到像心臟病這樣更嚴重的情況。）
reconcile ['rekənsaɪl] v.
reconcile 意為「和解、調和、使一致」，特指在矛盾或爭端後重新恢復和好關係，接受和相容對方的觀點或想法。
例句：After their argument, they eventually reconciled and became friends again.
（在吵架之後，他們最終和解，重新成為了朋友。）
Now, researchers have taken steps to partially honor that request by analyzing Beethoven's DNA from preserved locks of his hair and sequencing the composer's genome for the first time.
現在，研究人員通過分析保存的貝多芬頭髮樣本的DNA，並首次對作曲家的基因組進行測序，部分地實現了這一要求。
partially ['pɑːrʃəli] adv. 部分地，不完全地
honor ['ɑːnər] v. 履行，尊重，遵守
在這個句子中，「partially honor that request」表示「部分履行那個要求」。換句話說，研究人員採取了措施來儘可能地滿足貝多芬的要求。
preserve [prəˈzɜːrv] v. 保存，保藏
在這裡是過去分詞作形容詞用，表示「保存好的」。
lock [lɒk] n.
lock 在這裡指的是「一縷頭髮」。
sequence ['siːkw(ə)ns] vt. 測定(整套基因或分子成分的)序列
genome ['dʒiːnoʊm] n. 基因組
A study detailing the findings published Wednesday in the journal Current Biology.
周三發表在《現代生物學》雜誌上的一項研究詳細介紹了這些發現。
detail ['diːteɪl] v. 詳細說明
"Our primary goal was to shed light on Beethoven's health problems, which famously include progressive hearing loss, beginning in his mid- to late-20s and eventually leading to him being functionally deaf by 1818," said study coauthor Johannes Krause, a professor at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, in a statement.
該研究的合著者、德國萊比錫馬克斯·普朗克進化人類學研究所的約翰內斯·克勞瑟教授在一份聲明中表示：「我們的主要目標是揭示貝多芬的健康問題，其中包括著名的逐漸聽力喪失——從他20多歲中期至晚期開始，並最終導致他在1818年功能性失聰。」
shed light on 闡明；使清晰明了
例句：His comments are very insightful and can help us delve deeper into the issue and shed light on some new ways of thinking.
（他的評論很有啟發性，可以幫助我們更深入地理解這個問題，並為我們提供一些新的思考方式。）
The five hair samples helped scientists discover insights about family history, chronic health problems and what might have contributed to his death at the age of 56.
這五個頭髮樣本幫助科學家發現了關於家族史、慢性健康問題以及可能導致他在56歲時死亡的因素的見解。
discover insights about 發現有關...的見解或洞察力
通常用於指探索、研究或分析某個問題、主題或領域，並從中獲取新的信息和認識。
例句：Our survey helped us discover new insights about market demand.
（我們的調查幫助我們發現了有關市場需求的新見解。）
contribute to是指對某事物的形成、發展或結果產生了積極的影響或作用
這個短語可以用於描述一個人、一個組織、一個事件等對某個事物的貢獻。
例句：Her research findings have contributed greatly to the development of this field.
（她的研究成果對這個領域的發展做出了巨大貢獻。）
chronic [ˈkrɑːnɪk] adj. 慢性的
指一種持續或反覆出現的、通常較為嚴重或難以治癒的疾病或問題。也可用於描述一些長期存在的不良習慣或負面情緒。
例如：chronic pain（慢性疼痛），chronic stress（長期壓力）。
Beethoven's maladies
貝多芬的疾病
In addition to hearing loss, the famed classical composer had recurring gastrointestinal complaints throughout his life, as well as severe liver disease.
除了聽力喪失，這位著名的古典音樂作曲家在一生中還經歷了反覆出現的胃腸問題和嚴重的肝病。
malady ['mælədɪ] n. 疾病；痼疾
這個詞常用於描述身體或精神上的疾病或問題，如心理疾病、身體不適、健康問題等等。
famed [feɪmd] adj. 著名的
recurring [rɪˈkɜːrɪŋ] adj. 指反覆出現或重複發生的
例句：She has been having recurring headaches for weeks.
