這極有可能會要了你的命：英語精讀講義

This episode is sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates. 片語搭配

本集由比爾・蓋茲與梅琳達・蓋茲贊助。

I have some bad news for you.

我有個壞消息要告訴你。

We're all going to die. 表達脈絡

我們都會死。

In fact, 1.8 people die every second. 表達脈絡

事實上，平均每秒有1.8人死亡。

The main way of knowing how you're going to die is based on your age. 片語搭配

判斷你會怎麼死，最主要的依據就是你的年齡。

So here are the statistics of how you're likely going to die.

所以，下面用統計資料來看看，你最有可能會怎麼死。

Let's move in reverse 慣用語

我們按照年齡從大到小來看，

and begin with those who are 70 plus years old.

先從70歲以上的人開始。

This is the age bracket 用詞

這個年齡層

accounting for nearly half of all deaths worldwide. 片語動詞

占了全球死亡總人數的近一半。

And the leading cause of death in this age group 片語搭配

而這個年齡層的頭號死因

is overwhelmingly heart disease.

毫無疑問是心臟病。

If you're between the ages of 45 to 64 in the US, 文法

如果你在美國，年齡介於45到64歲，

cancer is the leading cause of death.

那麼頭號死因就是癌症。

In 2016, globally 8.9 million deaths were attributed to cancers, 片語搭配

2016年，全球有890萬人死於癌症，

which is 5.7 million more than in 1990.

比1990年多了570萬人。

Wait, why has cancer increased so much? 表達脈絡

等等，為什麼癌症死亡人數增加了這麼多？

It's because as our population grows and lifespans increase, 文法

這是因為，隨著人口增加和壽命延長，

so do the cancer rates.

癌症發生率也會跟著上升。

If you die between the age of 25 and 44,

如果你在25到44歲之間過世，

the most common cause of death in America uh is from unintentional poisoning.

在美國，最常見的死因，呃，是意外中毒。

This may sound strange,

這聽起來可能很奇怪，

but it's because unintentional poisoning as a term 用詞

但這是因為，「意外中毒」這個詞

includes deaths related to overdosing on drugs. 片語搭配

也包括與藥物過量有關的死亡。

Dying due to drug use in the US has tripled since 1999 to 2016, 文法

從1999年到2016年，美國的藥物相關死亡人數增至原本的三倍，

largely due to the opioid crisis. 講解

這主要是類鴉片藥物危機所造成的。

The data now coming in from 2017 片語動詞

目前陸續出爐的2017年資料

indicates that it is the worst year in US history for overdose fatalities.

顯示，2017年是美國史上藥物過量死亡人數最多的一年。

In fact, in 2017,

事實上，2017年，

the death toll from drugs is higher 講解

因藥物而死亡的人數

than US military casualties in the Vietnam and Iraq war combined.

比越戰與伊拉克戰爭中美軍傷亡人數的總和還多。

But this is not the case around the world. 片語搭配

但世界各地並非都是如此。

In South Africa,

在南非，

the number one killer for this age group is HIV/AIDS,

這個年齡層的頭號殺手是HIV／愛滋病，

and in Brazil, it's homicide.

而在巴西，則是他殺。

Between 15 to 24 years old in the US,

在美國15到24歲的族群中，

the leading cause of death is motor vehicle accident.

頭號死因是汽機車事故。

Crash risk is particularly high

車禍風險特別高的時期，

within the first few months of obtaining a license.

是拿到駕照後的頭幾個月。

Also, 53% of these fatalities occur on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday

此外，53%的相關死亡發生在週五、週六或週日，

with male driver death rates being twice as high as their female counterparts. 講解

男性駕駛的死亡率是女性駕駛的兩倍。

Teens also have the lowest incidence of wearing a seatbelt,

青少年繫安全帶的比例也是最低的，

are more likely to speed,

他們也更容易超速，

and leave a smaller space between drivers.

而且與其他車輛之間留的距離也更短。

For ages 5 to 14,

對5到14歲的兒童來說，

the leading cause of death is malaria.

頭號死因是瘧疾。

Malaria is the result of single-celled parasitic microorganisms called Plasmodia

瘧疾是由一種稱為瘧原蟲的單細胞寄生微生物引起的，

that are transmitted via mosquitoes. 用詞

這種微生物會透過蚊子傳播。

The complexity of the malaria parasite makes developing a vaccine very difficult, 文法

瘧原蟲十分複雜，因此疫苗研發非常困難，

but a recent trial is showing promising results. 片語搭配

但最近一項試驗的結果令人期待。

5.4 million children under the age of five died in 2017.

2017年，有540萬名未滿五歲的兒童死亡。

The leading cause of death was a variety of neonatal disorders.

頭號死因是各種新生兒疾病。

Though tragic, 文法

儘管這令人悲痛，

the death rate among children has dropped dramatically. 片語搭配

但兒童死亡率已大幅下降。

In 1990,

1990年，

one in 11 children under five passed away, 講解

每11名未滿五歲的兒童中，就有1名死亡，

but in 2017,

但到了2017年，

the number was one in 26.

這個比例降到每26人中有1人。

So how you will die greatly depends on when you will die. 表達脈絡

所以，你會怎麼死，很大程度取決於你何時死亡。

If you make it to old age, 慣用語

如果你活到老年，

heart disease will likely do you in. 片語動詞

心臟病很可能會要了你的命。

That being said, 表達脈絡

話雖如此，

100 years ago,

100年前，

influenza was the leading cause of death.

流感才是頭號死因。

So who knows how we will die in the future.

所以，誰知道未來我們會怎麼死呢？

But we can do better and science can help.

但我們可以做得更好，而科學能幫上忙。

By reviewing over 40,000 DNA samples voluntarily submitted, 文法

透過分析4萬多份自願提交的DNA樣本，

geneticists have discovered a link between premature births 片語搭配

遺傳學家發現，早產

and the genes that process the mineral selenium.

和參與礦物質硒代謝的基因有關。

The study found that expectant mothers who carry the gene 用詞

研究發現，帶有這種基因的孕婦

were more likely to give birth early. 文法

更有可能早產。

15 million babies are born premature every year,

每年有1,500萬名嬰兒早產，

and understanding what causes prematurity is hugely important

釐清早產的原因極為重要，

as these babies in low-income countries are at much higher risk of death. 片語搭配

因為在低收入國家，這些嬰兒的死亡風險要高得多。

This issue and potential solution is one of the fascinating and surprising issues

這個問題及其潛在解決方案，是眾多引人入勝又出人意料的議題之一，

you can read about in Bill and Melinda Gates' annual letter at gatesletter.com.

你可以到gatesletter.com，在比爾・蓋茲與梅琳達・蓋茲的年度公開信中讀到相關內容。

This year, they're sharing the surprises they've encountered in their work,

今年，他們分享了工作中遇到的種種意外發現，

including the fact that toilets haven't changed in a century 文法

包括馬桶一個世紀以來都沒有改變，

and that textbooks are becoming obsolete,

教科書正逐漸被淘汰，

and the surprising reasons these two pieces of information are actually really important. 片語搭配

以及為什麼這兩件事其實非常重要——背後的原因同樣出人意料。

You're going to want to learn about how these surprising moments 語氣意圖

你一定會想知道，這些意外發現

are prodding them to help make the world a better place. 用詞

如何促使他們努力讓世界變得更美好。

So go check out gatesletter.com

所以，快到gatesletter.com看看吧，

and subscribe for more weekly science videos every Thursday.

也別忘了訂閱頻道，每週四收看更多科學影片。