VOA标准英语2009-Swine Flu Continues its March Through Austra

As the number of the H1N1 cases in Australia surges past 1,200, Singapore is warning its citizens to avoid travel to the badly affected¹ southern state, Victoria. With more than 1,000 cases, Victoria has the world's highest per capita rates of infection. Less than a month ago the state had only a handful of cases of the H1N1 virus, which is commonly known as swine flu.
　
An Australian Quarantine and Inspection² Service officer arrives at a port as the cruise ship The Pacific Dawn arrives in Sydney, with nearly 2,000 passengers, 01 Jun 2009

Australia has the world's highest number of infections outside North America.

Victoria and the state capital, Melbourne, continue to be the worst-hit region. More than 1,000 confirmed cases of the swine flu have been reported in Victoria.

Several of those infected are being treated at hospitals, but Australia has reported no swine flu fatalities³. However, the Queensland state Health Minister Paul Lucas says that it is inevitable⁴ there will be deaths in Australia from the outbreak.

Major sporting events, including an international swimming meeting, have been canceled and business leaders are predicting a significant downturn in tourism.

Singapore is urging its citizens to avoid travel to Victoria, believing the risks are too high.

Authorities in the states of New South Wales and South Australia, as well as the national capital, Canberra, say children who travel to Melbourne should stay away from school for a week on their return home.

But Wayne Kayler-Thomson, the chief executive of the Victorian Employers' Chamber⁵ of Commerce and Industry, believes such measures are an over-reaction and are damaging the state's economy.

"What we would like is, perhaps, more facts about just what the severity of this flu virus might be and what the real impacts might be, so that we are not dealing⁶ with alarmist attitudes here," said Kayler-Thomson. "We are dealing with reality because it does have an impact upon reputation and people's travel plans and travel habits and that is going to be something that we are going to have to deal with."

Several professional rugby players have been quarantined after a player contracted the H1N1 virus. A military parade near Canberra was canceled after a cadet fell ill with swine flu.

Every Australian state and territory is now affected by the outbreak. The famed remote central desert town, Alice Springs, has confirmed its second case of swine flu.

In Western Australia several more schools have sent children home, as the number of infections in the state rose to 20.

The global outbreak emerged following a raft of infections in Mexico in April. Experts have said that an effective vaccine⁷ could still be weeks away.

1 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。

2 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

3 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

5 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。