VOA慢速英语2011--Progress in Fighting Snakebite Deaths

Health Report - Progress in Fighting Snakebite Deaths

 

健康报道 - 治疗毒蛇咬伤取得新进展

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

Researchers are finding new ways to save snakebite victims. Experts discussed the latest findings during a recent meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene¹.

研究人员正在寻找拯救毒蛇咬伤受害者的新办法。在美国热带医学和卫生学会最近一次会议期间，专家们讨论了最新的研究成果。

Scientists in Australia have shown that a chemical called nitric oxide² could increase the chances of surviving a poisonous snakebite. The scientists injected rats with deadly amounts of snake venom³. Then they rubbed an ointment⁴ containing nitric oxide on the skin around the injection site.

澳大利亚科学家发现，一种名为一氧化氮的化学物质可能会增加被毒蛇咬伤后幸存的机会。科学家给老鼠注射了致命剂量的蛇毒，然后在注射部位周围皮肤上涂抹了一种含有一氧化氮的药膏。

The study found that the rats lived about one-third longer than if the ointment had not been used. But the treatment had to be started very quickly.

该研究发现，这些老鼠存活的时间比未使用药膏的老鼠长1/3，但必须迅速进行这种治疗。

Dirk van Helden led the research at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales. He says the nitric oxide ointment also showed promise in humans. Volunteers were injected with a harmless liquid that contained molecules⁵ about the same size as snake venom molecules.

新南威尔士州纽卡斯尔大学的德克·范赫登（Dirk van Helden）领导了这一研究。他说，这种一氧化氮药膏对人类也有效。志愿者被注射了一种无害液体，其分子大小与蛇毒分子一致。

Many snake venoms⁶ contain large molecules that can only enter the bloodstream through the body's lymphatic system. The nitric oxide slows the pumping action of the lymphatic system, and that slows the flow of venom into the blood.

许多蛇毒中含有只能通过人体淋巴系统进入血液的大分子。一氧化氮可以减缓淋巴系统的抽吸动作，从而减慢蛇毒进入血液的流动过程。

An eastern diamondback rattlesnake at the home of Chuck Hurd, a Virginia man who collects poisonous snakes

The study appeared earlier this year in the journal Nature Medicine. Scientists say the findings could help save many lives. A study from two thousand eight found that poisonous snakes cause as many as ninety-four thousand deaths worldwide each year. But Ulrich Kuch of the Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt, Germany, says that estimate appears to be low.

这项研究发表在今年早些时候的《自然医学》杂志上。科学家说，这一发现有助于挽救许多生命。2008年开始的一项研究发现每年全世界有多达9.4万人因毒蛇死亡。但德国法兰克福生活多样性和气候研究中心的Ulrich Kuch表示，这一估计数字似乎有些偏低。

ULRICH KUCH: "New numbers from very rigorously designed and well-conducted studies in India and Bangladesh have come up with numbers that suggest that the real death toll⁷ of snakebites at the global level is much higher."

ULRICH KUCH：“出自印度和孟加拉国严格设计和方法得当的研究的新数字表明，全球层面上毒蛇咬伤的实际死亡人数要高得多。”

Mr. Kuch says many deaths could be prevented, but snakebite victims often go to traditional healers or do not seek any help at all.

Kuch先生说，很多死亡是可以避免的，但毒蛇咬伤受害者经常寻求传统疗法，甚至不寻求任何帮助。

ULRICH KUCH: "Either because there is no treatment available -- no antivenom, which is the specific drug to treat snakebites -- or because health care staff do not know how to treat snakebites, or because transportation to get to a health facility is not available or too expensive."

ULRICH KUCH：“要么是因为没有治疗条件--没有抗蛇毒血清，这是治疗蛇伤的特效药；要么是医护人员不知道如何治疗蛇伤；要么是因为去往医疗机构的交通不便或过于昂贵。”

There is no single antivenom that can be used to treat all snakebites. The antivenom must be specific to the kind of snake that bit the person. In some countries the treatment is costly⁸, while in others there are problems with availability.

当前没有可以用于治疗所有蛇毒的单一抗蛇毒血清。抗蛇毒血清必须针对咬人的蛇的种类。在一些国家治疗非常昂贵，而在另一些国家获得抗蛇毒血清又存在问题。

ULRICH KUCH: "For example, antivenoms in India, they are really not expensive. But you do have an issue of distribution and of training people in treating snakebites. In other countries, such as Laos, for example, and many other Asian and African countries, there's no antivenom at all."

ULRICH KUCH：“例如，印度的抗蛇毒血清真的不贵。但在分配及培训人们治疗蛇伤上存在问题。在其它国家，如老挝和很多其它亚非国家，根本就没有抗蛇毒血清。”

Using the correct antivenom is very important. New tests are being developed to help rural health workers know the right one to give.

使用正确的抗蛇毒血清非常重要。当前正在开发新的检测方法以帮助农村医务人员确定使用哪种血清。

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. I'm Christopher Cruise.

1 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

2 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

3 venom   

n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨

参考例句：

• The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。
• In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上，毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。

4 ointment   

n.药膏，油膏，软膏

参考例句：

• Your foot will feel better after the application of this ointment.敷用这药膏后，你的脚会感到舒服些。
• This herbal ointment will help to close up your wound quickly.这种中草药膏会帮助你的伤口很快愈合。

5 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

6 venoms   

n.（某些蛇、蝎子等分泌的）毒液( venom的名词复数 )；愤恨的感情或语言；毒物

参考例句：

• Spider venoms are exquisitely refined to interfere with the nervous systems of insects. 蜘蛛的毒液非常微妙，专门损坏昆虫的神经系统。 来自百科语句
• Venoms (especially upgraded) are the ideal unit for taking out husks. 毒液（特别是升级后的）是消灭外壳的理想单位。 来自互联网

7 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

8 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。