VOA常速英语2008年-Pakistan Erects Pollen Camps to Fight Seasonal

By Steve Herman
Islamabad
18 March 2008

Every Spring, for the past several years, Pakistan's medical professionals have been establishing treatment camps for sufferers of pollen¹ allergies². VOA Correspondent Steve Herman visited one of the camps, to find out why so many millions of Pakistanis are having trouble enjoying one of life's free pleasures - the fresh air of Springtime.

Inside the Aabpara Community Center in Pakistan's capital, thousands of patients seek relief at a free pollen-allergy³ camp. They mostly complain of sneezing, coughing, watery⁴ eyes red pimples⁵ or just a general miserable⁶ feeling. But some have more severe symptoms. Doctors and nurses examine the sufferers, immediately placing oxygen masks on some.

A young physician, Dr. Ziad Shah, writes out a prescription⁷ for a boy whose worried mother hovers⁸ next to the child.

In a country where terrorist attacks and other violence have become increasingly common, allergy alleviation⁹ may not seem like a crisis. But professionals, such as Dr. Shah, say up to half of the population may be affected¹⁰ and that there needs to be greater awareness¹¹ that the pollen can trigger deadly asthma¹² attacks.

"It is a most severe accidental emergency," said Dr. Shah. "Most of thepeople in Islamabad coming to the camp get breathing difficulties during the nighttime, so they have to come. They are compelled to come."

The main culprit is called "jangli toot" - the paper mulberry tree. One of the fastest growing trees, the male mulberry also has a reputation among allergists as perhaps the world's most prolific¹³ pollen generator¹⁴. Growing up to 15 meters in height, its pollen is reputed to cause the most severe reactions for allergy sufferers among any common plant.

At the free clinics, patients can choose whether they want to be treated with anti-histamines and pain relievers or natural remedies. Doctors say about half of the patients choose the fast-acting and powerful pharmaceuticals¹⁵. But some prefer homeopathic mixtures. Others ask for hikmat, also known as unani, therapy, which relies on honey and herbs. Regardless of the type of treatment, patients also get counseling on how to reduce their exposure to the allergens.

On the women's side of the clinic, Hussan Iqbal is wearing a mask while awaiting her turn. She says she is seeking relief for the 18th straight year.

She says it has been getting worse and worse every spring. Her symptoms get so severe she wakes up with chest pains and needs to immediately receive an injection to alleviate¹⁶ her suffering.

The paper tree pollen count Monday and Tuesday in Islamabad was at the "very high" level, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. It says at that alert stage, the highest on the chart, "almost all individuals with any sensitivity" to that particular pollen will experience symptoms.

The problem is particularly acute in the capital, where about two-thirds of all the greenery in and around the capital is composed of paper mulberry trees.

Native to East Asia, the mulberry was introduced here after the modern capital was built in the 1960's, to enhance the scenery. But the tree soon was growing out of control, crowding native flora¹⁷ and winning the battle against other plants for groundwater.

Another patient at the pollen camp, Meher Rehman, says he has been fighting the pollen scourge¹⁸ for two decades and is fed up with having to seek treatment every spring.

Rehman says every single paper mulberry tree in and around Islamabad should be uprooted¹⁹.

That is a task in the hands of the Capital Development Authority. But the coordinator²⁰ of the Aabpara pollen camp, pharmacist Sardar Shabbir-Ahmed, says it is not to going to be accomplished²¹ within the next several years.

"You can't get rid of all these trees all together because that will create some environmental problems.

So phase-wise cutting is being carried out," said Shabbir-Ahmed. "That is, I think, the basic step which will eliminate the root cause of this problem."

Full relief from the mulberry pollen will not come until June. That is when the rainy season starts. But, for many, the respite²² will be short. The rains will be the signal for the Bhang hemp²³ plant to pollinate, sending a new wave of sneezing Pakistanis to clinics seeking relief.

1 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

2 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

3 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

4 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

5 pimples   

n.丘疹，粉刺，小脓疱( pimple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It gave me goose pimples just to think about it. 只是想到它我就起鸡皮疙瘩。
• His face has now broken out in pimples. 他脸上突然起了丘疹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

7 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

8 hovers   

鸟( hover的第三人称单数 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• A hawk hovers in the sky. 一只老鹰在天空盘旋。
• A hen hovers her chicks. 一只母鸡在孵小鸡。

9 alleviation   

n. 减轻，缓和，解痛物

参考例句：

• These were the circumstances and the hopes which gradually brought alleviation to Sir Thomas's pain. 这些情况及其希望逐渐缓解了托马斯爵士的痛苦。
• The cost reduction achieved in this way will benefit patients and the society in burden alleviation. 集中招标采购降低的采购成本要让利于患者，减轻社会负担。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

10 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。

11 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

12 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

13 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

14 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

15 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

17 flora   

n.(某一地区的)植物群

参考例句：

• The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
• All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

18 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。

19 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

21 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

22 respite   

n.休息，中止，暂缓

参考例句：

• She was interrogated without respite for twenty-four hours.她被不间断地审问了二十四小时。
• Devaluation would only give the economy a brief respite.贬值只能让经济得到暂时的缓解。

23 hemp   

n.大麻；纤维

参考例句：

• The early Chinese built suspension bridges of hemp rope.古代的中国人建造过麻绳悬索桥。
• The blanket was woven from hemp and embroidered with wool.毯子是由亚麻编织，羊毛镶边的。