经济学人174:艾滋病的历史 英雄与狗熊

 　　Science and technology

　　科学技术

　　The history of AIDS

　　艾滋病的历史

　　Heroes and villains¹

　　英雄与狗熊

　　The story of AIDS involves many larger-than-life characters, good and bad

　　艾滋病的故事涉及一些富有英雄色彩的人物，有好，也有坏。

　　ANNIVERSARIES are times for reflection, and this one should be no exception, for the 30-year history of AIDS is a mirror in which humanity can examine itself.

　　人们往往在纪念日反思，这次也会不例外：艾滋病30年的历史是一面能使人类自我审视的镜子。

　　From questionable² scientists to philanthropic billionaires, people's actions against AIDS, and reactions to it, have shown up the best and worst that humans have to offer.

　　从被人质疑的科学家到仁慈的亿万富翁，人们与艾滋病抗争行动，以及对它的反应，已揭露出了人类所表现出来的善与恶。

　　Such dualism was there from the beginning, in the question of who discovered the AIDS-causing virus.

　　这种二重性从一开始便存在，就在谁发现了艾滋病致病病毒问题上。

　　There were two claimants.

　　有两个自认有功者：

　　One, Robert Gallo, is American. The other,Luc Montagnier, is French.

　　一位是美国的罗伯特盖洛；另外一位是法国的吕克?蒙塔尼。

　　Dr Gallo called his discovery HTLV-3.

　　盖洛博士称他发现HTLV-3病毒。

　　Dr Montagnier called his LAV.

　　蒙塔尼博士称他发现LAV病毒。

　　They were in fact the same thing.

　　HTLV-3病毒和LAV病毒实际上是相同的东西。

　　It turned out, however, that Dr Gallo's virus had come from Dr Montagnier's laboratory.

　　然而，结果证明，盖洛博士的病毒是源于蒙塔尼博士博士的实验室。

　　It was never conclusively³ proved how, though a contaminated sample may have been to blame.

　　但是从来没有确凿地证据证明病毒怎样从蒙塔尼博士博士的实验室传播开来，虽然可能追究于受污染的实验样本。

　　And Dr Gallo was exonerated⁴ of any wrongdoing by an official investigation⁵ and is universally recognised to have done important work on AIDS.

　　经过正式调查，盖洛博士摆脱了一切不道德行为的罪名，并被普遍认为他在艾滋病方面做出重大贡献。

　　But only Dr Montagnier won the Nobel prize—eloquent testimony⁶ to some people's opinion of the whole affair.

　　但是，蒙塔尼博士获得诺贝尔奖是对整件事某些看法的最有说服力的证据。

　　Another source of conflict was whether HIV, as the virus eventually came to be known, was truly the cause of AIDS.

　　另一个冲突的源头在于现在广为人知的HIV病毒是否是引起艾滋病真正成因。

　　At the beginning of the epidemic⁷, that might have been debatable.

　　在艾滋病的刚刚开始盛行时，这可能性是富有争议的。

　　Perhaps HIV was merely a passenger that took advantage of an immune system weakened by another cause?

　　也许HIV病毒仅仅个过客，而造成免疫系统衰弱的真凶另有其人？

　　One once-respected scientist, Peter Duesberg, who did early research on viral causes of cancer, would not drop the idea.

　　曾备受尊重的从事滤过性毒菌引起的癌症的早期研究的科学家彼得?迪斯贝格没有终止这想法。

　　He insisted—and still insists—that the weakening of the immune system characteristic of AIDS is caused by drug-taking, and that HIV is, indeed, a passenger.

　　他坚持认为—现在仍然坚持—，认为艾滋病的特征免疫系统的衰弱是由吸毒引起的，因而HIV病毒确实只是个过客。

　　This theory would not have mattered much except that Thabo Mbeki, a former president of South Africa, latched⁸ on to it.

　　但南非前总统塔博?姆贝基对这一观点感兴趣，就会引起重大影响。

　　Since South Africa has the world's largest number of AIDS cases, and one of its highest infection rates, this was bad news,

　　由于南非拥有全世界最多的艾滋病患者而且是其最高感染率国家之一，这个前总统对这种理论一感了兴趣，可糟了。

　　as was Mr Mbeki's health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who was appointed mainly because she agreed with him, and recommended beetroot and garlic as treatment for the disease.