（她幾個星期以來一直反覆頭疼。）
Beethoven wrote a letter to his brothers in 1802 asking that his doctor, Johann Adam Schmidt, determine and share the nature of his "illness" once Beethoven died. The letter is known as the Heiligenstadt testament.
貝多芬在1802年寫給他兄弟們的一封信中，要求他的醫生約翰·亞當·施密特在他去世後確定並分享他的「疾病」性質。這封信被稱為海利根斯塔特遺囑。
testament ['testəm(ə)nt] n. 遺囑
But Beethoven outlived his favorite doctor by 18 years, and after the composer died, the testament was discovered in a hidden compartment in his writing desk.
但是，貝多芬比他最喜愛的醫生多活了18年，在貝多芬去世後，後人在他寫字桌的一個隱藏隔層里發現了這封遺囑。
outlive ['aʊt'lɪv] v. 活得比…長
例句：My great-grandmother has outlived all of her siblings and most of her friends.
（我的曾祖母活得比她所有的兄弟姐妹和大部分朋友都長。）
In the letter, Beethoven admitted how hopeless he felt as a music composer struggling with hearing loss, but his work kept him from taking his own life.
在信中，貝多芬承認他作為一名困擾於聽力喪失的音樂作曲家感到毫無希望，但是他的工作阻止了他自殺。
He said he didn't want to leave ''before I had produced all the works that I felt the urge to compose.''
他說他不想在「我創作出所有我感到渴望創作的作品之前」離開。
urge [ɜːrdʒ] n. 迫切的需求
compose [kəmˈpoʊz] v. 創作（音樂、詩歌等）
Since his death, questions have swirled around what ailed Beethoven and his true cause of death.
自他去世以來，人們一直困惑於貝多芬的病症以及他的真正死因。
swirled （[swɜrld]）around 圍繞…旋轉；在…周圍不斷出現
表示有很多關於貝多芬的健康問題和死因的問題一直存在並且在不斷出現。
例句：Rumors swirled around the office that there were going to be layoffs.
（公司內部不斷傳聞要進行裁員。）
ail [eɪl] v. 使患病；使不適
ail是前文的ailment的動詞。
Within the last seven years of his life, the composer experienced at least two attacks of jaundice, which is associated with liver disease, leading to the general belief that he died from cirrhosis.
在他生命的最後七年內，這位作曲家至少經歷了兩次黃疸發作，這與肝病有關，這導致人們普遍認為他死於肝硬化。
be associated with 指「與……有關的」。
Medical biographers have since combed through Beethoven's letters and diaries, as well as his autopsy, notes from his physicians, and even notes taken when his body was exhumed twice in 1863 and 1888, with the hopes of piecing together his complicated medical history.
自那時起，醫學傳記作者們已經詳細研究了貝多芬的信件和日記，以及他的驗屍報告、醫生的筆記，甚至是在1863年和1888年兩次挖掘他的屍體時記錄的筆記，希望能夠拼湊出他複雜的病史。
comb through 仔細檢查，徹底梳理
comb 在這裡是「仔細搜索」的意思。
例句：The detectives combed through the suspect's apartment looking for evidence.
（警探們徹底梳理了嫌疑人的公寓尋找證據。）
exhume [ɪɡˈzjuːmd] v. (為檢查死因)掘出(屍首)
例句：The remains of the ancient king were exhumed for further study by archaeologists.
（古代國王的遺骸被考古學家挖掘出來進行進一步研究。）
But the researchers behind the new study took things a step further about eight years ago when they set out to do a genetic analysis of Beethoven's hair.
但是，這項新研究的研究人員八年前更進一步，開始對貝多芬的頭髮進行遺傳分析。
set out to 著手做某事
The samples they used included hair cut from his head in the seven years prior to his death.
他們使用的樣本包括他死前七年從他頭上剪下來的頭髮。
prior to 表示「在……之前」。
Genetic revelations
基因揭秘
The team started by analyzing a total of eight hair samples from public and private collections across the UK, Europe and the US.
