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London, 1928: a group of mold spores surf a breeze through a lab. They drift onto a petri dish, and when they land, they germinate a medical revolution.
伦敦，1928年：一组霉菌孢子被一阵风吹过实验室，它们飘过一个培养皿，当它们降落之后，一场医学革命开始生根发芽。
This lab belongs to Alexander Fleming, a Scottish scientist investigating the properties of infectious bacteria.
这个实验室的负责人是亚历山大·弗莱明，一位正在研究细菌感染特性的苏格兰科学家。
At this time, Fleming is away on vacation. When he returns, he finds a colony of mold growing on a petri dish he'd forgotten to place in his incubator.
这时，弗莱明正在度假。当他回来的时候，他发现一个培养皿上长了一群霉菌，他忘记把它放在培养箱里了。
And around this colony of mold is a zone completely and unexpectedly clear of bacteria.
在这个霉菌群周围的一片区域，出乎意料地没有任何细菌。
In studying this mysterious phenomenon, Fleming came to realize that the mold was secreting some kind of compound that was killing the bacteria.
在研究这一神秘现象时，弗莱明发现霉菌中隐藏着一种能杀死细菌的化合物。
The mold was a species in the Penicillium genus, so Fleming dubbed the antibacterial compound "penicillin." What Fleming stumbled upon was a microbial defense system.
这个霉菌是青霉菌属中的一株，于是弗莱明将这种抗菌化合物命名为“青霉素”。弗莱明偶然发现的其实是一种微生物防御系统。
The penicillium mold constantly produces penicillin in order to defend itself from threats, such as nearby bacterial colonies that might consume its resources.
青霉属真菌不停地产生青霉素来保护自己免受威胁，比如周围可能会占用它资源的菌落。
Penicillin destroys many types of bacteria by disrupting synthesis of their cell walls.
青霉素通过破坏细菌细胞壁的合成来摧毁多种细菌。
These walls get their strength from a thick, protective mesh of sugars and amino acids, that are constantly being broken down and rebuilt.
这些细胞壁的强度来自于一个由糖和氨基酸组成的厚实、且有保护性的网状结构，它们不停地瓦解、再生。
Penicillin binds to one of the compounds that weaves this mesh together and prevents the wall from being reconstructed at a critical phase.
青霉素将自己和其中一种编织保护网的化合物绑在一起，在关键阶段阻止了细胞壁的重建。
Meanwhile, penicillin stimulates the release of highly reactive molecules that cause additional damage. Eventually, the cell's structure breaks down completely.
同时，青霉素刺激并释放具有破坏作用的高度活跃的分子。最终，细胞的结构完全崩塌了。
This two-pronged attack is lethal to a wide range of bacteria, whether in petri-dishes, our bodies, or elsewhere.
这种双向攻击对很多种类的细菌都是致命的，不论是在培养皿中、我们身体里，还是其他的地方。
It's not, however, harmful to our own cells, because those don't have cell walls.
但它对我们自身的细胞是无害的，因为人体细胞没有细胞壁。
For a decade or so after Fleming's discovery, penicillin remained a laboratory curiosity.
在弗莱明这一发现诞生的十年后，青霉素仍然只停留在实验室阶段。
But during World War II, researchers figured out how to isolate the active compound and grow the mold in larger quantities.
但在二战期间，研究人员发现了如何分离出活性化合物并大量培养这种霉菌。
They then went on to win the Nobel Prize for their work.
这项成就随后让他们获得了诺贝尔奖。
Teams at Oxford and several American drug companies continued development, and within a few years it was commercially available.
牛津和一些美国制药公司的研究团队继续推进了这个项目，几年之内就实现了商业化。
Penicillin and similar compounds quickly transformed the treatment of infections.
青霉素和其他相似的化合物迅速改变了感染的治疗方式。
For the time being, they remain some of the most important, life-saving antibiotics used in medicine.
直到现在，它们仍是医学上最重要的挽救生命的抗生素之一。
However, the more we use any antibiotic, the more bacteria evolve resistance to it.
但是，我们越多地使用一种抗生素，细菌就会更容易产生抗药性。
In the case of penicillin, some bacteria produce compounds that can break down the key structure that interferes with cell wall synthesis.
对于青霉素，一些细菌生产出了可以瓦解抑制细胞壁合成结构的化合物。
As antibiotic use has increased, more and more bacteria have evolved this defense, making these antibiotics ineffective against a growing number of bacterial infections.
随着抗生素的使用频率越来越高，越来越多的细菌进化出了这种保护机制，使这些抗生素对越来越多的细菌感染不再有效。
This means it's essential that doctors not overprescribe the drug.
这使得医生不滥用抗生素处方变得尤为重要。
Meanwhile, 5 to 15% of patients in developed countries self-identify as allergic to penicillin, making it the most commonly reported drug allergy.
同时，发达国家中有5-15%的病患自认为他们对青霉素过敏，使青霉素成为最普遍的药物过敏源。
However, the vast majority -- over 90% -- of people who think they're allergic to penicillin actually are not. Why the misperception?
但是，大多数，即超过90%自认为对青霉素过敏的人，但其实并不过敏。这个误解从何而来？
Many patients acquire the allergy label as children, when a rash appears after they're treated for an infection with penicillin or closely related drugs.
很多病人在孩童时期就被认为是过敏者，因为他们用青霉素或相关药物治疗后出现了皮疹。
The rash is often blamed on penicillin, while the more likely culprit is the original infection, or a reaction between the infection and the antibiotic.
皮疹的出现通常被归罪于青霉素，但其实更大可能是因为原始的感染，或者感染和抗生素之间的反应。
However, genuine penicillin allergies, where our immune systems mistake penicillin for an attacker, do occur rarely and can be very dangerous.
但是，真正的青霉素过敏，也就是当我们的免疫系统错把青霉素当成入侵者时，的确会以很低的概率出现，并且可能危及生命。
So if you think you're allergic but don't know for sure, your best bet is to visit an allergist.
所以如果你认为自己对青霉素过敏，但并不确定，最好的办法是去看过敏症专家。
They'll complete an evaluation that'll confirm whether or not you have the allergy.
他们会做一项评估来证实你是否对青霉素过敏。
Even if you do have a penicillin allergy, your immune cells that react to the drug may lose their ability to recognize it.
就算你的确对青霉素过敏，你对青霉素产生反应的免疫细胞也有可能已经丧失识别出它们的能力。
In fact, about 80% of people who are allergic to penicillin outgrow their allergy within ten years.
实际上，大约80%的青霉素过敏者可以在十年内自己摆脱过敏症状。
This is great news for people who currently identify as allergic to penicillin; the drug may one day save their lives, as it has done for so many others.
这对于现在被认为对青霉素过敏的人来说是很好的消息，或许某一天，这个挽救了无数人的药物也会同样挽救他们的生命。
