【英语多益通】看纽约如何防范伊波拉
文/周强
恐怖的伊波拉(Ebola)在西非己夺去五千条人命。美国难逃疫情,已有4起病例,并有1人死亡;纽约市现在是剉着等,市长白思豪(Bill de Blasio)频开记者会安抚人心,医护人员则已有数人染上伊波拉。
▲纽约伊波拉传单(图/www.nyc.gov/ebola)
纽约市的公共场所、医院、车站现在到处都看得到以上这张传单。如果你准备飞赴纽约市出差、旅游、或是留学,你得要看懂它。如果你正在准备参加多益测验,你也要学着看懂传单,因为这种沟通工具常是出题的材料。
在这张标题为「伊波拉:我有风险吗?(EBOLA: AM I AT RISK?)」的传单上,清楚而简单地说明,伊波拉病毒的注意事项。首先它表明:「伊波拉是一个由病毒引起、严重而常会致人于死的疾病。西非目前正发生着疫情大爆发。」
Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease caused by a virus.A large outbreak is now occurring in West Africa.
* severe [səˋvɪr] (a.) 严重的;剧烈的;凛冽的* fatal [ˋfet!] (a.) 致命的,生死攸关的* outbreak [ˋaʊt͵brek] (n.) 爆发
一般人不用太过惊慌,因为只有经由「直接接触伊波拉病人(having direct contact with another sick person)」,才有风险;而且传单上列示出这些「接触」包括:接触染上伊波拉的人、接触死于伊波拉的人、接触病人的体液(body fluids)、或被体液污染的物品。传单上并详列「体液」包括:血液(blood)、呕吐物(vomit)、尿液(urine)、排泄物(feces)、汗液(sweat)。
至于最令人担心的借由空气传染,传单上则说「不会经由空气,或是靠近伊波拉病人而感染。」
You CANNOT get Ebola through the air or just by being near someone who has Ebola.
「如果你最近曾造访疫情爆发的国家,而且在21天之内有发烧的现象,请立刻寻求医疗协助;但是在就医之前,要先警戒通报医疗人员与急诊室有关于你的症状以及你是否直接接触了可能得有伊波拉的病人。」传单上写道:
If you visited a country affected by the outbreak, and develop a fever within 21 days, seek medical care right now.Alert the doctor’s office or emergency room about your symptoms before going.Tell your doctor if you had direct contact with a person who might have had Ebola.
其中的重要字「症状(symptom)」,它可是个国际职场与多益测验的核心字汇。而染上伊波拉的症状则包括:fever(发烧),headache(头痛),weakness(虚弱),vomiting(呕吐),diarrhea(腹泻),stomach pain(胃痛)。
我们常见「发烧」的说法是「have a fever」或「run a fever」,但是传单上是用「develop a fever」。动词develop常用于「发展」、「开发」,但也可以用于患(病);此外,冲洗照像底片的动作也用develop!
至于纽约市有许多穷人不敢上大医院,因为怕付不出医药费。在这张传单的页尾提到「不管你是否有能力付担医药费,会有人为你看诊。」毕竟,在这个非常时期,医疗费事小,预防造成疫情大爆发才是大问题。海报上说:
You WILL BE SEEN regardless of ability to pay.
如果你看懂了以上纽约市的伊波拉传单,那以下这一《多益测验官方全真试题指南》的题目可就难不倒你了:
Researchers at Gasnite Company have developed an improved method of ______ fuel from industrial waste materials.(A) extraction(B) extracts(C) extracted(D) extracting
解析:本题的正确答案是(D)。「extract fuel from…」是「从…提炼燃料」,extract在此是动词,动词在介系词of的后面要加「-ing」。
值得一提的是句中的develop在此是「发展」,在前文中的「发烧」,则是看到它「develop a fever」的用法。
全句句意为「Gasnite公司的研究人员发展出从工业废弃物中提炼燃料的改良方法。」
世界各国对于伊波拉的警戒持续升高,我们要看懂国际媒体相关的报导,就从这张传单开始吧!
以下为传单上的原文:EBOLA: AM I AT RISK?Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease caused by a virus.A large outbreak is now occurring in West Africa.
YOU CAN ONLY GET EBOLA FROM HAVING DIRECT CONTACT WITH ANOTHER SICK PERSON BY:+ Touching a person who is sick with Ebola.+ Touching a person who died from Ebola.+ Touching a body fluids (blood, vomit, urine, feces, sweat) or objects soiled with the body fluids of a person sick with Ebola.- You CANNOT get Ebola through the air or just by being near someone who has Ebola.
IF YOU VISITED A COUNTRY AFFECTED BY THE OUTBREAK, AND DEVELOP A FEVER WITHIN 21 DAYS, SEEK MEDICAL CARE RIGHT NOW.+ Alert the doctor’s office or emergency room about your symptoms before going.+ Tell your doctor if you had direct contact with a person who might have had Ebola.
SYMPTOMS: FEVERS, HEADACHE, WEAKNESS, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, STOMACH PAIN
Hospital staff WILL NOT ask you about your immigration status. You WILL BE SEENregardless of ability to pay.