VOA慢速英语--卫生专家建议推迟里约奥运会

AS IT IS 2016-05-13 Health Expert Says Delay or Move Rio Olympics 卫生专家建议推迟里约奥运会

A Canadian public health expert wants to delay or move the 2016 Olympics in Brazil because of the Zika threat.

“But for the games, would anyone recommend sending an extra half million visitors into Brazil right now?” wrote University of Ottawa Professor Amir Attaran for the Harvard Public Health Review. He is a biologist and lawyer who researches health issues.

Zika, which is spread by mosquitos, has been linked to birth defects, including babies born with much smaller heads than normal and other neurological, or brain, problems.

Opening ceremonies for the Olympics are set for August 5 in Rio de Janeiro and the games are slated¹ to run through August 21. Brazil is expecting 500,000 visitors for the Olympics.

“Rio de Janeiro is more affected² by Zika than anyone expected,” making earlier reports about safety concerns outdated³, Attaran said.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected Attaran’s call to delay or move the games. It said it is working with the World Health Organization and others to limit risks.

One way it plans to do this, the IOC said Thursday, is to eliminate collections of standing⁴ water near Olympic sites where mosquitos reproduce⁵. It also said the Olympics will be held during Brazil’s winter, when the mosquito population drops.

“There is no justification⁶ for cancelling, delaying, postponing⁷ or moving the Rio Games,'' said Richard Budgett, the IOC’s medical director.

Attaran said the IOC cannot protect Olympic visitors from getting the Zika virus. He agreed the mosquito population likely will drop in August, but said the Zika threat won’t end.

The cost to Brazil of losing the games would be large – given that it budgeted $13 billion for the games. The country also faces a recession⁸, corruption⁹ scandals¹⁰, and the trial of its president, Dilma Rousseff.

But those concerns don’t come close to the “public health issues with the Zika virus,” Attaran told VOA.

“My wife is Brazilian, my children are Brazilian, and I’m an athlete myself,” said Attaran, a cyclist. “But I think that the concern can’t be over-sentimentality. It has to be about preventing more children from being born brain-damaged and all the suffering for them and their families.”

The World Health Organization, or WHO, Thursday issued a statement on the Zika virus, which it says has spread to 58 nations.

It did not call for moving the Olympics from Brazil. But the statement said it continues to urge pregnant¹¹ women to avoid areas with “ongoing Zika virus transmission¹².”

“This includes Rio de Janeiro,” the WHO statement said.

For those who attend the games, as spectators¹³ or athletes, the WHO urged people take these steps to protect themselves:

1. During the day, use insect repellents and wear light-colored clothing that covers as much of the body as possible.

2. Practice "safe sex” by using condoms.

3. Avoid sex for at least four weeks after returning home if you or your partner have any symptoms of Zika.

The WHO also said people visiting the Olympics should “choose air-conditioned places” to stay, and avoid visiting poor and crowded areas in cities and towns without running water and poor sanitation¹⁴.

That might be tough for Olympic visitors, Attaran said. The WHO’s description of places to avoid applies to a large area of Rio de Janeiro, he said.

Concerns about the Brazil Olympics are also coming from some athletes.

U.S. women’s soccer team goalie Hope Solo¹⁵ said she decided¹⁶ to attend the Olympics after earlier saying the Zika virus might keep her away.

But Solo told CNBC television that she doesn’t plan to spend much time outdoors. "I'm not sure I'm even going to be leaving the hotel room, outside of practice," Solo said.

Rivaldo played football for Brazil’s national team from 1993-2003. He wrote on Instagram and Facebook this week that his country is “becoming more and more ugly.”

He wrote about Brazil’s political problems, the recent murder in San Paulo of a 17-year-old girl, and “the state of public hospitals” in Brazil.

He suggested people should avoid visiting Brazil.

Words in This Story

recommend – v. to suggest that someone do something

mosquito – n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals and sucks their blood

neurological – n. the scientific study of the nervous system and the diseases that affect it

justification -- n. an acceptable¹⁷ reason to do or not do something

athlete – n. a person who is trained or good at sports

cyclist – n. someone who rides a bicycle

sentimentality – adv. showing too much feeling or emotion

air-conditioned – adj. using a machine that cools a room

sanitation – n. the process of keeping places free from dirt, infection, disease, etc., by removing waste, trash and garbage, by cleaning streets

1 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 reproduce   

v.生育，繁殖，复制，重做

参考例句：

• The machine can reproduce a key in two minutes.这机器能在两分钟内复制一把钥匙。
• The picture will reproduce well.这照片会印得很清楚。

6 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

7 postponing   

v.延期，推迟( postpone的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He tried to gain time by postponing his decision. 他想以迟迟不作决定的手段来争取时间。 来自辞典例句
• I don't hold with the idea of postponing further discussion of the matter. 我不赞成推迟进一步讨论这件事的想法。 来自辞典例句

8 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

9 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

10 scandals   

丑事( scandal的名词复数 )； 流言蜚语； 闲话； 诽谤

参考例句：

• Recent financial scandals have necessitated changes in parliamentary procedures. 最近的金融丑闻使得议会程序必须改革。
• a series of sex scandals 一系列性丑闻

11 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

12 transmission   

n.播送，发射，传送，传递，传染

参考例句：

• When the transmission is good,foreign stations can be heard.在传送情况良好时，以收到外国电台。
• The letter was delayed in transmission.这封信在传递中被耽误了。

13 spectators   

n.观众，旁观者( spectator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The spectators were wilting visibly in the hot sun. 看得出观众在炎热的阳光下快支撑不住了。
• The policemen asked the spectators to stand well back. 警察要求旁观者靠后站。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

15 solo   

n.独奏，独唱；adj.单独的；adv.单独地；v.放单飞，单独表演

参考例句：

• Tara is currently working on a solo album.塔拉眼下正忙着制作个人专辑。
• There's wonderfully lyrical flute solo in the middle of this symphony.在交响乐中间有一段奇妙的抒情长笛独奏。

16 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

17 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。