Learning English. I'm Rob.

學習英語。我是羅布。

And I'm Sam.

我是山姆。

With the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic,

隨著冠狀病毒疫情的爆發。

people in many countries around the world

世界各國人民

have started wearing face masks to protect

開始戴口罩保護

both themselves and others they come into

一人做事一人當

contact with. In this programme we'll

與之接觸。在這個節目中，我們將

be asking whether wearing masks in public

要問在公共場合戴口罩

can help prevent the spread of coronavirus

可以幫助預防冠狀病毒的傳播。

in the community?

在社會上？

Face masks have long been popular in some

面膜一直以來都流行在一些

Asian countries but with the spread of

但隨著亞洲國家的普及

Covid-19, they're increasingly being seen in other

Covid-19，它們越來越多地出現在其他的。

parts of the world too.

世界各地也。

Wearing a protective mask or face covering

戴上防護面具或面罩

is nothing new. Medical masks have a long

並不是什麼新鮮事。醫用口罩有著悠久的

history from the plagues of medieval Europe

瘟疫史

to nineteenth century outbreaks of cholera

霍亂疫情的影響。

in the United States, but when did they start

在美國，但他們什麼時候開始

to be commonly used? That's my quiz question

要普遍使用？這是我的考題

for today: when and where were face masks

今天：何時何地有面膜？

first widely used? Was it:

首次被廣泛使用？是它。

a) 1855 in Vienna, b) 1905 in Chicago, or

(a) 1855年在維也納，(b) 1905年在芝加哥，或。

c) 1955 in London.

(c) 1955年在倫敦；

Well, you mentioned cholera outbreaks in the

你提到了霍亂的爆發

US, so I'll say b) 1905 in Chicago.

美國，所以我說b）1905年在芝加哥。

Right Sam, we'll find out later if you were

對了，山姆，我們稍後會知道你是否是

right. Now, face masks may inspire confidence

吧。現在，面膜可能會激發人們的信心

but what is the evidence that they actually

但有什麼證據表明他們真的

protect the wearer from contracting the virus

保護佩戴者免受病毒感染

or prevent infected people from spreading

或防止感染者傳播

the virus to others?

將病毒傳染給他人？

Professor Robert West has conducted a review

羅伯特-韋斯特教授進行了一項審查

of over twenty studies looking into the evidence.

20多項研究的證據。

Here he is speaking to the BBC World Service

在這裡，他正在對英國廣播公司世界服務部講話

programme Health Check…

節目健康檢查...

The evidence is equivocal on it. It doesn't

證據是模稜兩可的。證據是不明確的。

tell you anything yet - hopefully that will

告訴你任何事情，但願這將是

change. So we're thrown back on first principles

變化。所以我們又回到了最初的原則上

and this is why, as in so many areas of public

這也是為什麼在許多公共領域中

health, you get such a heated debate because

健康，你得到這樣一個激烈的辯論，因為。

people are really relying on their opinion

人云亦云

on things and you will have one group who

在事情上，你會有一個小組誰

say, 'Well, it stands to reason',

說，'嗯，這是有道理的'。

the good old

老好人

'stands to reason' argument – which

'站得住腳'的說法--這

is: obviously, if you've got a covering

是：很明顯，如果你有一個覆蓋物

in front of your face, and you're speaking

當著你的面，你卻在說

or coughing into that covering, it's going

或咳嗽到該覆蓋物，它的去

to trap quite a lot of the virus on the droplets

捕捉相當多的病毒在液滴上。

you'll be emitting.

你會發出。

So far the evidence over whether face masks

到目前為止，關於面膜是否存在的證據

are helpful or harmful is equivocal – difficult

是有益還是有害是模稜兩可的 -- -- 很難說。

to interpret because it seems to have two

解釋，因為它似乎有兩個

opposite or contradictory meanings.

相反或矛盾的意思。

Based on current evidence, Professor West

根據目前的證據，West教授

feels we cannot say whether mask-wearing

覺得我們不能說是否戴面具

is beneficial.

是有益的。

Some evidence suggests that wearing masks

一些證據表明，戴口罩

can prevent the disease spreading and some

可以防止疾病蔓延，有些

suggests the opposite.

暗示了相反的情況。

There may be reasons why wearing

可能有一些原因導致佩戴

masks could actually increase the spread

口罩實際上可能會增加傳播

of coronavirus.

的冠狀病毒。

However for some people, it stands to reason

然而對於某些人來說，這是有道理的

that masks are beneficial– meaning it is

口罩是有益的，也就是說，它是

obviously true from the facts.

