VOA常速英语2017--美国致力于加强全球生物安全性

In today's interconnected world, a pathogen can travel around the globe in as little as 36 hours.Interactions between wildlife, domesticated¹ animals, and humans can give rise to new andemerging infections. Spurred by urban density² and international air travel, these diseasescan spread around the world within days.

当今世界里，万事万物彼此联系，因而病原体可在短短36个小时的时间里在全球传播。野生动物、家禽、人之间的接触都可能引发新的感染。在城市人口密集与国际航班频繁的促使下，疾病可以在短短数天内在全球传播。

Biological agents including viruses, bacteria, and toxins³, can devastate⁴ local economies withtheir potential effects on humans and livestock⁵, wrote Kathryn Insley in a recent blog post.Ms. Insley is the Acting⁶ Director of the State Department's Office of Cooperative ThreatReduction, which falls under the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.

一些生物因子，如病毒、细菌、毒素可以对人类和家畜产生潜在的诸多影响，继而威胁当地经济的发展，凯瑟琳(Kathryn Insley)近日在博客上写道。凯瑟琳是国务院合作减少威胁办公室(Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction)的代理主任，该机构下属于国际安全和核不扩散局(Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation)。

In addition to potentially catastrophic immediate⁷ impact, these agents could also set inmotion long-term disasters, causing regional instability and challenging internationalsecurity.

除了可能造成的直接灾难性影响外，这些生物因子也可能引发长期灾害，造成地区动荡，威胁国际安全。

To defeat potential outbreaks should they emerge, it is crucial that the world community iscapable of quickly detecting, responding to, and containing infectious diseases or otherbiological pathogens anywhere in the world.

要应对可能出现的灾难，关键是国际社会要对任何地方可能出现的感染性疾病和其他生物病原体疾病有快速监测、应对和抑制的能力。

That is why the State Department funds projects around the world that improve the safehandling and responsible use of dangerous biological materials. Programs that teach localtrainers how to manage possible biorisks within their own country have a multiplier effect.

这就是美国国务院资助了全球各地的多个项目以提升危险生物材料安全处理度和合力使用能力的原因。很多项目可以让参加培训者知道如何应对可能出现的生物风险，这对参加者所在国有很大的积极影响。

The U.S.-Algeria partnership⁸ to develop biorisk management trainers is one such program.Scientists and professionals within Algeria's public and animal health sectors⁹ participated intrainings to help them develop the skills necessary to deal with biological pathogens. Moreimportantly, Algerian trainers developed the skills to design new courses tailored to local needsand independently deliver them where they are most needed, writes Acting Director Insley.

而美国-阿尔及利亚联手推出的生物风险应对项目就是这样一个项目。阿尔及利亚公共和动物卫生领域的一些科学家和专业人士参加了这样的培训活动，帮助参加培训者获得应对生物病原体的必要技能。更为重要的是，阿尔及利亚培训师已经能够设计新的课程，来适应当地的不同需要，并在最需要培训的地方独立开展培训活动，凯瑟琳说道。

For scientists with a shared interest in global health security, these projects are a valuableopportunity to share information and learn from each other. They face challenges unique totheir varied¹⁰ environments, but collaborating¹¹ on ways to address threats and prevent disastersis among the most interesting and rewarding parts of their work. The State Department isproud to support efforts that mitigate¹² biorisks around the world and strengthen global healthsecurity.

对于有志于国际卫生安全领域的科学家而言，这样的项目机会难得，可以共享信息，彼此学习。虽然他们各自面临的挑战随具体环境的不同而千差万别，但他们依然感激一起寻找办法来应对威胁并预防灾害的时刻，并乐在其中。美国国务院很自豪能够支持致力于消除全球生物风险以及加强全球卫生安全的工作。

1 domesticated   

adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务，烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

3 toxins   

n.毒素( toxin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
• Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 devastate   

v.使荒芜，破坏，压倒

参考例句：

• A few days before,a fire had devastated large parts of Windsor Castle.几天前，温莎城堡的大部分被一场大火烧毁。
• Earthquakes can also cause tsunamis,which devastate coastal regions.地震还引发海啸，它直接破坏海岸地区。

5 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

11 collaborating   

合作( collaborate的现在分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Joe is collaborating on the work with a friend. 乔正与一位朋友合作做那件工作。
• He was not only learning from but also collaborating with Joseph Thomson. 他不仅是在跟约瑟福？汤姆逊学习，而且也是在和他合作。

12 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。