VOA慢速英语2021 研究发现新冠病毒英国变种死亡率更高（在线收听）

Researchers say that a highly infectious variant of the new coronavirus is 30 percent to 100 percent more deadly than earlier strong variants.

研究人员表示，一种高传染性的新冠病毒变种比之前的强力变种的死亡风险要高出30%到100%。

The variant was first found in Britain late last year and has since spread around the world.

这种变种于去年下半年在英国被首次发现，此后在世界范围内传播。

The new study compared death rates among people in Britain infected with the new variant to those infected with other versions of the virus. Scientists said that the new variant's death rate was "significantly higher."

这项新研究比较了英国人当中感染新变种与感染其它病毒变种的死亡率。科学家表示，新变种的死亡率“明显更高"。”

The variant is known as B.1.1.7.

这种新变种被称为B.1.1.7变种。

The B.1.1.7 was first found in Britain in September 2020. It has since been found in more than 100 other countries. It has 23 mutations in its genetic material and some of those changes make it spread more easily.

B.1.1.7变种于2020年9月在英国被首次发现。此后在100多个其它国家也发现了这种变种。它的遗传物质当中有23处突变，其中一些突变使其更容易传播。

Scientists say it is about 40 to 70 percent more infectious than earlier strong variants.

科学家表示，它的传染性比早期的强力变种要高出40%到70%。

In the British study, infection with the new variant led to 227 deaths in a group of nearly 55,000 COVID-19 patients. That is in comparison with 141 deaths among the same number of patients infected with other variants.

在这项英国研究中，感染新变种导致近55000名新冠肺炎患者中的227人死亡。与此相比，相同数量的其它变种感染患者当中只有141人死亡。

The British variant also is able to spread quickly. "This makes B.1.1.7 a threat that should be taken seriously," said Robert Challen. He is a researcher at Exeter University who co-led the research.

这种英国变种还能够传播更快。罗伯特·査伦表示：“这使得B.1.1.7成为一种应该引起重视的威胁。”查伦是埃塞克斯大学的研究员，他共同领导了这项研究。

The study was published in the British Medical Journal Wednesday.

该研究发表在《英国医学》杂志上。

Independent experts said this study's findings add to earlier evidence linking B.1.1.7 with a higher risk of death from COVID-19.

独立专家表示，这项研究补充了将B.1.1.7变种与新冠肺炎高死亡风险联系起来的早期证据。

Lawrence Young is a virologist and professor of molecular oncology at Warwick University. He said the reasons for B.1.1.7's higher death rate are still not clear. But they "could be related to higher levels of virus replication" and that B.1.1.7 is more infectious.

劳伦斯·杨是华威大学的一名病毒学家和分子肿瘤学教授。他说，B.1.1.7变种死亡率较高的原因尚不清楚。但是它们“可能跟病毒复制水平更高有关，”并且B.1.1.7变种更容易感染。

Young warned that the British variant was likely the cause for a recent rise in infections across Europe.

杨警告称，这种英国变种可能是导致欧洲各地最近感染人数上升的原因。