A GMO is a living thing — most often a plant, sometimes a bacterium or an animal — whose genes scientists have changed in a lab. The aim is usually practical: make a crop less easy for insects to eat, less likely to catch a disease, or able to grow in harder conditions.

A GMO一個 GMO is a living thing是一種生物——most often a plant, sometimes a bacterium or an animal最常是植物，有時是細菌或動物——whose genes scientists have changed in a lab科學家在實驗室裡改造過它的基因。The aim這樣做的目的 is usually practical通常很實際：make a crop less easy for insects to eat讓作物比較不容易被蟲吃, less likely to catch a disease比較不容易生病, or able to grow in harder conditions或能在比較惡劣的環境下生長。

The letters mean genetically modified organism: organism just means a living thing. People also say GM food for food that comes from these plants.

The letters這幾個字母 mean genetically modified organism代表 genetically modified organism（基因改造生物）：organism organism 這個字 just means a living thing就只是「生物」的意思。People人們 also say GM food也會說 GM food，for food that comes from these plants指從這些植物來的食物。

This is not the same as the old farmer’s trick of choosing the best plants and breeding them over many years, though both change what a plant is like; with a GMO, a specific gene is added or switched in a laboratory, often quite fast.

This這 is not the same as跟...不一樣 the old farmer's trick of choosing the best plants and breeding them over many years老農夫挑最好的植物、花很多年培育的老辦法, though both change what a plant is like雖然兩種做法都會改變植物的樣子；with a GMO用 GMO 的方式, a specific gene is added or switched in a laboratory是在實驗室裡加入或換掉一段特定的基因, often quite fast通常速度快得多。

Some countries grow a lot of GM soya and maize; some people welcome the extra food and the fewer insects, and some worry about nature, about big companies, and about what we do not yet know.

Some countries有些國家 grow a lot of GM soya and maize種了很多基改大豆和玉米；some people有些人 welcome the extra food and the fewer insects歡迎多一點糧食、少一點蟲害，and而 some有些人 worry about nature, about big companies, and about what we do not yet know擔心對自然的影響、大公司的問題，以及我們還不了解的事。

In shops you may see a label that tells you if a food is from a GMO. The word names the living thing (or that kind of living thing), not the laboratory method on its own.

In shops在商店裡 you may see a label你可能會看到標示 that tells you if a food is from a GMO告訴你這個食物是不是來自 GMO。The word這個字 names the living thing (or that kind of living thing)指的是那個生物（或那一類生物）本身，not the laboratory method on its own而不是單指實驗室的方法。