冠状病毒原理解析及应对指南：英语精读讲义

In December 2019, the Chinese authorities notified the world that a virus was spreading through their communities.

2019年12月，中国相关部门向世界发出通报，一种病毒正在其社区传播。

In the following months,

在接下来的几个月里，

it spread to other countries with cases doubling within days. 語法

它蔓延到了其他国家，病例数在几天内就会翻倍。

This virus is the severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus 2

这种病毒是严重急性呼吸综合征相关冠状病毒2型，

that causes the disease called COVID-19

它引发的疾病被称为COVID-19，

and that everyone simply calls coronavirus.

而大家一般直接叫它冠状病毒。

What actually happens when it infects a human 表達脈絡

当它感染人类时，体内究竟会发生什么？

and what should we all do?

而我们大家又该怎么做呢？

A virus is really just a hull around genetic material and a few proteins,

病毒其实只是一层包裹着遗传物质和少量蛋白质的外壳，

arguably not even a living thing.

甚至可以说它连生物都算不上。

It can only make more of itself by entering a living cell.

它只能通过进入活细胞来进行自我繁殖。

Corona may spread via surfaces,

冠状病毒可以通过物体表面传播，

but it's still uncertain how long it can survive on them.

但它能在这些表面存活多久仍不确定。

Its main way of spreading seems to be droplet infection,

它的主要传播途径似乎是飞沫传染，

when people cough or if you touch someone who's ill and then your face,

也就是当人们咳嗽，或者你接触了病患后再去碰自己的脸，

say rubbing your eyes or nose.

比如揉眼睛或揉鼻子。

The virus starts its journey here

病毒就从这里开始它的旅程，

and then hitches a ride as a stowaway deeper into the body. 習語

然后像偷渡客一样潜入身体深处。

Its destinations are the intestines,

它的目的地是肠道、

the spleen or the lungs,

脾脏或肺部，

where it can have the most dramatic effect.

在那里它可以造成最严重的影响。

Even just a few coronaviruses can cause quite a dramatic situation.

即使只有少数几个冠状病毒，也能引发相当严峻的情况。

The lungs are lined with billions of epithelial cells.

肺部内层分布着数十亿个上皮细胞。

These are the border cells of your body,

这些是你身体的边界细胞，

lining your organs and mucosa,

覆盖在你的器官和黏膜表面，

waiting to be infected.

等待着被感染。

Corona connects to a specific receptor on its victim's membranes

冠状病毒会连接到受害者细胞膜上的特定受体，

to inject its genetic material.

从而注入它的遗传物质。

The cell, ignorant of what's happening, 用詞

细胞对发生的事情一无所知，

executes the new instructions,

它开始执行新的指令，

which are pretty simple,

这些指令非常简单：

copy and reassemble.

复制并重新组装。

It fills up with more and more copies of the original virus

细胞里充满了越来越多原始病毒的复制品，

until it reaches a critical point

直到达到一个临界点，

and receives one final order,

然后收到最后一道命令：

self-destruct.

自毁。

The cell sort of melts away,

这个细胞就像是融化了一样，

releasing new corona particles,

释放出新的冠状病毒颗粒，

ready to attack more cells.

准备好去攻击更多的细胞。

The number of infected cells grows exponentially. 短語搭配

受感染的细胞数量呈指数级增长。

After about 10 days,

大约10天后，

millions of body cells are infected

数以百万计的体细胞被感染，

and billions of viruses swarmed the lungs.

数十亿的病毒在肺部肆虐。

The virus has not caused too much damage yet,

目前病毒本身还没有造成太大的破坏，

but corona is now going to release a real beast on you, 習語

但冠状病毒现在要向你释放一头真正的猛兽：

your own immune system.

你自身的免疫系统。

The immune system,

免疫系统

while there to protect you, 語法

虽然在那里是为了保护你，

can actually be pretty dangerous to yourself

但实际上可能对你自己非常危险，

and needs tight regulation.

需要严格的调控。

And as immune cells pour into the lungs to fight the virus, 習語

当免疫细胞涌入肺部去对抗病毒时，

corona infects some of them and creates confusion.

冠状病毒会感染其中一部分细胞，并制造混乱。

Cells have neither ears nor eyes, 語法

细胞既没有耳朵也没有眼睛，

they can communicate mostly via tiny information proteins called cytokines.

它们主要通过被称为细胞因子的微小信息蛋白进行交流。

Nearly every important immune reaction is controlled by them.

几乎每一个重要的免疫反应都是由它们控制的。

Corona causes infected immune cells to overreact

冠状病毒导致受感染的免疫细胞反应过度，

and yell bloody murder. 習語

并且像疯了一样大喊救命。

In a sense,

从某种意义上说，

it puts the immune system into a fighting frenzy

它让免疫系统陷入了战斗狂热，

and sends way more soldiers than it should, 語法

并派出了远超所需的士兵，

wasting its resources and causing damage.

