VOA慢速英语2019 世卫组织谴责“集体失败”，麻疹致死14万人（在线收听）

WHO Denounces 'Collective Failure' as Measles Kills 140,000

Measles infected nearly 10 million people in 2018 and killed 140,000, mostly children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week.

世界卫生组织（WHO）本周表示，2018年麻疹感染了近1000万人，并杀死了14万人，其中大部分是儿童。

世卫组织说，病毒性疾病影响了世界各地。 它补充说，大多数麻疹死亡病例是未接种疫苗的五岁以下儿童。

"The fact that any child dies from a vaccine-preventable disease like measles is (an) ... outrage and a collective failure to protect the world's...children," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus. He is director general of the United Nations' public health agency.

The situation in 2019 is even worse, the WHO said. Reporting up to November shows a 200 percent increase in measles cases compared with the same period in 2018.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus说：“任何儿童死于麻疹之类的可通过疫苗预防的疾病，这是一种暴行，是保护全世界儿童的集体失败。” 他是联合国公共卫生机构的局长。

世卫组织表示，2019年的情况甚至更糟。 截至11月的报告显示，麻疹病例与2018年同期相比增长了200％。

This year, the United States has already reported its highest number of measles cases in 25 years. Four countries in Europe - Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece and Britain – are no longer "measles-free" after suffering large outbreaks of the disease.

今年，美国已经报告了25年来的最高麻疹病例数。 欧洲的四个国家-阿尔巴尼亚，捷克共和国，希腊和英国-在大规模爆发该疾病后不再“无麻疹”。

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An outbreak in the South Pacific nation of Samoa has infected more than 4,200 people. There the disease has killed more than 60, mostly babies and children. Officials in Samoa are fighting an anti-vaccination movement.

In 2018, measles hit hardest in Liberia, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Somalia, the WHO said. These five nations were reported to have made up nearly half of all cases worldwide.

南太平洋国家萨摩亚的爆发已感染了4,200多人。 那里的疾病已经杀死了60多人，其中大多数是婴儿和儿童。 萨摩亚的官员正在与反疫苗运动作斗争。

世卫组织表示，2018年，麻疹在利比里亚，乌克兰，刚果民主共和国，马达加斯加和索马里受到的打击最大。 据报告，这五个国家占全球所有病例的近一半。

Around the world, measles vaccination rates have not increased for almost 10 years. In 2018, around 86 percent of children got a first dose of measles vaccine through normal vaccination plans. Fewer than 70 percent got the second dose they need to be fully protected. That information comes from WHO officials and UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens' Fund.

在世界范围内，麻疹疫苗接种率近十年来都没有增加。 2018年，约有86％的儿童通过正常的疫苗接种计划获得了第一剂麻疹疫苗。 不到70％的人需要完全保护他们获得第二剂。 该信息来自世卫组织官员和联合国儿童基金会联合国儿童基金会。

Heidi Larson is director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at Britain's London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"Some countries are scrambling to vaccinate in the face of serious outbreaks - far too late for many," she said.

海蒂·拉森（Heidi Larson）是英国伦敦卫生与热带医学学院疫苗信心项目的主任。

她说：“面对严重的疫情，一些国家正争先恐后地进行疫苗接种-对许多国家来说为时已晚。”

Measles is one of the most contagious known diseases, more so than Ebola, tuberculosis or influenza. It can stay in the air for several hours after an infected person is no longer present, putting anyone not vaccinated at risk.

麻疹是已知的最具传染性的疾病之一，比埃博拉病毒，结核病或流行性感冒更为严重。感染者不在场后，它可以在空气中呆上几个小时，使未接种疫苗的人处于危险之中。

In wealthier nations, some adults refuse to get their children vaccinated for what they say are religious or moral reasons. Distrust of government officials and unconfirmed reports linking vaccines to autism have weakened public trust in the vaccine. As a result, some parents delay protecting their children.

在较富裕的国家/地区，一些成年人出于宗教或道德原因拒绝给孩子接种疫苗。政府官员的不信任和将疫苗与自闭症联系起来的未经证实的报道削弱了公众对该疫苗的信任。结果，一些父母推迟了保护自己的孩子。

Research published in October showed that measles infection carries a risk of death or serious problems like brain damage, blindness and deafness. It can also damage the victim's natural defenses against disease for months or years. Those who survive measles can easily catch other diseases.

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The WHO report showed there were an estimated 9,769,400 cases of measles and 142,300 related deaths around the world in 2018. This compares to 7,585,900 cases and 124,000 deaths in 2017.

十月份发表的研究表明，麻疹感染可能会导致死亡或严重问题，例如脑损伤，失明和耳聋。它还可能损害受害者数月或数年的自然防御能力。那些患有麻疹的人很容易感染其他疾病。

世卫组织的报告显示，2018年全世界估计有9,769,400例麻疹病例和142,300例相关死亡。而2017年为7,585,900例病例和124,000例死亡。

Charlie Weller, head of vaccines at the Wellcome Trust aid group, said the number of deaths is a tragedy. "If we are to protect lives, we must understand...the reasons why measles vaccine (use) is lower," she said.

惠康信托基金援助小组负责人查理·韦勒说，死亡人数是一个悲剧。她说：“如果我们要保护生命，我们必须了解……麻疹疫苗（使用）降低的原因。”

Words in This Story

outrage – n. something that hurts people or is morally wrong

outbreak – n. the sudden start of something unwelcome, such as disease or a war

dose – n. an amount of a medicine to be taken at a given time

scramble – v. to move or act quickly

contagious - adj. capable of being easily spread to others

autism – n. a development disorder that restricts social interaction and communication