VOA慢速英语2021 奥密克戎变种表明世界疫苗不平等

The discovery of the Omicron version of the coronavirus is demonstrating the risks linked to world vaccine¹ inequality.

新冠病毒奥密克戎变种的发现证明了全球疫苗不平等的相关风险。

South African scientists informed the World Health Organization (WHO) last week about the new Omicron version, or variant².

南非科学家上周向世卫组织通报了新的奥密克戎变种。

The WHO has declared Omicron a "very high" risk worldwide because it contains some "concerning" mutations. A mutation³ is a change in the genetic⁴ material of a virus. Early evidence suggests the new variant may spread more easily than other coronavirus versions.

世卫组织已经宣布奥密克戎在全球范围内具有非常高的风险，因为它包含一些令人担忧的突变。突变是指病毒遗传物质的改变。早期证据表明，这种新变种可能比其它新冠病毒变种更容易传播。

Many countries have closed their borders in an attempt to block new infections of the variant. The United States, Brazil, Britain and the European Union have placed travel restrictions⁵ on eight African nations where the variant was first identified.

许多国家已经关闭了边境以试图阻止该变种的新感染。美国、巴西、英国和欧盟已经对首批发现该变种的8个非洲国家实施旅行限制。

Health experts say Omicron is an example of how low vaccination⁶ rates in some parts of the world can result in new variants⁷ being created that can end up threatening numerous countries.

健康专家表示，奥密克戎是一个例子，说明世界某些地区的疫苗接种率低会导致新变种产生，最终威胁到许多国家。

The clearest example of vaccine inequality is Africa, where the new variant was discovered. Across the continent, less than 7 percent of the population is vaccinated⁸.

疫苗不平等最明显的例子就是发现该新变种的非洲。在整个非洲大陆，只有不到7%的人口接种了疫苗。

The WHO-supported COVAX vaccine program was supposed to prevent such inequality. The program aims to bring together international organizations to develop, produce and deploy⁹ COVID-19 vaccines¹⁰ to nations that most need them.

世卫组织支持的新冠肺炎疫苗实施计划旨在防止这种不平等。该项目旨在召集国际组织，为最需要的国家开发、生产和部署新冠肺炎疫苗。

But COVAX has struggled to reach its vaccine targets. It has already given up on its goal to provide 2 billion vaccine doses.

但是新冠肺炎疫苗实施计划难以实现其疫苗目标。它已经放弃了提供20亿剂疫苗的目标。

To reach its new target of providing 1.4 billion doses by the end of this year, COVAX would need to ship more than 25 million doses every day. But an examination by the Associated Press finds that the organization has shipped an average of just 4 million doses a day since the beginning of October.

为了实现到今年年底前提供14亿剂疫苗的新目标，新冠肺炎疫苗实施计划每天需要运送超过2500万剂。但是美联社的一项调查发现，自10月初以来，该组织每天仅运送400万剂疫苗。

Data from the International Monetary¹¹ Fund, IMF, suggests that just 13 percent of vaccines COVAX contracted for have actually been delivered. In addition, only 12 percent of promised donations have yet been delivered.

来自国际货币基金组织的数据表明，只有13%的新冠肺炎疫苗实施计划缔约疫苗已经实际交付。此外，承诺捐赠的疫苗中只有12%已经交付。

Wealthier nations, on the other hand, are enjoying a flood of vaccine supplies. More than 60 nations are now offering booster doses to already fully¹² vaccinated individuals. The WHO has urged nations against providing booster shots when so many countries are dealing¹³ with massive populations of unvaccinated people.

另一方面，发达国家享受着大量的疫苗供应。现在有60多个国家已经向完全接种疫苗的人士提供加强针。世卫组织督促各国不要在还有这么多国家面临大量未接种人群时提供加强针。

Dr. Osman Dar directs the One Health Project at the Chatham House international policy center in Britain. He told the AP the Omicron variant demonstrates "the continuing and fundamental risks" that grew out of failures to effectively deal with vaccine inequality.

奥斯曼·达尔博士在英国查塔姆研究所国际政策中心负责One Health项目。他对美联社表示，奥密克戎变种证明了由于未能有效应对疫苗不平等而产生的持续和基本风险。

Health experts say the difficulties are not limited to just getting the vaccines into poorer countries. COVAX is also "falling short on getting vaccines from the (airport) into people's arms," said Dr. Angela Wakhweya. She is with the humanitarian¹⁴ aid organization CARE.

健康专家表示，困难不止是让疫苗进入贫困国家。安吉拉·瓦赫维亚博士表示，新冠肺炎疫苗实施计划也未能将疫苗从机场送到人们手中进行接种。她在CARE人道主义援助组织工作。

In one example last summer, officials in Congo returned their whole COVAX shipment when they realized they would not be able to give the shots before the safety date of the vaccines ended.

在今年夏天的另一个例子中，当刚果官员意识到他们无法在疫苗有效期前进行接种时，退回了新冠肺炎疫苗实施计划运来的疫苗。

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday he agrees that part of the problem has been a lack of resources in some nations to actually get vaccine injections into arms.

美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯周二表示，他赞同部分问题是一些国家缺乏资源将疫苗实际注射到人们的胳膊上。

Speaking in Latvia while attending a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Blinken noted¹⁵ that "a real disparity" exists between vaccinations¹⁶ in Africa and the United States and Europe.

布林肯在拉脱维亚参加北约外长会议时发表讲话称，疫苗接种在非洲与欧美之间存在明显差异。

The U.S. -- which blocked vaccine sales overseas and exports of vaccine ingredients for months -- has now donated 275 million doses in all. This is more than any other country. But most of the U.S. administration's promise to provide 1.1 billion doses has a deadline of September 2022.

美国几个月来一直禁止疫苗海外销售以及疫苗成分出口，该国现在总共捐赠了2.75亿剂疫苗。这比其它任何国家都多。但是美国政府提供11亿剂疫苗的大部分承诺的截止日期是2022年9月。

The European Union -- which has generally permitted vaccines manufactured in the EU to be sold anywhere in the world -- has delivered about a third of its 500 million promised doses.

欧盟通常允许其生产的疫苗在世界各地销售，它已经交付了承诺的5亿剂疫苗的1/3。

1 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。

2 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

3 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

7 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

8 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

9 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

10 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

11 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

13 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。

14 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》