該團隊首先分析了來自英國、歐洲和美國公共和私人收藏中的總共八個頭髮樣本。
During their authentication work, they discovered that two didn't come from Beethoven at all, while another was too damaged to analyze.
在他們進行身份驗證時，他們發現其中兩個根本不是來自貝多芬，而另一個則過於損壞無法分析。
authentication [ɔːˌθentɪ'keɪʃn] n. 認證；鑑定；證明真實性
例句：The website requires authentication before allowing users to access their accounts.
（該網站在允許用戶訪問其帳戶之前需要進行身份驗證。）
Previous work suggesting that Beethoven had lead poisoning was determined to be based on a hair sample that didn't belong to him — one that instead had belonged to a woman.
以前的研究曾暗示貝多芬患有鉛中毒，但後來證實這一說法基於一根並非屬於他的頭髮樣本，該樣本實際來自一名女性。
lead poisoning 表示「鉛中毒」，lead指「鉛」。
But five of the samples all came from the same European male and matched his German ancestry.
但是，這五個樣本都來自同一位歐洲男性，與他的德國血統相匹配。
ancestry ['ænsestrɪ] n. 祖先；血統
表示「有……血統」，可以說be of...ancestry，例如：an American of Norwegian ancestry （挪威血統的美國人）
Beethoven had hand delivered one of the locks himself to the pianist Anton Halm in April 1826, saying "Das sind meine Haare!" ("That is my hair!")
貝多芬曾親自交給鋼琴家安東·哈爾姆一束頭髮，說道「Das sind meine Haare!」（「這是我的頭髮！」）。
hand deliver 表示「親手送達」。
The genetic analysis spotted clues hiding in the composer's DNA that could add context to his health issues.
這項基因分析在貝多芬的DNA中發現了隱藏的線索，有助於解釋他的健康問題。
context 指「 (事情發生的)背景，環境，來龍去脈」。
"We were unable to find a definitive cause for Beethoven's deafness or gastrointestinal problems," Krause said. "However, we did discover a number of significant genetic risk factors for liver disease," he added.
研究合著者克勞塞（Johannes Krause）表示：「我們無法確定貝多芬的失聰或胃腸問題的明確原因，但是我們發現了一些重大的肝病基因風險因素。
"We also found evidence of an infection with hepatitis B virus in at latest the months before the composer's final illness. Those likely contributed to his death."
此外，我們還發現貝多芬在最後一次生病前最後幾個月內感染了B肝病毒，這很可能是導致他死亡的原因之一。」
contribute to 導致
例如：Hard work alone does not necessarily contribute to success.
（光靠努力不一定就會成功。）
Beethoven's genetic data also helped the researchers rule out other potential causes of his ailments, such as celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome.
貝多芬的基因數據也幫助研究人員排除了其他可能導致他疾病的原因，比如自身免疫疾病腹瀉症、乳糖不耐症或腸易激綜合徵。
rule out 排除
例如：The police have ruled out murder in the case of the girl’s death.
（警方在姑娘死亡案中已排除他殺的可能性。）
Letters written by Beethoven, as well as those of his friends, show that the composer regularly consumed alcohol.
從貝多芬及他的朋友的信件中能看出來，他經常喝酒。
consume alcohol 喝酒
這裡的consume是「喝」的意思，由「消耗、消費」這個意思延伸而來，
當consume作為動詞時，它的基本意思是「消耗，吃，喝」。
以下是一些例句和短語：
He consumed an entire pizza by himself.
（他一個人吃了一整個披薩。）
Although it's difficult to tell how much he drank, a close friend wrote that Beethoven had at least a liter of wine with lunch each day.
儘管很難確定他喝了多少酒，但一位好友寫道，貝多芬每天午餐至少喝了一升葡萄酒！
liter 縮寫為"L"或"l"，表示「升」。
Drinking alcohol, combined with genetic risk factors for liver disease and his hepatitis B infection, might have been the perfect storm for Beethoven's health near the end of his life.
飲酒加上肝病的基因風險因素和B型肝炎感染，可能是貝多芬生命末期健康問題的重要原因。
"If his alcohol consumption was sufficiently heavy over a long enough period of time, the interaction with his genetic risk factors presents one possible explanation for his cirrhosis," said lead study author Tristan Begg, Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge.