　　他居然还任命曼托查巴拉拉-姆西曼为卫生部长，只是因为这位认同这位前总统的观点，而且那部长还建议用建议用甜菜根和大蒜来治疗艾滋病。

　　Only with the election of Jacob Zuma, who has himself been publicly tested for HIV, did South Africa return to sensible anti-AIDS policies.

　　直到雅各布?祖玛当选，亲身公开对HIV病毒进行测试，南非在反艾滋病政策才重返理智。

　　Among the heroes, Bill Gates looms⁹ large.

　　在众多英雄好汉之中，比尔盖茨赫然耸现。

　　The foundation into which he poured much of his Microsoft fortune took AIDS seriously from the beginning, forming a particularly fruitful partnership¹⁰ with the government of Botswana, one of the worst-affected countries.

　　他用很大一部分微软的财富的捐资建立的基金会从源头治理艾滋病，特别从富有伙伴关系的受灾最严重国家之一的博茨瓦纳政府开始。

　　And Nelson Mandela, the heroes'hero, also cleaved¹¹ eventually to the path of righteousness, even while admitting he had not done enough to combat AIDS during his own presidency¹² of South Africa.

　　而纳尔逊?曼德拉也是英雄中的英雄，在正义的路径上披荆斩棘地前进，即使他承认在他当总统时在与艾滋病抗战上留有余力。

　　Mr Gates and Mr Mandela are easy to admire.

　　盖茨先生和曼德拉先生很值得欣赏。

　　One hero that many AIDS activists¹³ have difficulty accepting, though, is George Bush junior.

　　不过,许多艾滋病活动家难以接受，另个英雄，是小布什。

　　Activists do not much like born-again Christians¹⁵, who take a dim view of the sort of sex lives that help to spread HIV.

　　活动家极不喜欢那些信仰重生的基督徒与其蔑视“性生活能传播艾滋病”的行为。

　　But Mr Bush was responsible for setting up the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief and for making sure it had plenty of money.

　　但是布什先生负责建立艾滋病救济总统紧急计划，并确保提供充足的资金。

　　PEPFAR is one of the two main organizations, along with the Global Fund, that dish out the cash that rich countries give poor ones to combat AIDS.

　　PEPFAR是两个富裕国家给贫穷国家在与艾滋病抗争上提供现金救济的主要组织之一，与环球基金齐名。

　　Last year, it spent almost $7 billion on AIDS and the tuberculosis¹⁶ that often accompanies it, and it is responsible for helping¹⁷ half of the 6.6m people now on anti-retroviral drugs.

　　去年，它在抗艾滋病和往往伴随出现的结核病上将近花费70亿美元，而且在逆转病毒药物上六千六百万患者中半数都能受惠。

　　Many activists may be reluctant to give Mr Bush credit. But handsome is as handsome does.

　　许多活动家可能不太愿意嘉许布什的功劳。但是，行为美才是真美。

　　1.character n.个性；品质；字符；人物

　　The boy has a strong character.

　　这孩子个性很强。

　　2.exception n.例外；不合规则

　　There is always an exception to any rule.

　　任何规律总有例外。

　　3.reaction n.反应；反应能力

　　Her arrest produced an immediate¹⁸ reaction from the press.

　　她被捕的事立刻在新闻界引起反应。

　　4.dualism n.二元论；双重性

　　He ignores the traditional Christian¹⁴ dualism between body and soul.

　　他忽略了基督教的身体和灵魂之间的二元论。

　　5.virus n.病毒；病原体

　　Scientists have isolated¹⁹ the virus causing the epidemic.

　　科学家们已分离出引起这种流行病的病毒。

1 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

3 conclusively   

adv.令人信服地，确凿地

参考例句：

• All this proves conclusively that she couldn't have known the truth. 这一切无可置疑地证明她不可能知道真相。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• From the facts,he was able to determine conclusively that the death was not a suicide. 根据这些事实他断定这起死亡事件并非自杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 exonerated   

v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
• An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

7 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。

8 latched   

v.理解( latch的过去式和过去分词 )；纠缠；用碰锁锁上（门等）；附着（在某物上）

参考例句：

• The government have latched onto environmental issues to win votes. 政府已开始大谈环境问题以争取选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He latched onto us and we couldn't get rid of him. 他缠着我们，甩也甩不掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

11 cleaved   

v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His spade cleaved the firm sand with a satisfying crunch. 他的锹凿开了坚实的砂土，发出令人舒心的嘎扎声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Eagles cleaved the sky. 鹰击长空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

16 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

19 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。