国家地理-2008-07-14 Malaria 非洲抗疟疾任重道远

Carried by the female anopheles mosquito, malaria¹ is a disease of the poor. In rural Africa, it is killing² the young and the vulnerable. The need for a vaccine³ which would dramatically reduce mortality has never been greater. Dedicated⁴ teams of scientists all over the world at universities, at commercial laboratories, and in small front-line labs buried deep in malaria infested⁵ forests, search for answers to the malaria enigma⁶.

 One such laboratory is the Tropical Diseases Research Unit at Lambaréné in Gabon on the west coast of central Africa. The research unit is part of the famous hospital built on the banks of the Ogooué River in 1913 by Doctor Albert Schweitzer. Very much an outpost in the jungle, Lambaréné is on the forefront of malaria research. Its team includes people from Gabon, other African nations, Europe and the Middle East. And it's headed up by parasitology professor Peter Kermsner of the University of Tübingen in Germany.

 “Malaria is a serious problem in the whole of the tropical world, especially in Africa, or here in Gabon. About 400 million cases are seen every year, and about one to two million, especially children in Africa, die because of malaria. We see around ten cases a day, sometimes twenty, thirty malaria cases a day. A year round we see 5000-8000 malaria cases in our unit.”

 Staffers from the research unit regularly visit villages throughout Gabon, they also investigate ways to control the spread of malaria in these villages. When they find suspected cases, they bring the patient back to the Schweitzer hospital. But patients also find their own way here, sometimes from far away. The hospital treats thousands of Gabonese every year, saving lives and doing continuous research into the causes and prevention of malaria. An important part of Schweitzer’s village hospital concept is the accommodation of patients and their relatives. For about $ 13, a patient receives a package that includes a doctor's consultation⁷, medical tests and medication.

 Hospitalized patients may also bring along their family or friends. The pediatric ward⁸ is filled with children, 1/4 to 1/3 of them malaria cases. In the shadow of malaria's many fatalities⁹, the doctors of the research unit sometimes take turns working around the clock and hoping that one day soon, a vaccine will be found.

1 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

4 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

5 infested   

adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于

参考例句：

• The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。
• The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。

6 enigma   

n.谜，谜一样的人或事

参考例句：

• I've known him for many years,but he remains something of an enigma to me.我与他相识多年，他仍然难以捉摸。
• Even after all the testimonies,the murder remained a enigma.即使听完了所有的证词，这件谋杀案仍然是一个谜。

7 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

8 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

9 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》