從事實來看，顯然是真的。

Actually, the evidence is far from obvious.

其實，證據遠沒有那麼明顯。

But everyone has an opinion on the issue and

但每個人對這個問題都有自己的看法和

after weeks of stressful lockdown, this can

在經過數週的緊張封鎖後，這可

lead to heated debate – discussion or argument

引發熱議

in which people become angry and excited.

在其中，人們變得憤怒和興奮。

Up until recently, the World Health Organisation

直到最近，世界衛生組織

said there were two groups who definitely

說，有兩個群體絕對

should wear masks: people showing symptoms

應戴口罩：出現症狀的人

of the virus and their carers.

感染病毒的人及其照顧者。

But that left the problem of people who have

但這就留下了一個問題，那就是有的人

the virus without knowing it and maybe

在不知不覺中感染了病毒，也許

unintentionally emitting it – sending

無意中發出的--發送

something out into

拿出來

the air, for example a noise or smell, or

空氣中，例如噪音或氣味，或

in this case, coronavirus. In June the WHO

在這種情況下，冠狀病毒。6月，世衛組織

advice changed – now they say masks should

建議改變--現在他們說口罩應該

be worn in public where social distancing

戴在身上

measures are not possible.

措施是不可能的。

But the advantages of wearing masks might

但戴口罩的好處可能是

be outweighed by other considerations, as

被其他考慮因素壓倒，如

Professor West explains…

West教授解釋說...

It could also have unfortunate negative

它也可能有不幸的負面

consequences in terms of mask shaming

羞辱面具的後果

– that people feel

- 讓人覺得

compelled to wear masks in situations where

在以下情況下被迫戴上口罩

it's actually not helpful and may be harmful

於事無補，於人無害

because it's expected of them and they feel

因為這是對他們的期望，他們覺得

that they would be judged if they didn't.

如果他們不這樣做就會被審判。

But I think in addition to that, one of the

但我認為除此之外，還有一個。

problems we have is that masks can potentially

我們面臨的問題是，面具可能會有潛在的

create a false sense of security.

造成一種虛假的安全感。

One negative effect is the practice of mask

負面效應之一是面膜的做法

shaming – criticising or humiliating someone

羞辱--責備或羞辱某人。

for not wearing a face covering.

因為沒有戴面罩。

Another problem is that wearing masks might

另一個問題是，戴口罩可能

create a false sense of security – a feeling

營造一種虛假的安全感

of being safer than you really are. Is that

比你真正的安全。那是...

what happened in 1905 Rob?

1905年發生了什麼事？

Ah yes, today's quiz question. I asked you

啊，對了，今天的考題。我問你

when face masks were first widely used?

面膜最早被廣泛使用的時間？

And I said, b) 1905 in Chicago.

我說，b）1905年在芝加哥。

Well done Sam, you were absolutely right!

幹得好，山姆，你是絕對正確的！

It was 1905 in Chicago when Dr Alice Hamilton

1905年在芝加哥，愛麗絲-漢密爾頓博士。

first noticed that carers wearing masks to

第一次注意到護理人員戴著口罩去

treat scarlet fever patients,

治療猩紅熱患者；

did not get sick.

沒有生病。

Interesting. Today we we've been discussing

有趣的。今天我們一直在討論

whether wearing masks helps prevent infected

戴口罩是否有助於預防感染

people emitting – or sending out, coronavirus.

人發射----或發送，冠狀病毒；

So far the evidence is equivocal – unclear

到目前為止，證據是模稜兩可的----不清楚。

because it seems contradictory. In other words,

因為它似乎是矛盾的。換句話說：

we can't say either way for certain.

我們不能說任何一種方式肯定。

But for some, it stands to reason - meaning

但對某些人來說，這是有道理的--這意味著

it's obviously true - that mask-wearing

明明是真的--戴著口罩

is a good idea.

是一個好主意。

This disagreement over wearing face coverings

這種關於戴面罩的分歧

has started heated debate – that's discussion

引起了激烈的爭論--這就是討論。

which becomes angry or excited.

變得憤怒或興奮。

And this in turn has led to incidents of mask

而這又導致了面具事件的發生。

shaming – criticising or mocking people

羞辱--責備或嘲笑別人

for not wearing a face mask.

因為不戴口罩。

A final drawback is that masks might give

最後的一個缺點是，面具可能會給人帶來

the wearer a false sense of security – that's

佩戴者有一種虛假的安全感--這就是......。

belief that they are safe when they are not.

相信他們是安全的，但他們並不安全。

That's all we've got time for today.

我們今天就只有這些時間了。

Bye for now!

再見

Bye!

再見！