近日试管受精技术取得一项突破性进展，首次实现了在女性体内进行受精，这可能标志着“试管婴儿”时代的结束。
An IVF breakthrough could signal the end of the 'test tube baby' by allowing fertilisation to occur inside a woman's body for the first time.
这一进展意味着胚胎发育的第一步可以像正常受孕时一样在子宫自然环境中进行，而不是在实验室。接下来几周，这一技术将提供给在受孕方面有困难的英国夫妇。
The development, to be offered within weeks to British couples having trouble conceiving, means the crucial first stage of embryo development can take place in the natural surroundings of the womb rather than in the laboratory – just as in normal conception.
实施这一尖端技术，需要将一个比火柴棍还小、其中含有精子和卵子的设备嵌入女性体内，并在24小时后移出，随后，医生会对产生的胚胎进行评估，将其中足够健康的胚胎移植回女性体内，以期实现成功受孕。
The cutting-edge process involves inserting a device smaller than a matchstick, containing a mixture of sperm and eggs, into the woman's body. It is removed after 24 hours to allow doctors to assess which of the resulting embryos are healthy enough to be implanted in the hope of achieving a successful pregnancy.
前沿的生育专家表示，这将为女性带来重要的心理抚慰，因为从生理角度看她们更大程度的参与了孩子的孕育。医生相信这项技术还将极大提高试管婴儿的成功率以及促进儿童的长期健康。
Leading fertility experts say it offers women an important psychological benefit as it gives them greater biological involvement in the creation of their children. Doctors believe it may also boost IVF success rates and the long-term health of the children.
这一技术已在欧洲一些诊所得到成功应用，它于今年9月正式获得生育监管机构人类受精和胚胎学管理局的批准。
The technique, which has been used successfully in some European clinics, was formally approved by the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), in September.
总部位于英国NHS信托基金会南安普顿大学医院的完全生育诊所从明年新年开始将提供这一技术，它比标准试管婴儿技术的价格(3800镑，约36608元)要贵几百镑。
It will be available at the Complete Fertility clinic, based at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, from the New Year and will cost a few hundred pounds more than the 3,800 pounds cost of standard IVF.
试管婴儿技术过程中，需要取自女性卵巢的一个卵子，将其与实验室的精子受精结合。6天后，受精的胚胎被重新注入女性子宫中进行生长发育。
During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilised embryo is then returned to the woman's womb after six days to grow and develop.
而最新的试管受精过程，精子和卵子结合后，将它们放置在一个长约1厘米，宽1厘米的Anecova AneVivo设备中培养，这一设备无需麻醉剂即可无痛注射至女性体内，从诊所回家的路上受精过程就已经发生。
The new process involves mixing the sperm and eggs and placing them instead in the Anecova AneVivo device, which is about 1cm long and 1mm wide. This is inserted painlessly without an anaesthetic. Couples return home from the clinic while fertilisation takes place.
上个月HFEA在一次会议上表示目前尚未有任何证据表明这种技术不安全。然而，它警告称，目前也没有任何证据表明它比标准的试管婴儿技术更有效，它或可能“为病人增加不必要的开销”。
The HFEA agreed at a meeting last month that there was no evidence the technique was unsafe. However, it cautioned that there was also no evidence so far it was more effective than standard IVF and might 'add an unnecessary cost to patients'.