经济学人364:危险群体(2)

 　　Other parents fret¹ about thimerosal, a preservative² that contains trace amounts of mercury. Not only were these amounts minute and safe, but thimerasol has now been eliminated from all vaccines³, with the exception of multi-dose flu shots. Often these parental⁴ conversations then turn into new-agey free-for-alls, where vaccines somehow join the list of conventionally grown avocados and unfiltered tap water as lethal⁵ menaces.

　　还有些父母对含有少量汞的防腐物质硫柳汞心存忧虑。其实它在疫苗中的含量极少，对人体是安全的，现在，疫苗都不再含这种物质——多次使用的流感疫苗除外。父母们对孩子的这些关切常常成为所有人可以免费获得的新异类，疫苗不知怎么就像常见的成熟鳄梨或未经过滤的自来水一样成了威胁性命的玩艺。

　　Nonetheless the issue runs straight into the classic American tension between individual choice, which is good, and public health and safety, which is also good. All states save Mississippi and West Virginia allow a religious exemption⁶ for vaccinations⁸, and 20 states also allow a more vague philosophical⁹ exemption. So what can health officials do?

　　然而，这个问题直接触及到一个典型的美国选择困境，一边是个体选择，另一边是公共健康和安全，两者都是好东西。除密西西比和西弗吉尼亚，其他各州在疫苗接种问题上准许使用“宗教豁免”的规定，全国有20个州准许使用更为模糊的“哲学豁免”规定，那么健康办公室又能做些什么呢？

　　Principally they can try to educate more parents with good science rather than internet drivel. Mr Pan is also pushing a law through California’s legislature that would require parents to discuss vaccination⁷ with their paediatricians. If the parents still want to opt¹⁰ out, their doctors would have to sign a form to show that the parents were told about all the risks and benefits.

　　首先，他们可以用好的科学来教育更多的家长们，不让因特网上的谣传肆意流传。潘先生正在通过加州立法机关推行一部新的法律，该法要求父母们要与儿科医生讨论接种的问题。经过讨论，如果父母仍旧希望放弃接种，医生将需签署一个表格，以表明这些父母们已被告知接种疫苗所有的风险和好处。

　　John Talarico, the chief of immunisation in California’s public-health department, says that vaccination rates will probably keep dropping in some demographic groups for a while longer. The root problem is that today’s parents are the first in history with no memory of the maiming and killing¹¹ caused by polio, tetanus, diphtheria or measles¹². At some point an epidemic¹³ will remind them.

　　加州公共健康部免疫主任约翰-塔拉里克表示，在一个稍长的时期内，一些区域的疫苗接种率也许仍然呈现出下降的态势。根本问题在于，这一代父母们不知道脊髓灰质炎、破伤风、白喉、麻疹对人类的戕害，在历史上这是第一次。也许在某个时候，一种传染病会提醒他们一下。

1 fret   

v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损

参考例句：

• Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。
• She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

2 preservative   

n.防腐剂；防腐料；保护料；预防药

参考例句：

• New timber should be treated with a preservative.新采的圆木应进行防腐处理。
• Salt is a common food preservative.盐是一种常用的食物防腐剂。

3 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

4 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

5 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

6 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

7 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

8 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

10 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

11 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

12 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

13 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。