Nobel Prize in Medicine Goes to British Scientist

英国科学家获诺贝尔医学奖

A British scientist has won the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine for his work in developing in-vitro fertilization.

英国科学家罗伯特.爱德华兹因为在研发体外受精领域作出的贡献而荣获2010年诺贝尔医学奖。瑞典的诺贝尔委员会说，罗伯特.爱德华兹帮助了数百万患有不孕症的夫妇，称他的工作是现代医学的一个里程碑。

The prize committee in Sweden said Robert Edwards has helped millions of couples dealing with infertility, calling his work a milestone in modern medicine.

现年85岁的爱德华兹开创了使卵子可以在人体外受精然后再放入子宫的手术。

Edwards, now 85 years old, developed the procedure that allows egg cells to be fertilized outside the body and then implanted in the womb.

他在1950年代开始这项研究，并和他的同事帕特里克·斯特普托完善了这项技术。斯特普托在1988年去世。

He began his work in the 1950s, and perfected the technique with colleague Patrick Steptoe, who died in 1988.

诺贝尔委员会说，自从1978年第一个所谓的“试管婴儿”出生以来，已经有多达4百万个婴儿通过这个方式而诞生。

The Nobel committee said as many as 4 million babies have been born through the procedure since the first so-called "test-tube baby" was born in 1978.

诺贝尔奖包括150万美元的奖金和一枚金牌。瑞典的诺贝尔委员会惯例每年首先颁发医学奖。