浪费了资源并造成了破坏。

Two kinds of cells in particular wreak havoc. 習語

特别是两种细胞造成了严重破坏。

First, neutrophils,

首先是中性粒细胞，

which are great at killing stuff,

它们非常擅长消灭东西，

including our cells

包括我们自己的细胞。

As they arrive in their thousands,

当它们成千上万地到达时，

they start pumping out enzymes 短語動詞

它们开始泵出酶，

that destroy as many friends as enemies. 語法

杀死的同伴和敌人一样多。

The other important type of cells that go into a frenzy

另一种陷入狂热的重要细胞类型

are killer T cells,

是杀手T细胞，

which usually order infected cells to commit controlled suicide.

它们通常会命令受感染的细胞进行受控的自杀。

Confused as they are, 語法

由于陷入了混乱，

they start ordering healthy cells to kill themselves too.

它们开始命令健康的细胞也自杀。

The more and more immune cells arrive,

到达的免疫细胞越多，

the more damage they do

它们造成的破坏就越大，

and the more healthy lung tissue they kill.

杀死的健康肺组织也就越多。

This might get so bad

情况可能会变得非常糟糕，

that it can cause permanent irreversible damage

以至于造成永久性、不可逆的损伤，

that leads to lifelong disabilities.

从而导致终身残疾。

In most cases,

在大多数情况下，

the immune system slowly regains control.

免疫系统会慢慢重新夺回控制权。

It kills the infected cells,

它杀死受感染的细胞，

intercepts the viruses trying to infect new ones,

拦截试图感染新细胞的病毒，

and cleans up the battlefield. 習語

并清理战场。

Recovery begins.

恢复开始了。

The majority of people infected by corona

大多数感染冠状病毒的人

will get through it with relatively mild symptoms. 短語動詞

将以相对轻微的症状挺过去。

But many cases become severe or even critical.

但许多病例会变得严重甚至危重。

We don't know the percentage

我们不知道确切的比例，

because not all cases have been identified,

因为并非所有病例都已被确认，

but it's safe to say that there is a lot more than with the flu. 短語搭配

但可以肯定地说，这比流感要多得多。

In more severe cases,

在更严重的病例中，

millions of epithelial cells have died

数以百万计的上皮细胞已经死亡，

and with them the lungs' protective lining is gone.

随之而来的是肺部的保护层消失了。

That means that the alveoli, 用詞

这意味着肺泡，

tiny air sacs via which breathing occurs,

即进行呼吸的微小气囊，

can be infected by bacteria

可能会感染某些细菌，

that aren't usually a big problem.

而这些细菌通常不会造成大问题。

Patients get pneumonia,

患者会得肺炎，

respiration becomes hard or even fails,

呼吸变得困难甚至衰竭，

and patients need ventilators to survive.

患者需要呼吸机才能活下来。

The immune system has fought at full capacity for weeks 短語搭配

免疫系统已经全力作战了数周，

and made millions of antiviral weapons.

制造了数以百万计的抗病毒武器。

And as thousands of bacteria rapidly multiply,

随着成千上万的细菌迅速繁殖，

it is overwhelmed.

它被击垮了。

They enter the blood and overrun the body. 習語

它们进入血液并席卷全身。

If this happens,

如果发生这种情况，

death is very likely.

死亡的可能性非常大。

The coronavirus is often compared to the flu,

冠状病毒经常被拿来与流感作比较，

but actually it's much more dangerous.

但实际上它要危险得多。

While the exact death rate is hard to pin down during an ongoing pandemic, 短語動詞

虽然在持续的疫情大流行期间很难确定准确的死亡率，

we know for sure that it's much more contagious

但我们确信它比流感更具传染性，

and spreads faster than the flu.

而且传播速度更快。

There are two futures for a pandemic like corona,

像冠状病毒这样的大流行有两种未来：

fast and slow.

快速或缓慢。

Which future we will see

我们将看到哪种未来，

depends on how we all react to it in the early days of the outbreak.

取决于我们在疫情爆发初期的反应。

A fast pandemic will be horrible and cost many lives. 短語搭配

快速爆发的大流行将是可怕的，并夺走许多生命。

A slow pandemic will not be remembered by the history books.

缓慢发展的大流行则不会被载入史册。

The worst-case scenario for a fast pandemic 短語搭配

快速大流行最坏的情况

begins with a very rapid rate of infection

是从非常快的感染率开始的，

because there are no counter measures in place to slow it down. 講解

因为没有采取任何反制措施来减缓它。

Why is this so bad?

为什么这这么糟糕？

In a fast pandemic,

在快速大流行中，

many people get sick at the same time.

许多人在同一时间生病。

If the numbers get too large,

如果人数太多，

health care systems become unable to handle it.

医疗系统将无法应对。

There aren't enough resources like medical staff

没有足够的资源（如医务人员），

or equipment like ventilators left to help everybody.

也没有足够的设备（如呼吸机）来救助每一个人。

People will die untreated.

