from BBC Learning English.

來自BBC學習英語。

I'm Sam.

我是山姆。

And I'm Neil.

而我是尼爾。

In March 2020, the World Health

2020年3月，世界衛生

Organisation, the WHO,

世衛組織。

declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

宣佈Covid-19為大流行病。

Now, after two and half years in the

現在，經過兩年半的時間，在

shadow of Covid, for many people travel

科維德的陰影，對許多人來說，旅行

restrictions are ending, and many people

限制正在結束，許多人

around the world are

世界各地都在

starting their lives again.

重新開始他們的生活。

But not everyone.

但不是每個人。

Whether it's because of

無論是因為

lockdowns and not seeing friends, or

鎖定和不見朋友，或

getting sick, even dying, everyone wants

得病，甚至死亡，每個人都希望

to see an end to the pandemic.

看到這種大流行病的結束。

But with cases of Covid infections still

但由於科維德感染的案例仍然

in the millions, and doctors warning

數以百萬計，而醫生警告說

about new variants of the disease, is

關於疾病的新變體，是

the pandemic really coming to an end?

這場大流行真的要結束了嗎？

In this programme, we'll be finding out

在這個節目中，我們將發現

how pandemics end,

大流行病如何結束。

and, as usual, we'll be learning some

和往常一樣，我們將學習一些

related vocabulary as well.

相關的詞彙也是如此。

Of course, pandemics are nothing new.

當然，大流行病並不新鮮。

Ancient texts are full of stories

古代文獻中充滿了故事

of plagues which spread

瘟疫的蔓延

death and disease before

死亡和疾病之前

eventually going away.

最終會消失。

In the Middle Ages, The Black Death that

在中世紀，"黑死病"（The Black Death）的出現使人們的生活發生了變化。

killed over half of Europe's population

殺害了歐洲一半以上的人口

lasted for four years.

持續了四年之久。

It's only with modern

只有在現代

vaccines that diseases

疾病的疫苗

have been eradicated - completely ended.

已被根除--完全結束。

So, Neil, my question this week is:

所以，尼爾，我這周的問題是。

which disease was eradicated in 1977?

哪種疾病在1977年被根除？

Was it: a) cholera, b) polio,

是不是：a）霍亂，b）小兒麻痺症。

or c) smallpox?

或c）天花？

I'm going to say c) small pox.

我想說的是，c）水痘。

OK, I'll reveal the answer

好的，我將揭曉答案

at the end of the program.

在該計劃結束時。

Of course, the idea that

當然，這種想法是

the pandemic might not

這場大流行可能不會

be ending isn't something

歸宿不是什麼

people want to hear.

人們想聽的。

Most people are sick of

大多數人都厭倦了

worrying about Covid and

擔心科維德和

can't wait for things

迫不及待的事情

to get back to normal.

以恢復正常。

But as Yale University physician,

但作為耶魯大學的醫生。

Professor Nicholas Christakis,

尼古拉斯-克里斯塔基斯教授。

explained to BBC World Service

向BBC世界頻道解釋

programme, The Inquiry, it's not

節目，《調查》，這不是

just the biological disease that needs to

只是生物學上的疾病，需要

end - pandemics have a social ending too.

結束 - 大流行病也有一個社會結局。

Pandemics are not just

大流行病不僅是

a biological phenomenon,

一種生物現象。

they're also a social

他們也是一個社會

phenomenon, and they end socially.

現象，他們在社會上結束。

And one of the ways that they

而他們的方法之一是

end socially is when

結束社會是當

everyone just sort of

每個人都只是有點

agrees that they have

同意他們有

ended - when everyone is

結束--當所有人都在

simply willing to tolerate more risk.

只是願意容忍更多的風險。

On other words, we sort of declare victory,

換句話說，我們有點像在宣佈勝利。

maybe prematurely, or

也許是過早的，或者是

another way of thinking about it is,

另一種思考方式是。

we put our heads in the sand.

我們把我們的頭放在沙子裡。

Biologically Covid still

生物學上的科維德仍然

exists in the world and

存在於世界和

most of us would rather not catch it.

我們中的大多數人寧願不抓它。

But if you're vaccinated, the

但如果你接種了疫苗，那麼

risk of getting seriously

患嚴重疾病的風險

ill is much lower, so it's reasonable to

患病率要低得多，所以有理由認為

make plans to resume normal life.

制定計劃，恢復正常生活。

When enough people do this, we

當足夠多的人這樣做時，我們

declare victory - a phrase meaning to

宣佈勝利--這句話的意思是

announce something to be

宣稱有事情要做

finished before it

在它之前已經完成

actually is, but when

實際上是，但當

it looks 'good enough'.

它看起來 "足夠好"。

The danger is that we declare victory

危險的是，我們宣佈勝利

prematurely - too soon, before it's the best

過早--過早，在最佳時機之前

time to do so.

時間來做。

Professor Christakis uses another idiom

克里斯塔基斯教授使用了另一個成語

for this - to bury your head in the

為這個--把你的頭埋在

sand, meaning to deliberately refuse

沙子，意思是故意拒絕

to accept the truth about something you

接受關於你的事情的真相

find unpleasant.

感到不愉快。

It's also true that pandemics do not end in

大流行病也確實不會在以下情況下結束

the same way for everyone, everywhere.

