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The eighteen-year-old Hunter College High School student could barely contain himself after the announcement
来自亨特学院附属高中的18岁学生无法掩饰自己激动的心情，
that he'd won first place at this year's Regeneron Science Talent Search.
他获得了今年雷杰纳隆科学奖的头名。
Benjamin Firester's prize-winning model tackles the spread of late blight disease
本杰明·费斯特的获奖作品解决了晚疫病的传播，
which caused the average potato famine in the mid-19th century and remains prevalent today.
19世纪中期，普通大小土豆因该疾病颗粒无收，如今这种疾病依然猖獗。
Within just a few days, it can destroy an entire field and it can mutate very quickly and really get out of hand.
在短短的几天内，它能摧毁整个区域，并且可以迅速变异，直至完全失控。
Scientists say the blight genome is loaded with extra DNA that allows it to adapt and overcome a plant's defenses.
科学家称枯萎病的基因组中含有额外DNA，使其能够适应并冲破植物的防御能力。
Firester's model found a way to reverse that trend.
费斯特的模式可以扭转这一趋势。
Fungicides are extremely effective when they're applied at the right time and if you know what type of fungicide to use.
如果能在恰当的时间使用对症的杀菌剂，杀菌剂将会产生极大的效用。
So the model can tell the farmer exactly when they should be spraying the fungicide and what type of fungicide they can spray
这种模式可以告诉农民何时喷洒何种杀菌剂，
and this can severely, can actually really prevent the disease.
从而起到预防作用。
The disease spread by spores remains a serious threat to the global food security.
这种疾病通过孢子进行传播，且对全球粮食安全构成了极大威胁。
Using plant data and weather patterns from farmers in Israel, Firester created a method to track the blight.
利用以色列农民记录的植物数据和气候模式，费斯特发明了一种监测枯萎病的方法。
He says the same method can be used to control other types of plant diseases.
他表示同样的方法也可以用于控制其它植物疾病上。
It takes very simple inputs and it can use pre-existing data that's very easy to calculate
它只需要非常简单的输入，并且可以使用预存的数据，这些数据非常易于计算，
to figure out exactly how things move around in time and space.
可以精确地计算出病害在时间和空间中的移动方式。
He says science runs in his family. His older sister was a runner-up at the same Science Talent Search three years ago.
他说科学在他家庭中一脉相承，他的姐姐三年前获得雷杰纳隆科学奖亚军。
Mariama Diallo, VOA news.
VOA新闻，马里亚马·迪亚洛为您报道。
