美国有线新闻 CNN 埃博拉疫情扩散 蔓延至大城市

 

The Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa is where we start today’s show. What’s happening there is alarming medical officials around the world. The latest outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has spread to a large city.

我们今天的节目从非洲中部的刚果民主共和国开始。世界各地医疗官员忧心忡忡。最近爆发的致命埃博拉病毒已经蔓延到一个大城市。

Previously¹, it had been limited to a rural area, but now, a case has been confirmed in the Congolese city of Mbandaka. It’s where more than 1.2 million people live. The DRC’s health minister says the outbreak has entered a new phase.

之前，埃博拉被限制在农村地区，但现在，已经证实了刚果城市姆班达卡存在一起病例。这里有120多万人居住。刚果民主共和国卫生部长说，疫情已经进入一个新阶段。

This is significant because Ebola could spread more quickly in a highly populated area and it’d be harder to control. As of last night, 44 cases of the hemorrhagic fever had been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 23 people had died from it. On average, the Ebola virus kills half the people it infects.

这很重要，因为埃博拉病毒在人口密集的地区传播得更快，而且更难控制。截至昨晚，刚果民主共和国报告了44例出血热，23人死亡。平均而言，埃博拉病毒会杀死半数感染者。

But while the World Health Organization says the fact that it’s spreading is concerning. It also says medical officials have better tools than ever to fight Ebola. One of those tools is an experimental vaccine². It hasn’t been approved for use in the U.S. But the World Health Organization says it has been shown to be safe in humans and highly effective against the Ebola virus.

世界卫生组织表示，它正在传播的事实令人担忧。同时还表示，相比之前医疗官员拥有更好的工具来对抗埃博拉。其中一种工具是一种实验性疫苗。虽然它还没有被批准在美国使用，但是世界卫生组织说，它已经被证明对人体是安全的，并且对埃博拉病毒非常有效。

So, it sent 4,000 doses, along with emergency workers and equipment to the DRC. International medical teams are also making sure health centers and isolation³ wards⁴ there are ready to receive patients. Ebola mostly affects people, monkeys, gorillas⁵ and chimpanzees. The virus was first identified in this same part of Africa in 1976.

因此，它向刚果民主共和国派遣了4000剂疫苗，此外还有应急人员和设备。国际医疗队也在确保医疗中心和隔离病房已经准备好接收病人。埃博拉病毒主要影响人类、猴子、大猩猩和黑猩猩。这种病毒最早于1976年在非洲地区被发现。

People can catch Ebola if they come into contact with body fluids or something contaminated by an infected person. They can also be exposed by butchering infected animals.

如果接触到体液或被感染者，就会感染上埃博拉病毒。通过宰杀受感染的动物也可以感染埃博拉。

But as CNN`s Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us, people can`t catch it through the air.

CNN的桑杰·古普塔医生告诉我们，接触空气不会感染埃博拉。

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 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。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 wards   

区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态

参考例句：

• This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
• It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

5 gorillas   

n.大猩猩( gorilla的名词复数 )；暴徒，打手

参考例句：

• the similitude between humans and gorillas 人类和大猩猩的相像
• Each family of gorillas is led by a great silverbacked patriarch. 每个大星星家族都由一个魁梧的、长着银色被毛的族长带领着。 来自《简明英汉词典》