VOA慢速英语2019--什么是慢性疲劳综合症？

Chronic¹ fatigue² syndrome³ is one of the most troubling mysteries in modern medicine. Many years after first recognizing the disorder⁴, researchers still do not know what causes it.

Now the United States' National Institutes of Health is using volunteers in a unique study. The goal is to learn more about the condition, which affects an estimated 2.5 million Americans.

Zach Ault's story

For years, Zach Ault, a father of three, enjoyed being physically⁵ active. He was even training for a half-marathon. He would go on long runs in hopes of competing in the race.

But in 2017, he took time off to recover from an infection. After recovering, he tried to continue his runs but could not complete them.

An invisible disease began causing Ault problems. He was not able to spend time with his children. He had to cut back his job. Even sleeping as much as 16 hours a day made no difference in his condition.

"His body had literally⁶ hijacked⁷ him and it wasn't going to allow him to push through," said Anne Ault, his wife.

After months of testing, doctors announced their diagnosis⁸ of Ault's condition.

Chronic fatigue is a difficult issue

Chronic fatigue syndrome makes an individual feel extremely tired. This fatigue lasts more than six months and becomes worse after any kind of physical exertion⁹.

Patients may have difficulty standing¹⁰ upright. They also may have trouble thinking, often described as a "brain fog."

Many cases go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. There are no approved treatments, or even tests to help with diagnosis. There is no way to predict who will recover and who will have a severe case that lasts for years.

Doctors at the National Institutes of Health are looking for more clues. They are interested in people who came down with the disorder after an infection, of any kind, within five years.

About 500 patients have asked about taking part in the NIH study. It starts with a hospitalization for blood and genetic¹¹ tests, brain imaging scans, as well as other things. Researchers will examine the results before deciding who to invite back for a longer visit.

Zach Ault is one of the subjects in the study. Reporters from The Associated Press filmed Ault beginning a test on an exercise bicycle. "Go as far as you can, work as hard as you can," NIH physical therapist Bart Drinkard told Ault.

While Ault pedals the bike, scientists measure how his leg muscles use oxygen. Afterward¹², doctors fit a special cap on Ault's head to measure electrical activity in his brain. They then send him to spend the night in an air-tight chamber¹³. Pipes remove air from the room for additional study. Scientists measure oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to tell how much energy Ault is using, minute by minute.

"We can calculate every molecule¹⁴. It's the cleanest air we have in the hospital," said Kong Chen, a metabolism¹⁵ specialist at NIH. "We're figuring out how his body adjusts to an exercise load, or a stress load."

The study does not offer any treatments to people with chronic fatigue syndrome. But Ault says it did help him learn about the disease. And it gave him ideas about how to save up his energy.

"It's hard not knowing if I'm going to recover, if or when," he said.

Until research has an answer, he says he will "hope for the best but live for right now."

Words in This Story

unique – n. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else

invisible – adj. unable to be seen; hidden

allow – v. to permit or let

diagnosis – n. the act of identifying a disease, illness, or problem by examining someone or something

exertion – n. physical or mental effort

bicycle – n. a vehicle with two wheels that is powered by two pedals

therapist – n. a treatment aide or specialist

pedal – n. an instrument pressed by the foot when riding a bicycle or playing a musical instrument

metabolism – n. biology: the chemical processes by which a plant or an animal uses food or water to grow, heal amd make energy

consequence – n. an effect, product or result

1 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

2 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

3 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

7 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

8 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

9 exertion   

n.尽力，努力

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

12 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

13 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

14 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

15 metabolism   

n.新陈代谢

参考例句：

• After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
• All living matter undergoes a process of metabolism.生物都有新陈代谢。