硬膜外电刺激技术可令瘫痪病人重新行走

这是人类的一次巨大飞跃。

A paralyzed man is back on his feet thanks to a newly developed spinal cord implant.

得益于新研发的脊髓植入物，一名瘫痪男子的身体恢复了正常。

The groundbreaking technology, called epidural electrical stimulation, fills the gaps in damaged spines and revives the ability to translate neural messages from the brain to the spine, according to research published in the journal Nature.

发表在《自然》杂志上的一项研究称，这项开创性的技术被称为硬膜外电刺激，它能填补受损脊髓的缝隙，恢复大脑将神经信息传输到脊柱的能力。

One of three trial patients, David M'zee, 30, is able to walk about a half-mile with his device turned on, and about eight steps when it's off.

30岁的David M'zee是参与试验的三名患者之一，他打开刺激脊髓的设备后能走大约半英里，关闭设备后能走大约八步。

M'zee was previously told by doctors he would never walk again.

在此之前，医生告诉M'zee，他再也不能走路了。

Two other paraplegics who received the implant are also able to move their legs, to varying degrees, and their prognosis is promising.

另外两名接受植入手术的截瘫患者，也能在不同程度上移动他们的腿，他们的预后前景很乐观。

In a video published by the Swiss research institute Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, lead researcher Gregoire Courtine says that his team studied technology that "allows us to stimulate the spinal cord as the brain would naturally."

在瑞士洛桑联邦理工学院发布的一段视频中，首席研究员格雷瓜尔·库廷表示，他的团队研究出的技术“能像大脑一样自然地刺激脊髓”。

In addition to helping paralyzed people regain their ability to move, the device is also regenerating damaged nerve cells in the spine, the BBC reports.

据BBC报道，除了帮助瘫痪的人恢复行动能力外，该设备还能使脊椎受损的神经细胞再生。