万物简史 第457期:小生物的世界(28)

 From time to time certain strains of virus return. 有几种病毒不时重复出现。

A disagreeable Russian virus known as H1N1 caused severe outbreaks over wide areas in 1933, then again in the 1950s, and yet again in the 1970s. 一种名叫H1N1的讨厌的俄罗斯病毒分别于1933年、20世纪50年代和70年代在广大地区猛烈爆发。

Where it went in the meantime each time is uncertain. 在每次爆发的间歇期间，那种病毒去了哪里，我们仍不清楚。

One suggestion is that viruses hide out unnoticed in populations of wild animals before trying their hand at a new generation of humans. 有的人认为病毒藏在野兽体内，不为人们所察觉，然后把黑手伸向新一代人类。

No one can rule out the possibility that the Great Swine Flu epidemic¹ might once again rear its head. 谁也无法排除这种可能性：猪大流感会再度出现。

And if it doesn't, others well might. 即使猪大流感不出现，别的流感也很可能出现。

New and frightening viruses crop up all the time. 骇人的新病毒在不断地的产生。

Ebola, Lassa, and Marburg fevers all have tended to flare² up and die down again, but no one can say that they aren't quietly mutating away somewhere, 伊波热、拉沙热和马尔堡经常爆发，然后再度消失，但谁也说不准这些病毒是悄悄隐伏在什么地方，

or simply awaiting the right opportunity to burst forth³ in a catastrophic manner. 还是仅仅在等待合适的机会以灾难性的方式爆发。

It is now apparent that AIDS has been among us much longer than anyone originally suspected. 现在已经很明显，艾滋病在我们中间停留的时间之长，已经超过了任何人原先的想象。

Researchers at the Manchester Royal Infirmary in England discovered that a sailor who had died of mysterious, untreatable causes in 1959 in fact had AIDS. 曼彻斯特皇家医院的研究人员发现，1959年死于神秘不治之证的那名海员，实际上是患了艾滋病。

But for whatever reasons the disease remained generally quiescent⁴ for another twenty years. 然而，不管什么原因，那种疾病总的来说是悄无声息地潜伏了随后的20年。

The miracle is that other such diseases haven't gone rampant⁵. 别的这样的疾病没有变得那么猖獗，这是个奇迹。

Lassa fever, which wasn't first detected until 1969, in West Africa, is extremely virulent⁶ and little understood. 直到1969年，拉沙热才在西非首次发现，那是一种极其致命的疾病，我们对其了解甚少。

1 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。

2 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 quiescent   

adj.静止的，不活动的，寂静的

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that such an extremist organization will remain quiescent for long.这种过激的组织是不太可能长期沉默的。
• Great distance in either time or space has wonderful power to lull and render quiescent the human mind.时间和空间上的远距离有一种奇妙的力量，可以使人的心灵平静。

5 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

6 virulent   

adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的

参考例句：

• She is very virulent about her former employer.她对她过去的老板恨之入骨。
• I stood up for her despite the virulent criticism.尽管她遭到恶毒的批评，我还是维护她。