VOA慢速英语2020 芬兰利用嗅探犬检测冠状病毒（在线收听）

Finland Uses Dogs to Find Coronavirus Infections

Finland has deployed dogs trained to smell the coronavirus at the country's main international airport.

芬兰在该国主要国际机场部署了经过训练可嗅到冠状病毒的嗅探犬。

A trial of this experimental search method will take place for four months. If successful, the system could be established as a low-cost and quick way to identify infected travelers.

这种实验性搜索方法的试验将持续4个月。如果试验成功的话，该系统将成为一种低成本、快速识别感染病毒的旅客的方法。

Finland's Smell Detection Association trained the four dogs now at work in the Helsinki Airport.

芬兰嗅觉检测协会在赫尔辛基机场训练了这4只在岗的嗅探犬。

"It's a very promising method. Dogs are very good at sniffing," said Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, a University of Helsinki professor of animal medicine.

赫尔辛基大学动物医学教授安娜·希尔姆·比约克曼（Anna Hielm-Bjorkman）称：“这个方法很有前景。犬类善于嗅探气味。”

"If it works, it will be a good screening method...," she added. Hielm-Bjorkman believes the dogs could be used at hospitals, ports, group homes for older people and at large public gatherings.

她还补充道：“如果这办法有效，这将是一个非常好的检测方法。”希尔姆·比约克曼认为，这些犬类适用于医院、港口、老年人集体住宅和大型公共集会。

The airport's Twitter page includes an image of one of the newly employed sniffers.

机场的推特账户页面发布了新雇佣的嗅探员的照片。

Researchers in countries including Australia, France, Germany and the United States are also studying dogs. But, the Finnish trial is among the largest so far.

澳大利亚、法国、德国和美国等国的研究人员也在研究犬类，但芬兰的试验是迄今为止规模最大的试验之一。

Hielm-Bjorkman told The Associated Press that Finland is the second country after the United Arab Emirates - and the first in Europe - to use dogs to sniff out the coronavirus. A similar program started at Dubai International Airport over the summer.

希尔姆·比约克曼告诉美联社记者，芬兰是继阿拉伯联合酋长国后第二个使用嗅探犬检测冠状病毒的国家，也是欧洲首个采取这一措施的国家。今年夏天，迪拜国际机场也开启了类似的项目。

Passengers who agree to take a free test under the voluntary program in Helsinki do not have direct physical contact with a dog.

在赫尔辛基机场志愿参加免费测试的乘客不会与嗅探犬有直接的身体接触。

They are asked to swipe their skin with material which is then put into a container and given to a dog waiting in a separate place. The animals - ET, Kossi, Miina and Valo – all received training in the past to smell cancer, diabetes or other diseases.

乘客被要求用材料擦拭皮肤，然后将这些材料放入容器中再交给在其他地方等候的嗅探犬。嗅探犬分别是ET、Kossi、Miina和Valo，这些犬都接受过癌症、糖尿病或其他疾病的嗅觉训练。

The trainers say it takes a dog a 10 seconds to sniff the virus samples before it gives the test result by scratching with a paw. They also might lie down, make a noise or do something else to make their findings known. The process should be completed within one minute, said Hielm-Bjorkman.

训练师表示，狗嗅出病毒样本需要10秒，然后它会用爪子抓出测试结果。它们可能会躺下、制造噪音或做其他动作来引起注意。希尔姆·比约克曼说道。这个过程应该在一分钟内完成。

If the result is positive, the passenger is urged to take a coronavirus test to confirm the dog's result.

如果测试结果呈阳性，乘客会被要求做核酸检测以验证嗅探犬的结果。

The airport is near Helsinki, in the city of Vantaa. Its deputy mayor, Timo Aronkyto, said the program is costing $350,000. He called the amount "remarkably lower" than other methods of testing arriving passengers.

机场位于赫尔辛基附近的万塔市。该市副市长蒂莫·阿伦克托（Timo Aronkyto）表示，该项目耗资35万美元。他称，这一数字“明显低于”其他检测乘客的方法。

The four sniffer dogs are to work in the airport at different times, with two on duty at a time while the other two get a break.

四只嗅探犬会在不同的时段执勤，每个时段会有两只嗅探犬值守，另外两只休息。

"If the scent is easy, it doesn't wear out the dogs too much. But if there are lots of new scents around, dogs do get tired easier," said Anette Kare of the Smell Detection Association, as she patted her white dog ET.

“如果气味很容易嗅出，嗅探犬就不会太累。但如果周围有很多陌生气味，那么嗅探犬会很容易疲劳，”气味检测协会的阿内特·卡雷（Anette Kare）边拍着她的白色狗狗ET边说道。