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VOA慢速英语--神秘的太平洋岛国成最后没有新冠疫情的地方

时间:2020-11-22 14:03:15

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Pacific Islands, Secretive Nations Among the Last COVID-Free Places

The coronavirus has been confirmed on every continent except Antarctica and in almost every country. However, a small number of places have not yet confirmed a single case of infection. Some of these places may have truly been spared, while others may be hiding the truth.

South Pacific

Several small island nations in the South Pacific are among the places yet to report a single case of COVID-19, the disease2 the virus causes. They include Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa, Micronesia and Tuvalu. But these nations have still felt the pandemic's effects.

Tonga has kept the virus out by stopping cruise3 ships from arriving and closing its airport in March, says Paula Taumoepeau, president of Tonga's Chamber4 of Commerce5 and Industry. He says the government also called for a lockdown, even though there were no known cases. These days, only people who have gotten a test showing they are disease-free are permitted to return on repatriation6 flights.

"I think the government has done a good job keeping COVID away from Tonga, but it has had a big impact7 on businesses, especially tourism and accommodation. It's very, very bad," he said.

The economies of many islands in the South Pacific depend on tourism. Unemployment across the area has risen sharply8 and economies have struggled since the start of the pandemic. Many places in the South Pacific are poor and have basic health systems that would not be prepared to deal with major outbreaks.

Not everywhere in the South Pacific has been spared. Over the past two weeks, Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands reported their first cases, from quarantined travelers. Fiji and the Solomon Islands have each counted several cases, while Papua New Guinea has reported about 600 cases and seven deaths. French Polynesia has been hit especially hard, with more than 11,000 cases and 50 deaths.

Antarctica

Antarctica is the only continent that remains9 virus-free. People have worked hard to keep it that way. Any outbreak would be difficult to control in a place where people live in close areas and where medical services are limited.

People who do get seriously sick on Antarctica usually must be evacuated10. That process can take days or even weeks because of extreme weather conditions that delay flights.

Most countries are reducing the number of scientists and other workers they send to Antarctica this summer in the Southern Hemisphere12. But hundreds of people still have been arriving to make sure that long-term scientific programs continue to operate.

Michelle Rogan-Finnemore is the executive13 secretary of the Council14 of Managers of National Antarctic1 Programs. She says people planning to travel to Antarctica usually get tested in their home countries before leaving and then quarantine for at least two weeks at their last stop before flying to Antarctica. Once there, she says, people are tested again. They are also required to remain socially distanced and wear face coverings.

North Korea

With a population of more than 25 million, North Korea is the largest nation yet to report a single case. However, most North Korea experts do not believe leader Kim Jong Un's claim that the country is virus-free.

North Korea says its anti-virus campaign is a matter of "national existence." It has severely15 restricted16 cross-border traffic, banned tourists and flown out diplomats17. Tens of thousands of health workers are monitoring locals and isolating18 those with signs of sickness.

In September, North Korean troops shot and killed a South Korean government official who was found floating near the sea boundary. The North said its troops then burned the man's flotation device19 in an effort to destroy any small amounts of virus.

The North's lockdown and its extreme anti-virus measures are believed to be harming its already struggling economy. But an outbreak could cause great damage in a country that lacks medical supplies and a modern healthcare system.

Most experts believe North Korea has had at least some cases of COVID-19 because it shares a border with China, where smuggling20 activities are common. Some even believe the North may be in the middle of a major outbreak.

Turkmenistan

As with North Korea, there is major doubt about Turkmenistan's claim of zero cases. Officials in the secretive Central Asian nation of 6 million people have rejected reports that they are hiding information about an outbreak. Health officials have still recommended that people wear masks and keep a distance of 2 meters from each other in public places.

In March, Turkmenistan restricted travel in and out of the country and restricted large religious events. A World Health Organization group that visited Turkmenistan in July said the country should take stronger actions. The WHO recommended "activating21 critical public health measures" as if the virus was already spreading, the head of the group, Dr. Catherine Smallwood, said at the time.

Smallwood did not directly comment on the truthfulness22 of Turkmenistan's virus-free claims. Instead, she said, "reporting outbreaks sits firmly with the member state."

