每日英語跟讀 Ep.K551: Scientists sequence Beethoven's genome, revealing insights into his liver disease but not his hearing loss
Genetic analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair has revealed new information about the composer's health. Using five locks of Beethoven's hair, researchers have sequenced his genome nearly two centuries after his death. The analysis revealed that Beethoven was genetically predisposed to liver disease and had hepatitis B, in addition to his heavy alcohol consumption. The findings suggest that there were multiple factors behind his liver disease, including genetics, viral infection, and alcohol. The study, led by the University of Cambridge biological anthropologist Tristan Begg, was published in the journal Current Biology.
通過分析路德維希·范·貝多芬的頭髮，基因分析揭示了作曲家健康方面的新信息。研究人員使用貝多芬的五縷頭髮，在他離世近兩個世紀的時間後對他的基因組進行了序列化。分析結果顯示，貝多芬在基因上容易患肝病，並且患有乙型肝炎，除此之外，他還經常飲酒。研究結果表明，貝多芬的肝病有多種因素，包括基因、病毒感染和酒精。由劍橋大學生物人類學家特里斯坦·貝格（Tristan Begg）領導的這項研究發表在《當代生物學》期刊上。
While the study shed light on Beethoven's liver disease, it failed to identify the genetic explanation for his hearing loss. The composer started experiencing progressive hearing loss at age 29 and was completely deaf by age 44, but continued to compose masterpieces. The researchers were unable to find a genetic explanation for Beethoven's hearing loss, but several possible explanations could not be reliably or comprehensively evaluated.
雖然這項研究揭示了貝多芬的肝病，但它未能確定其聽力喪失的基因解釋。貝多芬從29歲開始逐漸失聰，44歲時完全失聰，但仍繼續編曲創作。研究人員未能找到貝多芬聽力喪失的基因解釋，對於研究發現的幾種可能無法進行可靠或全面的評估。
Despite not finding a cause for Beethoven's hearing issues, the study explored the composer's ancestry, revealing an unexpected detail. Genetic data from Beethoven and five living relatives revealed that there had been a child resulting from an extramarital relationship on his father's side of the family in the generations before the composer's birth.
儘管未能找到貝多芬聽力問題的成因，但這項研究探索了作曲家的家族史，揭示了一個意外的細節。貝多芬和五名在世親屬的基因數據顯示，在作曲家出生之前的幾代人中，他父親的家族中有一個因婚外情生下的私生子。
The researchers analyzed eight locks of hair from public and private collections in the United States and Europe, determining that five of them matched and were almost certainly authentic. The best-preserved lock, called the Stumpff Lock, was used to sequence Beethoven's genome. The DNA was severely degraded, making it hard to assemble a genome, but the study was valuable in understanding Beethoven's health and accurately conveying the facts of his biography. Beethoven's music continues to inspire millions nearly 200 years after his death.
研究人員從美國和歐洲的公共和私人收藏中分析了八束貝多芬的頭髮，確定其中五束是匹配且幾乎可以肯定是真實的。最好保存的一束頭髮，名為Stumpff Lock，被用來對貝多芬的基因組進行序列分析。DNA已經嚴重分解，很難組裝基因組，但這項研究對了解貝多芬的健康狀況以及準確傳達他傳記的事實非常有價值。貝多芬的音樂在他去世近200年後仍然啟發著數百萬人。Reference article: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/locks-hair-compose-symphony-genetic-information-beethoven-2023-03-22/