VOA慢速英语--芬兰用狗来检测冠状病毒

Finland has deployed¹ dogs trained to smell the coronavirus at the country's main international airport.

A trial of this experimental search method will take place for four months. If successful, the system could be established as a low-cost and quick way to identify infected travelers.

Finland's Smell Detection Association trained the four dogs now at work in the Helsinki Airport.

"It's a very promising² method. Dogs are very good at sniffing⁴," said Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, a University of Helsinki professor of animal medicine.

"If it works, it will be a good screening method...," she added. Hielm-Bjorkman believes the dogs could be used at hospitals, ports, group homes for older people and at large public gatherings⁵.

The airport's Twitter page includes an image of one of the newly employed sniffers.

Researchers in countries including Australia, France, Germany and the United States are also studying dogs. But, the Finnish trial is among the largest so far.

Hielm-Bjorkman told The Associated Press that Finland is the second country after the United Arab Emirates - and the first in Europe - to use dogs to sniff³ out the coronavirus. A similar program started at Dubai International Airport over the summer.

Passengers who agree to take a free test under the voluntary program in Helsinki do not have direct physical contact with a dog.

They are asked to swipe their skin with material which is then put into a container and given to a dog waiting in a separate place. The animals - ET, Kossi, Miina and Valo – all received training in the past to smell cancer, diabetes⁶ or other diseases.

The trainers say it takes a dog a 10 seconds to sniff the virus samples before it gives the test result by scratching with a paw. They also might lie down, make a noise or do something else to make their findings known. The process should be completed within one minute, said Hielm-Bjorkman.

If the result is positive, the passenger is urged to take a coronavirus test to confirm the dog's result.

The airport is near Helsinki, in the city of Vantaa. Its deputy mayor, Timo Aronkyto, said the program is costing $350,000. He called the amount "remarkably⁷ lower" than other methods of testing arriving passengers.

The four sniffer dogs are to work in the airport at different times, with two on duty at a time while the other two get a break.

"If the scent⁸ is easy, it doesn't wear out the dogs too much. But if there are lots of new scents⁹ around, dogs do get tired easier," said Anette Kare of the Smell Detection Association, as she patted her white dog ET.

Words in This Story

sniffing –v. to breathe air into your nose in a way that can be heard often in an effort to smell something

screening –v. examining or testing people to see if they can board a plan or take part in some other activity

swipe –v. to make a motion across a surface

scratching –v. to move a hand or paw across the ground or the body

paw –n. the foot of an animal

scent –n. a smell that can be identified by a dog or similar animal

1 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

4 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

6 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

7 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

8 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

9 scents   

n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉

参考例句：

• The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。
• The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》