Words in This Story

spare - v. to not destroy or harm (something)

pandemic - n. an occurrence23 in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

cruise - n. a journey on a boat or ship to a number of places as a vacation

repatriation - n. the act of returning to one's own country

impact - n. a powerful or major influence or effect

tourism - n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure

accommodation - n. a place (such as a room in a hotel) where travelers can sleep and find other services

quarantine - n. the period of time during which a person or animal that has a disease or that might have a disease is kept away from others to prevent the disease from spreading

outbreak - n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease

evacuate11 - v. to remove (someone) from a dangerous place

smuggling - n. the illegal movement of goods into or out of a country


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1 Antarctic pVlzD     
adj.南极(区)的;n.(the A-)南极洲,南极圈
参考例句:
  • The Antarctic is a mountainous area.南极洲是一个多山的地区。
  • It is well known that penguins live in the Antarctic.企鹅生活在南极洲是众所周知的。
2 disease etMxx     
n.疾病,弊端
参考例句:
  • The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
  • He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。
3 cruise 2nhzw     
v.巡航,航游,缓慢巡行;n.海上航游
参考例句:
  • They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
  • She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。
4 chamber wnky9     
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。
5 commerce yOmz8     
n.商业,贸易;社交
参考例句:
  • Commerce binds the two countries together.贸易把这两国结合在一起。
  • They drew up plans aimed at expanding commerce.他们拟定了发展商业的计划。
6 repatriation efc8b0769e13d125d7e05d6422dd8e59     
n.遣送回国,归国
参考例句:
  • The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
  • Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. (六)洽办货物理赔,船舶海事处理,办理船员遣返,就医,旅游等。 来自互联网
7 impact Ganx3     
n.冲击,碰撞;影响;vt.装紧,压紧
参考例句:
  • The computer had made a great impact on modern life.计算机对现代生活产生了巨大的影响.
  • How will the war impact on such a poet?战争对这样一个诗人会产生什么影响?
8 sharply UiRziL     
adj.锐利地,急速;adv.严厉地,鲜明地
参考例句:
  • The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
  • Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。
9 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
10 evacuated b2adcc11308c78e262805bbcd7da1669     
撤退者的
参考例句:
  • Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
  • The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。
11 evacuate ai1zL     
v.遣送;搬空;抽出;排泄;大(小)便
参考例句:
  • We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵!
  • They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。
12 hemisphere xy4yd     
n.半球,半球地图
参考例句:
  • This animal is to be found only in the Southern Hemisphere.这种动物只有在南半球才能找到。
  • In most people,the left hemisphere is bigger than the right.多数人的左脑比右脑大。
13 executive Ymlxs     
adj.执行的,行政的;n.执行者,行政官,经理
参考例句:
  • A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
  • He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。
14 council ooZz9     
n.理事会,委员会,议事机构
参考例句:
  • The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律,禁止散发传单。
  • The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。
15 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
16 restricted njezzw     
adj.有限的;受约束的
参考例句:
  • Speed is restricted to 30 mph in towns. 在城里车速不得超过每小时30英里。
  • a restricted range of foods 有限的食物种类
17 diplomats ccde388e31f0f3bd6f4704d76a1c3319     
n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 );有手腕的人,善于交际的人
参考例句:
  • These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
  • The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 isolating 44778bf8913bd1ed228a8571456b945b     
adj.孤立的,绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 );将…剔出(以便看清和单独处理);使(某物质、细胞等)分离;使离析
参考例句:
  • Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
  • This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句
19 device Bv8x6     
n.器械,装置;计划,策略,诡计
参考例句:
  • The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
  • The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。
20 smuggling xx8wQ     
n.走私
参考例句:
  • Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
  • The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。
21 activating 948eea612456562bf255d3a9c59c40a3     
活动的,活性的
参考例句:
  • "I didn't say we'd got to stop activating the masses! “我并没说就此不发动! 来自子夜部分
  • Presumably both the very small size and activating influence of fluorine atoms contribute to this exception. 这大概是由于氟原子半径小和活性高这两个原因的影响,氟原子对这种例外做出了贡献。
22 truthfulness 27c8b19ec00cf09690f381451b0fa00c     
n. 符合实际
参考例句:
  • Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness. 她有许多的美德,如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
  • I fired a hundred questions concerning the truthfulness of his statement. 我对他发言的真实性提出一连串质问。
23 occurrence M5OzP     
n.发生,出现,事件,发生的事件
参考例句:
  • Two things account for its occurrence.发生这件事的原因有两个。
  • For a military commander,winning or losing a battle is a common occurrence.胜败乃兵家常事。

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