A 58-year-old woman gave birth to twins a few days ago. The woman, a retired history teacher, is the oldest woman to give birth in Israel. The birth of the twins broke a record set by a 53-year-old, who held the Israeli record for several years. The twins were born by Caesarean section in a hospital in northern Israel. A boy, weighing in at 2.4 kg and a girl, 2.16 kg, are the first children for the woman and her husband. After years of trying to conceive a child, the woman underwent fertility treatment. However, she is not the oldest woman to give birth; this record is held by an Italian. In 1994, at the age of 63, the Italian woman gave birth to a baby boy.
几天前，一名 58 岁的妇女生了一对双胞胎。这名妇女是一位退休的历史老师，她是以色列境内年纪最大的高龄产妇。这对双胞胎的诞生打破了由一位 53 岁妇女所创的纪录，这名 53 岁的妇女在以色列保持此纪录达数年之久。这对双胞胎是在以色列北部的一家医院以剖腹产的方式生下来的。双胞胎为一男一女，男的体重 2.4 公斤，女的体重 2.16 公斤，是这位妇女和她先生的第一胎。经过几年的努力想要生孩子之后，这名妇女就接受了怀孕治疗。不过，她倒不是年龄最大的高龄产妇，这项纪录是由一名意大利妇女所持有。1994 年，这名当时 63 岁的意大利妇女，生下了一名小男孩。
With the development of better infertility treatments, more and more women are having children later in life. Though this is a physical possibility, there are health concerns to be considered. Many of the children borne by older mothers tend to be lower in weight at birth. Often times they are also premature and they can have birth defects that can affect them throughout their lives. Even so, whether a mother is twenty or sixty, she will love her child with all of her heart.
随着不孕治疗更进步的发展之后，越来越多的妇女在晚年时都可以生孩子。虽然在生理上这是有可能的，不过，我们有一些健康的因素需要考虑。不少高龄产妇生下的小孩出生时有体重较轻的倾向。他们往往是早产儿，而且出生时有些缺陷，这些缺陷可能会终生影响他们。尽管如此，不论妈妈是 20 岁还是 60 岁，都会全心全意爱她的孩子
语法重点
1. 复习 borne 及 born 的不同：
a. borne 为 bear（生下，产下）的过去分词，过去时为 bore，只用于下列两种情况：
1) have borne... 已经生了……
The woman has borne 10 children in all over the past twelve years.
这名妇女过去12年来一共生了10个孩子。
2) be borne by + 某女子
Rumor has it that Peter was born by Mrs. Johnson. (×)
→ Rumor has it（Word has it，It is said） that Peter was borne by Mrs. Johnson. (√)
谣传∕据说彼得是强森夫人所生的。
b. born 应视作形容词，表“出生的”，只置 be 动词之后，不可与 by 并用，但可与其他介词并用，有下列重要用法：
David was born into a humble family.
戴维出自寒门。
John was born of a rich couple.
约翰是一对有钱的夫妇所生的。
Peter was born in Nanjing.
彼得是在南京出生的。
2. 本课第二段第三句即采用了“be borne by + 某妇女”的用法：
Many of the children (who were) borne by older mothers tend to be lower in weight at birth.
不少高龄产妇生下的小孩出生时有体重较轻的倾向。
3. 介绍“tend to + V”的意思及用法：
tend to + V 有……的倾向；容易会……，往往会……
I don't trust Tom because he tends to（is apt to，is liable to，is prone to，is inclined to） lie.
我不信任汤姆，因为他容易说谎。
本课第二段第三句即采用了“tend to + V”的用法，如第二点列出来的原句。该句亦可改写如下：
Many of the children borne by older mothers are apt to be（are liable to be，are inclined to be） lower in weight at birth.
4. 介绍名词 birth 的重要相关短语：
a. give birth to...生下（孩子）
Mary gave birth to a baby girl early this morning.
今天一大早玛丽就生下了一个女宝宝。
b. by birth 天生
Jane is a musician by birth.
= Jane is a born musician.
简天生就是个音乐家。
c. at birth 出生时
The baby was quite weak at birth（when he was born）.
小宝宝出生时就相当虚弱。
台湾与大陆地区做英语广播教学的第一人，美明尼苏达大学英语教师、大众传播硕士，从事专任口译、笔译及大众传播研究多年。著有《初级美国英语教程》、《中级美国英语教程》、《高级美国英语课程》及《赖世雄教你轻松学英语》等300余种图书，涉及成人、儿童、升学、职场、生活等各个领域。
