By David Cook

Ever hear of GMO—genetically modified organisms? A lot of you are most likely wondering what these are or have never even heard of them. These GMO are in products where the genetic makeup has been altered through genetic engineering2. radical: 徹底的，根本的。Many Americans including myself are concerned about the spread of genetically modified organisms throughout agriculture, and the fact that there is no current requirement in this country for labeling of GMO foods.

Since the 1990s world agriculture and food production has undergone the most radical3. radical: 徹底的，根本的。transformation in history. With very little public awareness,in just a few short years GMO foods have come to dominate both global agriculture and supermarket shelf space.4. dominate: 在……中占首要地位；shelf: 貨架。

I’m not a scientist and not an authority on agriculture. However, I do care about what is in the foods I eat and I think most of you agree and want to know what you’re eating, as well.

In September 2012 French scientists conclude first ever longterm study of GMO on rats; extensive research proving GMO corn causes horrific tumors in rats, killing 70 percent of females early, long before their average two-year life expectancy.5. 大量的研究證實轉(zhuǎn)基因玉米導致老鼠長出了可怕的腫瘤，在實驗初期就導致70%的雌鼠死亡，這比它們2年的平均壽命要大大提前。tumor: 腫瘤； life expectancy: 平均壽命。The study which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, revealed for the first time that rats fed Monsanto’s NK603 GM corn treated with glyphosate and herbicide for longer than 90 days developed deadly tumors at a much higher, and much quicker rate than rats not exposed to these products.6. peer-reviewed: 同行評議的； toxicology:毒物學；glyphosate:（農(nóng)藥）草甘磷；herbicide:（農(nóng)藥）除草劑；exposed to: 接觸。

面對身邊琳瑯滿目的食品，許多關心健康的消費者發(fā)愁，怎么知道究竟是不是轉(zhuǎn)基因？生活中有沒有可能完全避免轉(zhuǎn)基因？飽受爭議的一項農(nóng)業(yè)新技術——轉(zhuǎn)基因近年來成為人們街談巷議的話題。在一部分科研人員看來，轉(zhuǎn)基因技術可以改善農(nóng)產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量、提高產(chǎn)量，是未來農(nóng)業(yè)的發(fā)展方向；而在一部分心存疑慮的公眾眼中，轉(zhuǎn)基因技術卻是風險難斷，安全有待評估。

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has warned of “serious health risks” indicated by animal studies measuring the effects of GMO foods. Some medical experts have suggested that Morgellons disease, a mysterious disease that produces sores, rashes, and sharp fibers beneath the skin, may be linked with genetically modified organisms.7. 一些醫(yī)學專家認為莫吉隆斯癥 —— 一種會產(chǎn)生潰瘍、皮疹和表皮下嚴重纖維化的怪病，可能是由轉(zhuǎn)基因作物引起的。Morgellons disease: 莫吉隆斯癥；sore:潰瘍；rash: 發(fā)疹。

The side effects of long term GMO food consumption include kidney cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer (for men too), thyroid tumors, brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease, infertility, birth defects, and autism.8. kidney: 腎臟；prostate: 前列腺；colon cancer: 結(jié)腸癌； thyroid tumor: 甲狀腺瘤；Parkinson’s disease: 帕金森癥；infertility: 不孕癥；birth defect: 先天畸形；autism: 自閉癥。In over 260 studies worldwide, the diagnosis of cancer has been linked to agrochemicals.9. diagnosis: 診斷；agrochemical: 農(nóng)藥。Yet GMO foods proponents10. proponent: 支持者。claim that it poses no harm to humans or the environment, and that we need the technology to feed the world’s growing population. But United Nations have not embraced GMOs as a way to feed a hungry world, proposing instead more sustainable agriculture methods.11. 不過聯(lián)合國并不贊同將轉(zhuǎn)基因作物當作應對世界性糧食短缺的辦法，而是建議采用更可持續(xù)的農(nóng)業(yè)方法。embrace: 接受。

Most vaccines and flu shots contain GMO ingredients.12. vaccine: 疫苗；flu shot: 流感疫苗。Chemotherapy is pushed on the masses as a viable treatment for people who have been steadily consuming pesticide, fluoride,bleach, aspartame and GMO.13. chemotherapy: 化學療法；viable: 可行的；pesticide: 殺蟲劑；fluoride: 氟化物；bleach: 漂白劑；aspartame: 阿斯巴甜，一種人造甜劑，經(jīng)常使用在低糖飲料中。Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries around the world including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMO foods.14. restriction: 限制；outright: 徹底的，完全的。

Our Federal Food and Drug Administration has denied requests to mandate labeling15. Federal Food and Drug Administration: 聯(lián)邦食品和藥物管理局；mandate: 命令，規(guī)定。, saying there is no evidence of the GMO foods / products being unsafe. But many of us are begging the question, if there is no public threat, then what is the harm in labeling it as such? And why are so many companies battling against the labeling of food that has GMO? Here’s a small list of the companies that have publicly admitted they oppose labeling for GMO: PepsiCo, Sunny Delight Beverages, Mars, General Mills, Hormel, Healthy Choice and J.M. Smucker Co.16. PepsiCo: 百事可樂公司；Sunny Delight Beverages: 陽光每日，美國飲料巨頭公司；Mars:瑪氏公司，擁有德芙（DOVE）、M&M’s、士力架(SNICKERS)、彩虹糖(SKITTLES)等一系列國際知名品牌；General Mills: 通用磨坊，世界財富500強企業(yè)，主要從事食品制作業(yè)，為世界第六大食品公司；Hormel:荷美爾，美國500強食品公司；Healthy Choice: 美國著名冷藏和冷凍食物品牌；J.M. Smucker Co.: JM斯馬克公司，美國食品生產(chǎn)商，主營果醬、冰激淋配料、飲料、起酥油等。

Even if the FDA allows the food industry to continue to use genetically engineered ingredients, that doesn’t mean that we have to eat them if we don’t want to. But we need a mandate on labeling so we know what foods have GMO. Many states are considering legislation that would require labeling of all GMO foods / products. But, such requirements should be issued by the FDA on a national scale, not piecemeal17. piecemeal: 零碎的。by individual states.

While the effectiveness and safety of GMO foods is still being debated, the public must get involved and not concede the outcome to a small number of profit-driven biotechnology corporations,18. concede: 讓步；biotechnology: 生物技術。scientists, and federal officials.