「如果他長時間的酗酒量足夠大，再加上他的遺傳風險因素的相互作用，這就是他患肝硬化的一個可能解釋，」劍橋大學的博士生、該研究的首席作者特里斯坦·貝格說道。
present one possible explanation for his cirrhosis
意思是「提供了他肝硬化的一個可能解釋」。
present 在這裡是動詞，意思是「提供，呈現」。
cirrhosis是一種肝臟疾病，指肝臟組織逐漸受到損傷並逐漸失去其正常的功能。
But the researchers cautioned that the timing of all of these events was critical to understanding what contributed to Beethoven's death.
但研究人員提醒稱，所有這些事件的時機對於理解導致貝多芬之死的原因至關重要。
caution [ˈkɔːʃən] v. 警告、告誡
critical ['krɪtɪk(ə)l] a. 至關重要的
Future research could reveal more insights — including the reason behind his hearing loss, the authors said.
作者們表示，未來的研究可能會揭示更多的見解，包括他聽力受損的原因。
"We hope that by making Beethoven's genome publicly available for researchers, and perhaps adding further authenticated locks to the initial chronological series, remaining questions about his health and genealogy can someday be answered," Begg said.
"我們希望通過公開貝多芬的基因組給研究人員，還有或許在此前已有的基礎上增加更多已驗明身份的頭髮，剩下的關於他的健康和家譜的問題能夠在未來得到回答，"貝格說道。
authenticate [ɔːˈθentɪkeɪt] v. 已驗證的
例句：The document was authenticated by a signature from a notary public.
這份文件通過公證人的簽名得到了認證。
chronological [ˌkrɑːnəˈlɑːdʒɪkl] adj. 按時間排序的
例句：The historical events were arranged in chronological order.
這些歷史事件被按時間順序排列。
A secret in the DNA
DNA中的秘密
Once the research team established Beethoven's genetic profile, they compared it with the DNA of his living relatives in Belgium.
研究團隊確定了貝多芬的基因組後，將其與比利時貝多芬還在世的親屬的DNA進行了比較。
genetic profile指個體的基因組成和變異情況。
But in a twist, they weren't able to determine a complete match.
但出現了一個轉折，他們無法確定一個完整的匹配。
While some of the relatives shared a paternal ancestor through Beethoven's family in the late 1500s and early 1600s, there was no match for the Y-chromosome in Beethoven's hair samples.
雖然一些親屬和貝多芬家族在16世紀末和17世紀初有同一個父系祖先，但是貝多芬頭髮樣本中的Y染色體並不匹配。
This suggests that somewhere in the family's history, there was an extramarital affair on Beethoven's father's side that resulted in a child.
這表明在貝多芬父親這一邊的家族歷史中，曾經發生過婚外情並導致了一個孩子的出生！
extramarital affair [ˌekstrəˈmærɪtl əˈfer] 婚外情
"Through the combination of DNA data and archival documents, we were able to observe a discrepancy between Ludwig van Beethoven's legal and biological genealogy," said study coauthor Maarten Larmuseau, a genetic genealogist at the KU Leuven in Belgium.
比利時魯汶大學的遺傳學家和研究合作者馬爾滕·拉穆索表示：「通過DNA數據和檔案文件的結合，我們能夠觀察到路德維希·范·貝多芬的法定和生物學的家族譜之間的差異。」
discrepancy [dɪˈskrepənsi] n. 矛盾
genealogy [ˌdʒiːniˈælədʒi] n. 家系（譜）
The researchers think the affair occurred sometime between the 1572 conception of Hendrik van Beethoven, an ancestor in the paternal Beethoven line seven generations removed from the composer, and the conception of Beethoven in 1770.
研究人員認為這次婚外情發生在1572年貝多芬父系七代祖先亨德里克·范·貝多芬的受孕和1770年貝多芬的受孕之間。
removed [rɪ'muːvd] adj. （親族關係）隔代的，隔輩的
conception [kənˈsɛpʃən] n. 受孕
*文章來源：https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/beethoven-hair-study-scn/index.html
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