2020年经济学人 病毒来袭--Covid-19恐成全球性流行病(3)

China’s second lesson is that governments can slow the spread of the disease. Flattening¹ the spike² of the epidemic³ means that health systems are less overwhelmed, which saves lives. If, like flu, the virus turns out to be seasonal⁴, some cases could be delayed until next winter, by which time doctors will understand better how to cope with it. By then, new vaccines⁵ and antiviral drugs may be available.

中国的第二个教训是政府可以减缓疾病的传播。使疫情高峰趋于平缓意味着卫生系统不再那么不堪重负，从而挽救更多生命。如果这种病毒像流感一样是季节性的，那么有些病例可能会推迟到明年冬天，那时医生们将更好地了解如何应对。届时，可能会有新的疫苗和抗病毒药物。

When countries have few cases, they can follow each one, tracing contacts and isolating⁶ them. But when the disease is spreading in the community, that becomes futile⁷. Governments need to prepare for the moment when they will switch to social distancing, which may include cancelling public events, closing schools, staggering work hours and so on. Given the uncertainties⁸, governments will have to choose how draconian⁹ they want to be. They should be guided by science. International travel bans look decisive, but they offer little protection because people find ways to move. They also signal that the problem is “them” infecting “us”, rather than limiting infections among “us”. Likewise, if the disease has spread widely, as in Italy and South Korea, “Wuhan-lite” quarantines of whole towns offer scant¹⁰ protection at a high cost.

当国家病例很少时，跟踪每一个病例、追踪并隔离接触者是能做到的。但是当疾病在社区传播时，这些举措就发挥不了多少作用了。政府需要为疏远社交距离的时刻做准备，这可能包括取消公共活动、关闭学校、错峰工作等等。鉴于这些不确定性，各国政府将不得不选择他们希望采取的严厉措施。各国政府应以科学为指导。国际旅行禁令看起来起决定性作用，但能提供的保护有限，因为人们想出行总有办法。禁止出行还表明，人们认为问题是“他们”感染了“我们”，而不是限制了“我们”之间的感染。同样地，如果这种疾病像在意大利和韩国那样广泛传播，类似武汉的隔离也不能提供足够的保护，而且成本高昂。

Scrub up

彻底清洗消毒

The third lesson is to prepare health systems for what is to come. That entails¹¹ painstaking¹² logistical planning. Hospitals need supplies of gowns, masks, gloves, oxygen and drugs. They should already be conserving¹³ them. They will run short of equipment, including ventilators. They need a scheme for how to set aside wards¹⁴ and floors for covid-19 patients, for how to cope if staff fall ill, and for how to choose between patients if they are overwhelmed. By now, this work should have been done.

第三个教训是，卫生系统要为将要侵袭的病毒做好准备。这需要极其仔细的后勤规划。医院需要隔离衣、口罩、手套、氧气和药品。这些应对医院起到保护作用。医院将会缺乏设备，包括人工呼吸机。医院需要规划好如何为covid-19患者留出病房和楼层，如何应对医护人员生病的情况，以及在患者人数不堪重负怎样抉择。到现在为止，这项工作已经完成了。

This virus has already exposed the strengths and weaknesses of China’s authoritarianism¹⁵. It will test all the political systems with which it comes into contact, in both rich and developing countries. China has bought governments time to prepare for a pandemic. They should use it.

这种病毒已经揭示了体制的优缺点。它还将考验所侵之地的所有政治制度，无论发达国家还是发展中国家。中国已经为各国政府争取到为流行病做准备的时间。各国政府应善加利用。

1 flattening   

n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词

参考例句：

• Flattening of the right atrial border is also seen in constrictive pericarditis. 右心房缘变平亦见于缩窄性心包炎。
• He busied his fingers with flattening the leaves of the book. 他手指忙着抚平书页。

2 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

3 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

4 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

5 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

6 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

7 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

8 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

9 draconian   

adj.严苛的；苛刻的；严酷的；龙一样的

参考例句：

• You can't expect the people to obey such draconian regulations.你不能指望人民服从如此严苛的规定。
• The city needs a draconian way of dealing with robbers.这个城市需要一个严苛的办法来对付强盗。

10 scant   

adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略

参考例句：

• Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。
• Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候，许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。

11 entails   

使…成为必要( entail的第三人称单数 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需

参考例句：

• The job entails a lot of hard work. 这工作需要十分艰苦的努力。
• This job entails a lot of hard work. 这项工作需要十分努力。

12 painstaking   

adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的

参考例句：

• She is not very clever but she is painstaking.她并不很聪明，但肯下苦功夫。
• Through years of our painstaking efforts,we have at last achieved what we have today.大家经过多少年的努力，才取得今天的成绩。

13 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网

14 wards   

区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态

参考例句：

• This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
• It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

15 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。