万物简史 第446期:小生物的世界(17)

 　　The most rampantly¹ infectious organism on Earth, a bacterium² called Wolbachia, doesn't hurt humans at all, 地球上最具传染性的生物，一种名叫沃尔巴克体的细菌，根本有伤害人类，

　　or, come to that, any other vertebrates—but if you are a shrimp³ or worm or fruit fly, it can make you wish you had never been born. 或者可以说根本不伤害任何别的脊椎动物——不过，要是你是个小虾、蠕虫或果蝇，你会但愿自己真没有被生出来。

　　Altogether, only about one microbe in a thousand is a pathogen for humans, according to National Geographic⁴, 据《国家地埋杂志》说，总的来说，大约每1000种微生物当中，只有一种是对人类致病的，

　　though, knowing what some of them can do, we could be forgiven for thinking that that is quite enough. 虽然我们知道其中还会有一些干坏事，情有可原地这么认为就够了。

　　Even if mostly benign⁵, microbes are still the number-three killer⁶ in the Western world, 即使大多数生物是无害的，微生物仍是西方世界的第三杀手，

　　and even many less lethal⁷ ones of course make us deeply rue⁸ their existence. 虽然许多不要我们的命，但也弄得我们深深地后悔来到这个世界上。

　　Making a host unwell has certain benefits for the microbe. 把寄主弄得很不舒服，对微生物是有某种好处的。

　　The symptoms of an illness often help to spread the disease. 病症往往有利于传播细菌。

　　Vomiting⁹, sneezing, and diarrhea are excellent methods of getting out of one host and into position for another. 呕吐、打喷嚏和腹泻是细菌离开一个寄主，准备入住另一寄主的好办法。

　　The most effective strategy of all is to enlist¹⁰ the help of a mobile third party. 最有效的方法是找个移动的第三者帮忙。

　　Infectious organisms love mosquitoes because the mosquito's sting delivers them directly to a bloodstream 传染性微生物喜欢蚊子，因为蚊子的螫针可以把它们直接送进流动的血液，

　　where they can get straight to work before the victim's defense¹¹ mechanisms¹² can figure out what's hit them. 趁受害者的防御系统尚未搞清受到什么攻击之前，它们可以马上着手干活。

　　This is why so many grade-A diseases—malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, encephalitis, 因此，许多A级疾病——疟疾、黄热病、登革热、脑炎，

　　and a hundred or so other less celebrated¹³ but often rapacious¹⁴ maladies—begin with a mosquito bite. 以及100多种其他不大著名而往往又很严重的疾病——都是以被蚊子叮咬开始的。

　　It is a fortunate fluke for us that HIV, the AIDS agent, isn't among them—at least not yet. 对我们来说，很侥幸的是，艾滋病的介体——人体免疫缺陷病毒——不在其中，至少目前还不在其中。

1 rampantly   

粗暴地，猖獗的

参考例句：

• Weeds grew rampantly around here. 这里周围长满了杂草。

2 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

3 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

4 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

6 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

7 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

8 rue   

n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔

参考例句：

• You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
• You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。

9 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

10 enlist   

vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍

参考例句：

• They come here to enlist men for the army.他们来这儿是为了召兵。
• The conference will make further efforts to enlist the support of the international community for their just struggle. 会议必将进一步动员国际社会，支持他们的正义斗争。

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

12 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

14 rapacious   

adj.贪婪的，强夺的

参考例句：

• He had a rapacious appetite for bird's nest soup.他吃燕窝汤吃个没够。
• Rapacious soldiers looted the houses in the defeated city.贪婪的士兵洗劫了被打败的城市。