【英语时差8,16】流感--名字的由来和传播

Influenza¹ is a common infection of the nose and throat, and sometimes the lungs. It is caused by a virus which passes from one person to another.The flu causes muscle pain, sudden high body temperature, breathing problems and weakness. It is most common in the winter months.Generally, people feel better after a week or two. But the flu can kill. Historical records have described sicknesses believed to be influenza for more than two-thousand years. The Roman historian² Livy described such a disease³ attacking the Roman army. People in fifteenth century Italy thought the sickness was caused by the influence of the stars. So they named it "influenza." In seventeen-eighty-one, influenza went from Europe to North America to the West Indies and Latin⁴ America.In eighteen-eighty-nine, the flu began in Central Asia, spread north into Russia, east to China and west to Europe. But the deadliest outbreak of influenza on record involved a flu that first appeared in Spain. The so-called⁵ Spanish flu killed between twenty-million and fifty-million people around the world in nineteen-eighteen and nineteen-nineteen.

 

1 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

2 historian   

n.历史学家，编史家

参考例句：

• As a historian,he was most typical of the times in which he lived.作为历史学家，他是他所处时代最有代表性的人物。
• He calls himself a historian,but his books are a mere journalism.他自称为历史学家，但是他的书都是些肤浅的通俗作品。

3 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

4 Latin   

adj.拉丁的，拉丁语的，拉丁人的；n.拉丁语

参考例句：

• She learned Latin without a master.她无师自通学会了拉丁语。
• Please use only Latin characters.请仅使用拉丁文字符。

5 so-called   

adj.所谓的，号称的

参考例句：

• These were the so-called mainframe machines.它们被称为主机。
• Let's see what this so-called button does.让我们来看看为什么这个按钮叫这个名字。