VOA常速英语2020--新冠日记:我重返真实的世界

Diary:My Return to the Real World of Coronavirus Awareness¹

Im in the national public health laboratory in Dar Salaam² for a covid 19 test and filming is not allowed.

我现在在达萨拉姆的国家公共卫生实验室进行新冠病毒测试，拍摄是不允许的。 

The lady at the counter just handed me the certificate with the result and it is negative.

柜台上的女士刚刚给了我一张证明，结果是阴性的。 

I asked her what happens if one tests positive.

我问她如果测试呈阳性会发生什么。 

You tested negative so you dont have to know what happens if you test positive she said.

你测试呈阴性，所以你不需要知道如果你测试呈阳性会发生什么，她说。 

There are many people wanting to travel now that the skies have reopened.

现在天空已经重新开放，很多人都想去旅行。 

At the counter theres a photograph of president John Mcfully looming³ over the test applicants⁴.

柜台上有一张约翰·麦基里总统的照片，隐约出现在申请者的面前。 

In June he announced that Tanzania had become the first country in the world to vanquish⁵ the coronavirus.

今年6月，他宣布坦桑尼亚已成为世界上第一个战胜冠状病毒的国家。 

On the way back from the testing center I wondered

在从测试中心回来的路上我在想 

how I could have avoided becoming infected in the nightclubs we went.

我怎么能避免在我们去的夜总会里被感染。 

Could Tanzania be really free of the virus?

坦桑尼亚真的能摆脱这种病毒吗？ 

Feeling sad to leave yet happy to go we threw a goodbye party on the beach.

我们在海滩上举行了一个告别派对，感到很难过，但又很高兴离开。 

The next day I checked in at the airport.

第二天我在机场办理登机手续。 

After having registered on the self-quarantined app established by Kenyas Ministry⁶ of Health.

在肯尼亚卫生部建立的自我隔离应用程序上注册之后。 

The flight was smooth and I quickly found a taxi driver to bring me home,

飞行很顺利，我很快找到了一位出租车司机送我回家， 

but as soon as we cleared the gate of the airport I realized there was no other traffic on the roads.

但我们一过机场的大门，我就意识到道路上没有其他车辆了。 

The driver told me that its because of the curfew and that we were accepted because of coming from the airport.

司机告诉我，这是因为宵禁，我们能打车是因为从机场来的。 

Roaming through a dark and deserted⁷ Nairobi I started wondering where I had ended up.

在一个黑暗而荒凉的内罗毕漫步，我开始怀疑我在哪里了。 

The reunification with my girlfriend was wonderful and we were so happy having missed each other for so long.

与女友的团聚是美好的，很长一段时间没有见面，我们很高兴。 

The wake up call came the next morning with an sms alert from the Ministry of Health,

第二天早上，卫生部发出短信提醒， 

saying that it was time to file my health details in the self quarantine app.

说是时候把我的健康细节记录在自我隔离应用程序里了。 

Kenya seemed to be serious a realization⁸ that was driven home when I went out for shopping.

肯尼亚似乎对这个问题严肃对待，当我出去购物的时候，我被要求驱车回家了。 

My familiar shopping mall has been converted into one big hand washing zone

我熟悉的购物中心已经变成了一个很大的洗手区。 

with soap dispensers every 20 meters.

每隔20米装一次肥皂机。 

The floor is speckled with footstep stickers indicating social distancing space.

地板上点缀着脚踏贴纸，表示着社会距离的空间。 

The tables in my usual coffee shop are sprayed before patrons sit down.

我通常的咖啡店里，在顾客坐下之前，桌子都喷过了。 

The menus have disappeared to prevent infection.

没有菜单以防止感染。 

Instead there are stickers with qr codes for downloading the menu onto my phone.

取而代之的是带有二维码的贴纸，用于将菜单下载到我的手机上。 

Then there is the curfew and the closure of bars and restaurants.

还有宵禁和关闭的酒吧和餐馆。 

Now I realize how isolated⁹ from covid19 I had been in Tanzania.

现在我意识到由于病毒我在坦桑尼亚是多么的与世隔绝。 

We are happy to be together now in a country where at least the virus is acknowledged,

我们很高兴现在能在一个至少承认病毒存在的国家里聚在一起， 

and we are reminded to stay vigilant¹⁰.

我们被提醒要保持警惕。 

What really happened in Tanzania we will hopefully find out after the pandemic is over,

在坦桑尼亚真正发生了什么，我们希望在疫情结束后能发现， 

but I miss my friends on the beach.

但我想念海滩上的朋友。 

The alerts for my health check will continue for fourteen days.

我的健康检查警报将持续14天。 

1 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。

2 salaam   

n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼

参考例句：

• And the people were so very friendly:full of huge beaming smiles,calling out "hello" and "salaam".这里的人民都很友好，灿然微笑着和我打招呼，说“哈罗”和“萨拉姆”。
• Salaam is a Muslim form of salutation.额手礼是穆斯林的问候方式。

3 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

4 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

5 vanquish   

v.征服，战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• He tried to vanquish his fears.他努力克服恐惧心理。
• It is impossible to vanquish so strong an enemy without making an extensive and long-term effort.现在要战胜这样一个强敌，非有长期的广大的努力是不可能的。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

8 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

9 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

10 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。