VOA标准英语2015--利比里亚进入消灭埃博拉战斗关键期

Liberia Burials Key in Ebola Fight 利比里亚进入消灭埃博拉战斗关键期

The World Health Organization is set to declare Liberia Ebola free. It will make that declaration on May 9th if no new cases are reported. In a sign of how the situation has improved, the Liberian Red Cross has handed back responsibility for safe burials to the Ministry¹ of Health.

The Red Cross became the lead agency – for what it calls – safe and dignified² burials – in Montserrado County in July of last year. The county includes the capital Monrovia. The agency assumed responsibility at the request of the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

In Monrovia, Anita Dullard is the spokesperson for the International Federation³ of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She said traditional burials during a time of Ebola can be very dangerous.

“Unfortunately, the dead bodies of Ebola victims are actually almost at their most contagious⁴ and remain so for up to 10 days after the person has deceased. So, washing of the bodies or open casket and contact with the bodies – the difficulty with Ebola of course is that it’s spread by bodily fluid and contact with the person who has died. And at this hugely contagious stage of the virus in those bodies it was an absolute disaster for families to be exposing themselves in that way during the traditional burial,” she said.

The decision dramatically affected⁵ a way of life for saying goodbye to the dead.

Dullard said, “This is a huge, huge cultural change for Liberians because it meant not only had they just lost one of their loved ones, they’re also suddenly being told that they can’t perform the regular rituals that they have to honor their dead, which was of course completely traumatic as I’m sure anyone who’s lost a loved one can imagine.”

The Red Cross trained 150 volunteers and from last July to April of this year safely buried more than 3,500 bodies.

Dullard doubts Liberia would be on the verge⁶ of being Ebola-free unless burial protocols⁷ were strictly⁸ enforced.

“Prevention, obviously, is paramount⁹ and getting those messages out there on how not to contract the disease. But in the final [analysis] contact with people who have the disease is ultimately how the disease spread so rapidly. And if we hadn’t had taken dignified burials, you know, I think we’d be facing a very different situation now,” she said.

The Red Cross will continue other Ebola-related programs in Liberia, including emotional and psychosocial support, strengthening health systems and cross border surveillance to ensure Ebola infected individuals do not enter from Guinea and Sierra Leone.

There have been more than 10,000 suspected, probable and confirmed cases of Ebola in Liberia and more than 4,600 deaths.

1 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。

2 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

3 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

4 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

7 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

8 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

9 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。