World’s Most Cloned Dog “Miracle Milly”

吉娃娃“奇迹米莉”： 世界上克隆次数最多的小狗

By Joe Pinkstone

文/乔·平克斯通

The smallest dog[1] on the planet has been cloned[2] a record-breaking 49 times – making her a two-time world record holder.

吉娃娃“奇迹米莉”不仅全球体型最小，而且还创造了高达49次的克隆新纪录，这些使它成为两项世界纪录的保持者。

[1] 此处全球体型最小的小狗指的是吉娃娃“奇迹米莉”，参见后文。

 

[2] clone 克隆（音译），指利用生物技术由无性生殖产生与原个体有完全相同基因组织后代的过程。此处为了通顺，将动词转译为名词。

Scientists have created 49 genetically-identical dogs based on genes from the tiny Chihuahua[3], known as “Miracle Milly”.

科学家已成功提取迷你吉娃娃“奇迹米莉”的基因，并克隆出49只基因完全相同的小狗。

[3] Chihuahua 吉娃娃是世界上最小的犬种，以墨西哥奇瓦瓦州命名。

The six-year-old pup was replicated[4] by scientists hoping to unearth[5] the genetic code behind her tiny stature.

他们复制这只六岁小狗的基因，希望能破解其袖珍体型背后的遗传密码。

[4] replicate 复制；再生。

 

[5] unearth（偶然或经搜寻）发现。

“Miracle Milly” purportedly weighed less than an ounce[6] at birth, and could curl up[7] inside the head of a teaspoon, leading vets to speculate[8] she would not survive.

据称，“奇迹米莉”出生时体重不到1盎司，可蜷缩在茶匙里，兽医由此推断它难以存活。

[6] ounce 盎司，1盎司约合28克。

 

[7] curl up 蜷缩。

 

[8] speculate 推测；推断。

However, the tiny dog has gone on to thrive[9], thanks to loving mum Vanesa Semler, 38, of Kissimmee, Florida, who fed the puppy every two hours using an eyedropper[10].

不过，在其“养母”的悉心照料下，这只小狗已发育良好。这位充满爱心的“养母” 名叫瓦妮萨·塞姆勒，现年38岁，居住在佛罗里达州的基西米市，她曾每隔一小时用滴管给米莉喂食。

[9] thrive 发育良好。

 

[10] eyedropper 滴管，本用于点眼药水，此处用来喂食。

Since 2012, Miracle Milly was awarded the Guinness World Record[11] for Smallest Living Dog, standing at less than 10cm (3.8in) tall and weighing just over a pound[12] – the same as a large apple.

2012年，吉尼斯世界纪录将“奇迹米莉”评选为“世界上现存最小的狗”，这一纪录保持至今。当时米莉身高不足10厘米（约3.8英寸），体重刚刚超过1磅——重量相当于一个大苹果。

[11] 吉尼斯世界纪录起源于英国，是全球世界纪录认证的权威机构。

 

[12] pound磅，1磅约合454克。

 

Her minuscule[13] measurements led to worldwide adoration[14].

它身形娇小，因而颇受世人宠爱。

[13] minuscule 极其微小的。

 

[14] adoration 宠爱。

Scientists extracted cells from Milly and used the nucleus[15], which holds her genetic information, which was then transplanted to a donor egg cell[16].

科学家从米莉体内提取细胞，并将保存其遗传信息的细胞核移植到供体卵细胞中。

[15] nucleus 细胞核。

 

[16] donor egg cell 供体卵细胞。

From there, the developing embryo[17] was placed into a surrogate[18] mother who would give birth to the pups[19] – in a process similar to the 1996 Dolly the sheep experiment.

随后，再把发育中的胚胎放入代孕母狗体内，产下幼崽——这类似于1996年克隆羊多莉的实验过程。

[17] embryo 胚胎。

 

[18] surrogate 代孕。

 

[19] pup 幼小动物。

In August 2017, the first litter[20] of Milly’s clones were born.

2017年8月，米莉的第一窝克隆幼崽出生了。

[20] litter 一窝幼崽。

All 12 of the doggie doppelgangers[21] now live with the Semler family, who have named the Milly clones: Molly, Mally, Melly, Mully, Mumu, Mila, Mary, Mimi, Moni, Mini, Mela and Mulan.

目前，有12只外形酷似米莉的克隆狗住在塞姆勒家,，这一家人给它们分别取名为：莫莉、马莉、梅莉、穆莉、穆穆、米拉、玛丽、米米、莫妮、米妮、梅拉和木兰。

[21] dop- pelganger 德国民间传说中活人的幽灵，此处借指面貌极其相似。

According to their owners, the pups have exactly the same personalities and looks, however, some are slightly bigger than Miracle Milly.

据狗主人介绍，这些克隆狗的性格和长相完全一样，只是有些比“奇迹米莉”的个头稍大一点。

When Milly was born in Dorado, Puerto Rico[22], in 2011, she was so tiny it was thought she wouldn’t survive.

2011年，米莉出生在波多黎各的多拉多。当时，它身形过于娇小，人们都认为其难以存活。

[22] 波多黎各位于加勒比海的大安的列斯群岛东部，是美国的自治区，多拉多是这里的一个旅游城市。

Fortunately, doting[23] mum Ms Semler would feed her milk every two hours with an eyedropper to ensure she survived.

幸运的是，塞姆勒女士非常宠爱米莉，每隔一小时用滴管给它喂牛奶，让她活了下来。

[23] doting 溺爱的。

While they knew the family was small, it was only while watching a news report that they realised Milly was a contender[24] for the World Record.

虽然塞姆勒一家知道吉娃娃属小型犬种，但直到收看了一则新闻报道后，才意识到米 莉可以挑战世界纪录。

[24] contender 竞争者，此处转译为动词。

Ms Semler said: “She was really small and was so tiny she could fit onto a tea- spoon. She travels around the world for shows and everything else, she’s been to China, Thailand, everywhere.”

塞姆勒女士说：“它体型确实娇小，小到能放进茶匙里。”“米莉到世界各地参加表演及其他活动，曾去过中国、 泰国等地。”

Ms Semler added: “We believe she has no idea she is a dog, because she never barks and only cries when she wants something. She is like our baby child.

她还补充道：“我们觉得米莉不知道自己是一只狗，因为它从不吠叫，想要什么东西就哭闹，就像小宝宝一样。

“She only eats fresh chicken and salmon, she tells me if she doesn’t like anything by not eating it. You have to change her food to whatever she wants, everyday it’s something different.

“米莉只吃新鲜的鸡肉和鲑鱼，如果不喜欢就不吃，须换成它想吃的食物，而它的喜好每天都不一样。

“We call her a diva[25] because while being filmed, when she was hungry she would turn her back on the camera and start crying.”

“我们称米莉为女主角，因为拍摄时，如果饿了，它就会背对镜头开始哭泣。”

[25] diva 著名女歌唱家（尤指歌剧女主角）。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯” 翻译大赛获奖选手）