VOA常速英语2013--医生在缅甸开展大规模外科手术希望患者重见光明

 

Doctors Carry Out Mass Surgeries in Burma to Reverse Blindness 医生在缅甸开展大规模外科手术希望患者重见光明

RANGOON, BURMA — Burma has one of the highest rates of blindness in the world, afflicting¹ an estimated 8.1 percent of the population in rural areas. More than half of the cases are due to cataracts³, which cloud the eye lens over time. Now, a team of Nepalese cataract² experts have been allowed into the country to perform more than a 1,000 free operations in what is hoped to be the first of many such ventures.

Here at the Yangon Eye Hospital, an amazing transformation⁴ has recently occurred.

最近仰光的眼科医院发生了惊人的变化。

In a matter of weeks, a joint⁵ medical team from Nepal and Burma will have completed more than 1200 free cataract operations-a treatable eye disease that leads to impaired⁶ vision-and sometimes blindness.

在几周的时间里, 来自尼泊尔和缅甸的联合医疗团队将实施超过1200起免费白内障治疗手术，这是一种导致视力下降,有时会引发失明的眼科疾病。

The numbers are daunting⁷, but for the hospital director, Dr.Tin Win, a big part of the problem is lack of knowledge.

这个数字很庞大,但对于医院的主任堤恩·维恩博士而言问题的重中之重在于患者知识的匮乏。

“The tradition in Myanmar is they are very apprehensive⁸ to undergo surgery so they don't want to be operated.

“缅甸的传统是他们非常担心接受手术,所以不想做手术。

They are afraid. They accept a cataract as an aging process.

他们对此感到害怕。他们接受白内障的衰老过程。

It's true. It's an aging process but this process can be overcome by surgery,” said Tin Win.

千真万确。这是一个衰老的过程,但可以由手术克服,” 堤恩·维恩说道。

The massive endeavor is being led by Nepalese Dr. Sanduk Ruit, who helped develop the low-cost, high-volume, surgical⁹ technique that replaces the eye lens.

尼泊尔人桑德克·里特博士领衔做出了巨大努力,他曾帮助开发低成本、高产量, 取代接目镜的手术技术。

Dr. Ruit's team from the Tilganga Eye Centre has carried out operations in locations such as North Korea, Ethiopia and Indonesia.

而来自蒂加纳眼科中心里特医生的团队已经在朝鲜、埃塞俄比亚和印度尼西亚等地开展过手术。

Now, the doctor is eager to help spread his expertise¹⁰ and training in a country where basic medical assistance is still too costly¹¹ for most.

现在,这位医生渴望在基本医疗援助太过昂贵承担不起的国家帮助传播他的专业知识及培训。

“It's very important that we take this service to the community level at different parts of Myanmar and I hope the Ministry¹² of Health will give us non-obstructive passage,” said Ruit.

“我们将这一服务带到在缅甸不同地区的社区水平至关重要而且我希望卫生部会给我们开辟绿色通道,“里特说道。

The surgery can be a life altering moment for many of these patients, who have had difficulty seeing for years.

这一手术对多年来不曾见过光明的病人而言可说是一次生命的转折点。

For Daw Tin Hla, simple tasks like pouring a glass of water and cooking would now, once again, be easier.

对于达沃·提恩·赫拉来说，像是倒一杯水及烹饪等简单的工作现在再次变得容易。

“I am really happy because I have got my sight again.

“我真高兴自己能够重见光明。

They told me to walk slowly but I didn't.

他们告诉我慢慢走,但我则不然。

I am eager to walk very quickly.

我渴望走得很快。

After the operation I feel free.”

术后我感受到了自由。”

While the first group of patients readjusts to their improved vision, the team hopes to train community doctors and paramedics to carry on the work.

随着第一组的患者重新适应提高的视力,这个医疗团队希望培养社区医生及医护人员开展工作。

1 afflicting   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• Violent crime is only one of the maladies afflicting modern society. 暴力犯罪仅仅是困扰现代社会的严重问题之一。
• Violent crime is only one of the maladies afflicting modern society. 暴力犯罪仅仅是危害社会的弊病之一。

2 cataract   

n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障

参考例句：

• He is an elderly gentleman who had had a cataract operation.他是一位曾经动过白内障手术的老人。
• The way is blocked by the tall cataract.高悬的大瀑布挡住了去路。

3 cataracts   

n.大瀑布( cataract的名词复数 )；白内障

参考例句：

• The rotor cataracts water over the top of the machines. 回转轮将水从机器顶上注入。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Cataracts of rain flooded the streets. 倾盆大雨弄得街道淹水。 来自辞典例句

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

8 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

9 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

10 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

11 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。

12 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。