離開
進入中英對照讀新聞》DNA analysis of Beethoven’s hair provides clues to his death（貝多芬頭髮DNA分析揭開其死因）
科學家從貝多芬留下的頭髮中分析其死因。（法新社檔案照）
◎孫宇青
Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna nearly 200 years ago after a lifetime of composing some of the most influential works in classical music.
路德維希·范·貝多芬在將近200年前於維也納逝世，他一生中創作出多首古典樂界最具影響力的作品。
Ever since, biographers have sought to explain the causes of the German composer’s death at the age of 56, his progressive hearing loss and his struggles with chronic illness.
在他逝世後，歷史學者一直試圖解釋這位德國作曲家在年僅56歲時過世，以及罹患漸進式失聰及與慢性病纏鬥的原因。
A team of researchers who sequenced Beethoven’s genome using locks of his hair may now have some answers.
一個研究團隊使用貝多芬的幾綹頭髮進行基因定序，現在可能有了一些答案。
Liver failure, or cirrhosis, was the likely cause of Beethoven’s death brought about by a number of factors, including his alcohol consumption.
肝衰竭或肝硬化是貝多芬的可能死因，這是由一連串因素造成，包括酗酒習慣。
Beethoven had "a strong genetic disposition to liver disease" and sequences of the hepatitis B virus were detected in his hair, said one of the co-authors.
研究的共同作者之一說，貝多芬有「得到肝臟疾病的強烈基因傾向」，且在他的頭髮中也驗出B型肝炎病毒定序。
We believe the disease arose from an interplay of genetic disposition, chronic alcohol consumption and hepatitis B infection.（AFP）
我們認為他的肝病是因遺傳傾向、長期酗酒習慣及感染B型肝炎的交互作用所引起。（法新社）
新聞辭典
progressive：形容詞，漸進的。例句：There’s been a progressive rise in the cost of living in the city.（城市的生活成本逐漸上升。）
lock：名詞，一綹頭髮。例句：The police found a lock of hair inside the bathtub.（警方在浴缸內找到一綹頭髮。）
