华盛顿邮报 什么是病毒猎人？(1)

 

    Can you tell me what a virus hunter is?

    你能告诉我什么是病毒猎人吗?

    Those are people who go into remote locations typically and try and extract specimens¹, that is, secretions² from wild animals with the objective being to find viruses that are circulating among animals.

    病毒猎人通常会前往偏远地区试着提取标本，也就是，野生动物的分泌物，目的是找到动物间传播的病毒。

    David Willman is an investigative reporter for The Post, and he has spent the last year looking into a high-stakes type of virus hunting.

    大卫·威尔曼是《华盛顿邮报》的调查记者，他去年一直在调查一种高风险的病毒搜寻工作。

    The virus hunting that we're putting a real emphasis on here is highly risky³ research involving animal-to-animal transmitted pathogens that have never crossed the line and infected human beings.

    我们在这里强调的病毒搜寻是一项高风险研究，会涉及动物间传播的病原体，这些病原体从未跨越界限致使人类感染。

    There are tens of thousands of them, and only a tiny miniscule number of that cohort would ever be expected to infect a human being, but the efforts are to go out there, collect these materials, learn more about them.

    世界存在成千上万的病毒，但预计只有极少数会使人类感染。人们正在努力收集这些材料，了解更多相关信息。

    The goal behind all this is ambitious.

    这一切背后的目标雄心勃勃。

    If you can identify and research these unknown viruses, the kinds that circulate among animals and haven't yet made the jump to humans, maybe you can get a step ahead of a future threat to all of us.

    如果你能识别和研究这些未知的、在动物间传播的、还没有破圈使人类感染的病毒，也许可以在未来威胁来临之前领先一步。

    This research happens around the world with a lot of support and money from the US government.

    这项研究得到了美国政府的大量资金支持，在世界各地开展。

    But since the coronavirus pandemic started, the risks of this kind of research have become much more apparent.

    但自从新冠疫情开始以来，这类研究的风险变得更明显。

    What David has found through documents, through interviews with officials and experts, is that people behind the scenes have been raising red flags for a while that despite the best intentions, this kind of virus hunting might actually be endangering the world.

    大卫通过相关文件以及对官员和专家的采访发现，幕后人士已经发出危险信号一段时间了，尽管出发点很好，但这种病毒搜寻工作实际上可能会将世界置于险境。

    Today, David's year-long investigation⁴ into the reckoning with virus research and lab safety around the world, and how even scientists who are getting a lot of money to do this work don't feel like it's safe anymore. We begin in Thailand in a bat cave.

    如今，大卫对世界各地的病毒研究与实验室安全进行了长达一年的调查。但是，即使是拿了很多钱做这项工作的科学家也感觉不安全了。我们从泰国的蝙蝠洞开始讲起。

1 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 secretions   

n.分泌（物）( secretion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lysozyme is an enzyme found in egg white, tears, and other secretions. 溶菌酶是存在于卵白、泪和其他分泌物中的一种酶。 来自辞典例句
• Chest percussion and vibration are used with postural drainage to help dislodge secretions. 在做体位引流时要敲击和振动胸部帮助分泌物松动排出。 来自辞典例句

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。