VOA常速英语:2016年困扰世界的三种病毒

Zika is such a mild illness that most people don’t know they have it.But in the past two years, a search of babies born with extremely small heads showed the world that Zika is anything but harmless.
寨卡病毒症状较为温和，以至于大多数病毒感染者毫无察觉。但在过去的两年中，关于小头畸形新生儿的调查则向全世界表明：寨卡病毒绝对不是无害的。

The virus originated in Uganda more than 60 years ago, and recently emerged in Brazil,then surged north to Florida and possibly to Texas.
60多年前，寨卡病毒首次被发现，其源头在乌干达，最近巴西出现疫情，随后疫情进一步肆虐、向北传到了美国佛罗里达州，同时，在德克萨斯州发现疑似病例。

Dr. Anthony Costello, with the World Health Organization,said even one affected child has a very big impact on the community and a family’s ability to cope.
世界卫生组织安东尼.科斯特洛博士表示，无论是对整个社会还是对一个家庭来说，一名感染寨卡病毒的孩子都会对其应对能力产生极其重大的影响。

“It’s a public health problem of huge concern for the world.Sixty-nine countries have seen Zika virus emerge in the last two years.We are talking about a virus that causes brain damage and potentially lifelong disability, which is a huge blow to families.”
“这事关公众健康，对全世界来说都是一个大问题。两年来，69个国家曾出现寨卡病毒传播。我们此刻提及的这种病毒，能造成脑部损伤，并有可能导致病毒感染者终身残疾，这对家庭是一个巨大的打击。”

Right now, doctors can only advise women not to travel to areas where the virus is spreading,to avoid mosquito bites or to delay pregnancy.There is no vaccine against Zika, but one could be available in 2018.
目前，医生只能建议妇女不要前往已经出现寨卡病毒疫情的地区旅行、避免蚊虫叮咬，或者建议她们推迟怀孕。寨卡病毒至今没有特效疫苗，但有可能在2018年研制成功。

In Nigeria, the polio virus re-emerged in the violence-wracked northern part of the country,where it’s hard to ensure every child gets vaccinated.Three children were diagnosed with the disease just when Nigeria was thought to be close to becoming polio-free.
尼日利亚北部地区暴力活动频发，脊髓灰质炎病毒（又称小儿麻痹症）再次侵袭了该地区，在那里，很难保证所有孩子成功接种疫苗。正当人们认为尼日利亚即将摆脱脊髓灰质炎病毒之时，三个孩子被确诊为小儿麻痹症。

The virus also exists in another conflict zone: along the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.Those behind the effort say they are determined to eliminate the disease.Polio cases have decreased by over 99 percent since 1988, from about 350,000 cases then to less than three dozen in 2016.
这种病毒同样出现在另一冲突地区，即：巴基斯坦和阿富汗边界一带。疫苗研发专家称，他们正在努力，并决心消除这一病毒。自1988年以来，小儿麻痹症病例下降超过百分之九十九，从1988年的35万例病例降至2016年的不到36例病例。

At the beginning of December,the National Institutes of Health announced the start of a major trial of an experimental vaccine against the AIDS virus.
12月初，美国国立卫生研究院宣布开始一项重大试验，以研发出有望遏制艾滋病毒的实验性疫苗。

“An HIV vaccine is not going to be easy.We may not even know if we’re going to get a vaccine.”Fauci described the advances in AIDS treatment as nothing short of spectacular.
“研制出对抗艾滋病毒的疫苗极不容易。我们甚至不知道能否成功。”费希把在治疗艾滋病方面取得的进展，描述为“不折不扣的伟大成就。”

“Today, the combinations of therapies we have for individuals —for someone who is in their 20s and gets infected and comes in and gets on a combination of drugs —you could predict that they could live an additional 50 years (Five zero).That is one of the most extraordinary advances in the transition from basic research to an applicable intervention in any field of medicine.”
“目前，我们为个人提供综合疗法，假如患者在20多岁感染艾滋病毒，综合服用相应药物，我们就能预测他们的寿命可以延长50年。这将是最为非凡的进步之一，并会实现从基础研究到实际运用于医学领域的转变。

If an effective vaccine can be found,it could finally mean the end for a virus that has infected more than 70 million people and killed 35 million people over the past half-century.
如果能够发现有效疫苗，这就真正意味着艾滋病毒的彻底终结，半个世纪以来，艾滋病毒感染者超过7000万人，迄今已造成3500万人死亡。

Carol Pearson, VOA News, Washington.
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