人们将因为得不到治疗而死亡。

And as more health care workers get sick themselves,

随着越来越多的医护人员自己也病倒了，

the capacity of health care systems falls even further.

医疗系统的能力将进一步下降。

If this becomes the case, 短語搭配

如果变成这样，

then horrible decisions will have to be made

就必须做出极其艰难的决定，

about who gets to live and who doesn't. 用詞

决定谁能活下来，谁不能。

The number of deaths rises significantly in such a scenario.

在这种情况下，死亡人数会大幅上升。

To avoid this,

为了避免这种情况，

the world, that means all of us,

世界，也就是说我们所有人，

needs to do what it can to turn this into a slow pandemic. 短語搭配

需要尽己所能，将其变成一场缓慢的大流行。

A pandemic is slowed down by the right responses,

大流行可以通过正确的应对措施来减缓，

especially in the early phase,

尤其是在早期阶段，

so that everyone who gets sick can get treatment 語法

这样每个生病的人都能得到治疗，

and there's no crunch point with overwhelmed hospitals. 用詞

也不会出现医院不堪重负的崩溃点。

Since we don't have a vaccine for corona,

既然我们没有针对冠状病毒的疫苗，

we have to socially engineer our behavior to act like a social vaccine. 講解

我们就必须在社会层面上规划我们的行为，让其发挥“社会疫苗”的作用。

This simply means two things: 表達脈絡

这简单来说意味着两件事：

not getting infected and not infecting others.

不被感染和不感染别人。

Although it sounds trivial,

虽然听起来微不足道，

the very best thing you can do is to wash your hands.

但你能做的最好的一件事就是洗手。

Soap is actually a powerful tool.

肥皂实际上是一种强大的工具。

The coronavirus is encased in what is basically a layer of fat.

冠状病毒被包裹在基本上是一层脂肪的物质中。

Soap breaks that fat apart

肥皂能分解这层脂肪，

and leaves it unable to infect you. 語法

使其无法感染你。

It also makes your hands slippery

它还能让你的手变得润滑，

and with the mechanical motions of washing,

通过洗手的机械动作，

viruses are ripped away.

病毒就被冲走了。

To do it properly,

为了正确洗手，

wash your hands as if you've just cut up some jalapeños 語法

要像你刚切完墨西哥辣椒，

and want to put in your contacts next.

然后马上要戴隐形眼镜那样去洗手。

The next thing is social distancing,

下一件事是保持社交距离，

which is not a nice experience,

这不是一种愉快的体验，

but a nice thing to do.

但这却是一件好事。

This means no hugging,

这意味着不要拥抱，

no handshakes.

不要握手。

If you can stay at home,

如果你能呆在家里，

stay at home to protect those who need to be out for society to function, 語法

请呆在家里，以保护那些为了维持社会运转而必须外出的人，

from doctors to cashiers or police officers.

从医生到收银员或警察。

You depend on all of them. 表達脈絡

你依赖他们所有人。

They all depend on you to not get sick.

他们也都依赖你不生病。

On a larger level,

在更大层面上，

there are quarantines,

还有隔离措施，

which can mean different things

这可以意味着不同的事情，

from travel restrictions or actual orders to stay at home.

从旅行限制到实际的居家命令。

Quarantines are not great to experience

隔离的体验并不好，

and certainly not popular,

当然也不受欢迎，

but they buy us 習語

但它们能为我们，

and especially the researchers working on medication and vaccinations

尤其是为研发药物和疫苗的研究人员，

crucial time.

赢得至关重要的时间。

So if you are put under quarantine, 用詞

所以如果你被隔离了，

you should understand why and respect it.

你应该理解原因并遵守它。

None of this is fun,

这些都不好玩，

but looking at the big picture, 習語

但从大局来看，

it is a really small price to pay. 習語

这真的是一个非常小的代价。

The question of how pandemics end 語法

大流行将如何结束，

depends on how they start.

取决于它们如何开始。

If they start fast with a steep slope,

如果它们以陡峭的曲线上升并快速开始，

they end badly.

结局会很惨。

If they start slow with a not so steep slope,

如果它们以不太陡峭的曲线缓慢开始，

they end okayish. 用詞

结局还算过得去。

And in this day and age, 習語

而在当今这个时代，

it really is in all of our hands, 習語

这确实掌握在我们所有人的手中，

literally and figuratively.

无论是字面上还是比喻意义上。

A huge thanks to the experts who helped us on short notice with this video, 短語搭配

非常感谢专家们在短时间内为本视频提供帮助，

especially Our World in Data,

特别是Our World in Data，

the online publication for research and data on the world's largest problems

这是一家针对世界上最大的问题，

and how to make progress solving them.

以及如何在解决这些问题上取得进展提供研究和数据的在线出版物。

Check out their site.

请访问他们的网站。

It also includes a constantly updated page on the corona pandemic.

其中还包括一个不断更新的关于冠状病毒大流行的页面。