VOA慢速英语2020 感恩节庆祝活动被新冠肺炎疫情改变（在线收听）

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Thanksgiving holiday plans for many American families.

新冠肺炎大流行将会影响许多美国家庭的感恩节假期计划。

The Associated Press reports that coronavirus cases are rising at a worrying speed across the United States. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center says the virus has killed over 250,000 people nationwide. Many people are getting infected every day.

美联社报道，新冠病毒病例在美国各地正以令人担忧的速度增长。约翰·霍普金斯大学冠状病毒资源中心表示，该病毒已经造成美国超过25万人丧生。每天都有很多人被感染。

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week released guidelines on the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving. The CDC is advising Americans not to travel over the holiday this year. And it is urging them against spending time with people from outside their immediate household.

美国疾病控制与预防中心上周发布了安全庆祝感恩节的指南。美国疾病控制与预防中心建议美国人今年假期不要出门旅游。而且它还督促美国人不要跟直系亲属以外的人聚会。

The warning is some of the firmest guidance yet from the CDC on how to limit the spread of the virus. The health care system is under great pressure in many communities. Sick patients are filling up hospital beds, while some medical workers are getting sick themselves.

这一警告是美国疾病控制与预防中心就如何限制这种病毒的传播所发出的最为坚决的指南。许多社区的医疗保健体系都承受着巨大压力。患者挤满了病床，而一些医务人员自己也开始生病。

Holiday celebrations seem like a perfect way to spread the coronavirus. In some families, people come together from different parts of the country. Holiday gatherings usually include many generations -- from young children to their grandparents.

庆祝节日似乎是传播新冠病毒的一种完美途径。在一些家庭中，人们从全国各地聚到一起。假期聚会通常包括从幼儿到祖父母的几代人。

Older adults may have health problems such as diabetes, obesity, or heart disease. The CDC website says that these conditions raise the risk "of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19."

老年人可能存在健康问题，例如糖尿病、肥胖或是心脏病。美国疾病控制与预防中心表示，这些症状增加了患上“新冠肺炎重症”的风险。

And people may not know they are infected with the coronavirus. Experts note that students returning home from college may carry the virus and not know it. Younger people are more likely to have asymptomatic infections.

而且人们可能不知道自己感染了新冠病毒。专家指出，从大学放假回家的学生可能携带了这种病毒而不自知。年轻人更容易出现无症状感染。

Experts have been advising people to limit their contact to a single group of people, called a "bubble." Less contact with people outside the bubble means a lower risk of infection.

专家们一直建议人们只接触被他们称为“气泡”到单一人群。减少与气泡外人员的接触就意味着降低感染风险。

Thanksgiving usually is the busiest travel period of the year in the United States. Some 50 million Americans travel 80 or more kilometers to share a meal with friends and family. This information comes from AAA, an automotive and travel group.

感恩节通常是美国一年当中最为繁忙的旅游季。大约有5千万美国人出行80公里或更远与亲朋好友聚餐。该信息来自于美国汽车协会（AAA）这家汽车和旅游组织。

Crowded buses, trains, and waiting rooms with poor ventilation, or airflow, are places where the virus can easily spread. The longer the trip, the higher the risk.

拥挤的公交车、火车或是候车室通风不畅，很容易传播病毒。旅行的时间越长，风险越高。

Airplane travel is less clear.

飞行旅行不太明确。

The dangers begin before getting on a plane, train or bus, notes Cameron Wolfe, a professor at the Duke University School of Medicine.

杜克大学医学院教授卡梅隆·沃尔夫指出，危险在乘坐飞机、火车或公交之前就已经开始了。

Dangerous celebrations

危险的庆祝活动

Gathering family members and friends indoors for long periods of time raises the chances for the virus to spread.

亲朋好友在室内长时间聚集会增加病毒传播的风险。

This is happening already, notes Doctor Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

美国国家过敏和传染病研究所所长安东尼·福奇博士表示，这已经发生了。

"If you look around the country now, many of the infections are in small family-and-friend gatherings such as dinner parties and small social gatherings," he said.

他说：“如果你现在看一看全国的情况，许多感染都发生在小型的亲朋好友的聚会中，例如晚宴或是小型社交聚会。”

Fauci explained that the danger is when one person who is asymptomatic and infected gets others infected.

福奇解释说，危险是无症状感染者感染其他人。

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that about 40 percent of those infected do not have clear symptoms but can still spread the virus.

美国疾病控制与预防中心表示，大约40%的感染者没有明显症状，但是仍然可以传播病毒。

Getting tested for the coronavirus before traveling might be helpful. However, experts urge caution.

出行前接受新冠病毒检测可能会有所帮助。但是专家督促谨慎。

Most rapid tests do not work well for people who are not showing signs of the disease, they note. Even the best tests can miss an early infection. And people can get infected in the time between getting tested and when they arrive for holiday celebrations.

他们指出，大多数快速检测不适用于未表现出疾病症状的人。即使是最好的检测手段也可能会漏过早期感染。从检测到抵达节日庆祝活动之间，人们也可能会感染。