對每個人、每個地方都是如此。

Rich western countries

富裕的西方國家

with the resources to vaccinate their

有資源為其接種疫苗

populations are in a

人口處於一個

better position than most.

比大多數人更好的位置。

Professor Dora Vargha is an expert on the

多拉-瓦格哈教授是一位在美國的專家。

history of medicine.

醫學史。

She compares the Covid

她將Covid比作

pandemic to an ongoing

大流行病到持續的

disease for which we

的疾病，我們

have no cure, and which

無藥可救，而這

has killed millions since

導致數百萬人死亡，因為

its outbreak in the 1980s - HIV/Aids.

它在20世紀80年代的爆發--艾滋病毒/艾滋病。

Here is Professor Vargha,

這裡是瓦格哈教授。

speaking with BBC World Service's, The Inquiry.

他在接受英國廣播公司（BBC）世界頻道的《調查》節目時說。

What happens in the case of HIV/Aids is that it

在HIV/AIDS的情況下發生的情況是，它

became from being an

成為從一個

immediate death sentence

立即判處死刑

basically to a manageable

基本上達到可管理的

chronic disease... but that happens in

慢性疾病......但這發生在

societies that have the means and

有條件的社會和

the infrastructure to make

的基礎設施，以使

that possible with medication, and that is

這是用藥物治療所能做到的，而這是

not necessarily true for all parts of the

並非所有部分都是如此

world, but we don't

世界，但我們並不

think about the HIV/Aids

思考艾滋病毒/艾滋病的問題

pandemic as an ongoing pandemic.

作為一種持續的大流行病。

Although HIV has no cure,

雖然艾滋病毒沒有治癒。

modern medical drugs

現代醫學藥物

allow people to continue

讓人們繼續

living with the disease for years.

多年來一直與該疾病生活在一起。

HIV is no longer a death sentence - a phrase

艾滋病不再是死刑--一個短語

meaning the punishment of

意思是說，懲罰

death for committing a

因犯有以下罪行而被處以死刑

crime, or from an incurable disease.

罪行，或來自不治之症。

Nowadays, HIV is no longer fatal.

如今，艾滋病毒不再是致命的。

It has become a disease which can be

它已經成為一種疾病，可以

controlled and is chronic, or long lasting.

控制，並且是慢性的，或長期的。

We no longer think of Aids as a pandemic,

我們不再認為艾滋病是一種大流行病。

but that's not true everywhere - only

但並不是所有地方都是這樣的--只有

in countries which can provide the necessary

在能夠提供必要的

medical drugs and support.

醫療藥品和支持。

Finding the right balance

尋找正確的平衡

of Covid restrictions

對Covid的限制

for communities of people

為人民的社區

exhausted by the pandemic isn't easy.

被大流行病耗盡的人並不容易。

Many scientists are warning that we

許多科學家警告說，我們

haven't yet reached the beginning of the end

還沒到結束的時候

of Covid, but hopefully

的Covid，但希望是

we're at least reaching

我們至少要達到

the end of the beginning.

開始的結束。

Let's finish the programme on a hopeful note

讓我們以一個充滿希望的音符來結束這個節目吧

by remembering that diseases

牢記疾病

can and do eventually end - like in your

可以而且確實最終會結束--比如在你的

quiz question, Sam.

測驗問題，Sam。

Yes, I asked which disease was eradicated in 1977.

是的，我問的是哪種疾病在1977年被根除。

Neil said it was smallpox, which was

尼爾說這是天花，這是

the correct answer! Well done, Neil!

正確的答案!幹得好，尼爾!

Smallpox no longer occurs naturally, but

天花已不再自然發生，但

did you know that samples of smallpox

你知道嗎？

do still exist, frozen in American and Soviet

確實仍然存在，凍結在美國和蘇聯。

laboratories during the Cold War!

冷戰期間的實驗室!

As if the thought that

彷彿一想到

the Covid pandemic might

Covid大流行病可能

never end isn't scary enough!

永遠沒有盡頭還不夠嚇人嗎？

Right, let's recap the vocabulary we've

對了，讓我們回顧一下我們已經掌握的詞彙

learnt starting with eradicate - to completely

以 "剷除 "開始的學習 - 徹底的

get rid of something, such as a disease.

擺脫某種東西，如疾病。

If you declare victory,

如果你宣佈勝利。

you announce something

你宣佈一件事

to be finished before it actually is.

要在實際完成之前完成。

The danger is doing this is that

這樣做的危險在於

you announce it prematurely, or too soon.

你過早地宣佈，或過早地宣佈。

The idiom ;bury your head

成語;埋頭苦幹

in the sand' means to

在沙地上'是指

refuse to accept or look

不接受或不看

at a situation you don't like.

在一個你不喜歡的情況下。

A death sentence means the

死刑判決意味著

punishment of death for

罰款

committing a crime, or

實施犯罪，或

from an incurable disease.

患有不治之症。

And finally, a chronic

最後，一個慢性

disease is one which lasts for a long time.

疾病是一種持續時間很長的疾病。

Even though the pandemic hasn't

儘管這種大流行病還沒有

ended, our programme has

結束後，我們的方案已經

because our six minutes are up.

因為我們的6分鐘已經到了。

Bye for now!

暫時再見

Bye!

再見！