White rice is the world's most popular form of rice. 
白稻是世界上最常见的一种稻子。

But it goes through a milling process that removes many nutrients. 
但其研磨过程中会流失许多种营养。

As a result, people who eat a poor diet based on white rice may not get enough vitamin A.
结果就是，那些以白稻为主食、饮食很简单的人得不到足够的维生素A。

Each year an estimated 250,000 to half a million children go blind from vitamin A deficiency. 
每年估计有 25-50 万儿童因缺乏维生素A而致盲。

The World Health Organization says half of them die within a year of losing their sight. 
世界卫生组织称其中一半儿童在失明后的一年内死亡。

Vitamin A deficiency is a problem especially in Africa and Southeast Asia.
维生素A缺乏症在非洲和东南亚尤其严重。

So scientists thought of an answer. 
科学家因此想出了个解决方法。

They combined white rice with plant compounds that the body can change into vitamin A.
他们将白稻和可由人体转化成维生素A的作物化合物组合在一起。

The rice contains beta-carotene and other carotenoids.
这种稻子含有β-胡萝卜素以及其它类胡萝卜素。

These plant colorings give the rice a golden color.
这些植物色素使得这种稻子呈现出金色。

The scientists also thought of a plan to give away this Golden Rice for free to poor farmers. 
科学家还计划免费把这种“金米”分发给贫农。

But the rice is genetically engineered. 
但这种稻子是转基因的。

They say it cannot be made using traditional methods to breed plants.
他们称难以采取传统作物培植法生产这种稻子。

The scientists worked for ten years, until 1990, to develop the technology to add genes to rice. 
科学家为此研究了10年，直到1990年才开发出在稻子中植入基因的技术。

Then it took nine more years to get the genes they wanted into the seed.
然后又过了9年多他们才得以把理想的基因植入种子中。

The first field tests took place in 2004 at Louisiana State University in the United States. 
首个现场试验于2004年在美国路易斯安那州立大学进行。

Golden Rice is currently being tested in the Philippines. 
目前“金米”正在菲律宾进行试验，

It is still not available for general use.
尚未上市供大众食用。

Co-inventor Ingo Potrykus says rice with two added genes will be available in 2013. 
共同发明者英戈·珀崔克斯称，植入两种基因的稻子将于2013年推向市场。

One gene comes from maize, or corn, and the other from a soil bacterium.
其中一个是玉米的基因，另一个是泥土细菌的基因。

Mr. Potrykus is retired from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. 
珀崔克斯退休于瑞士联邦理工学院，

He blames the delays on too many rules about genetically modified crops.
他将这段时间的耽搁归咎于转基因作物面临的管制太多。

Opponents say such crops may cause environmental damage by breeding with conventional plants. 
反对者则称这种稻子跟传统作物一起培植会对环境造成破坏。

Opponents also question the safety of biotech foods.
他们还对生物科技粮食的安全性报以质疑。

Mr. Potrykus says Golden Rice has never been shown to be unsafe for the environment or people. 
珀崔克斯则表示，“金米”从未显示出会对环境或人类构成危害。

Many agricultural organizations support the project.
这一项目得到了众多农业组织的支持。

But there are also critics, including researchers for the environmental group Greenpeace. 
但是仍然存在批评者，其中就包括绿色和平环保组织的研究人员。

Several months ago they questioned whether Golden Rice could do much for vitamin A deficiency. 
数月前他们质疑“金米”是否有助于解决维生素A缺乏症。

They said releasing genetically modified rice in Asia could permanently change traditional rice varieties and wild ancestors of rice.
他们表示，在亚洲散播转基因稻子恐将永久性改变那里传统的水稻种类及野生的水稻原种。