VOA常速英语2017--美国致力于加强全球生物安全性（在线收听）

In today's interconnected world, a pathogen can travel around the globe in as little as 36 hours.Interactions between wildlife, domesticated animals, and humans can give rise to new andemerging infections. Spurred by urban density and international air travel, these diseasescan spread around the world within days.

当今世界里，万事万物彼此联系，因而病原体可在短短36个小时的时间里在全球传播。野生动物、家禽、人之间的接触都可能引发新的感染。在城市人口密集与国际航班频繁的促使下，疾病可以在短短数天内在全球传播。

Biological agents including viruses, bacteria, and toxins, can devastate local economies withtheir potential effects on humans and livestock, wrote Kathryn Insley in a recent blog post.Ms. Insley is the Acting Director of the State Department's Office of Cooperative ThreatReduction, which falls under the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.

一些生物因子，如病毒、细菌、毒素可以对人类和家畜产生潜在的诸多影响，继而威胁当地经济的发展，凯瑟琳(Kathryn Insley)近日在博客上写道。凯瑟琳是国务院合作减少威胁办公室(Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction)的代理主任，该机构下属于国际安全和核不扩散局(Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation)。

In addition to potentially catastrophic immediate impact, these agents could also set inmotion long-term disasters, causing regional instability and challenging internationalsecurity.

除了可能造成的直接灾难性影响外，这些生物因子也可能引发长期灾害，造成地区动荡，威胁国际安全。

To defeat potential outbreaks should they emerge, it is crucial that the world community iscapable of quickly detecting, responding to, and containing infectious diseases or otherbiological pathogens anywhere in the world.

要应对可能出现的灾难，关键是国际社会要对任何地方可能出现的感染性疾病和其他生物病原体疾病有快速监测、应对和抑制的能力。

That is why the State Department funds projects around the world that improve the safehandling and responsible use of dangerous biological materials. Programs that teach localtrainers how to manage possible biorisks within their own country have a multiplier effect.

这就是美国国务院资助了全球各地的多个项目以提升危险生物材料安全处理度和合力使用能力的原因。很多项目可以让参加培训者知道如何应对可能出现的生物风险，这对参加者所在国有很大的积极影响。

The U.S.-Algeria partnership to develop biorisk management trainers is one such program.Scientists and professionals within Algeria's public and animal health sectors participated intrainings to help them develop the skills necessary to deal with biological pathogens. Moreimportantly, Algerian trainers developed the skills to design new courses tailored to local needsand independently deliver them where they are most needed, writes Acting Director Insley.

而美国-阿尔及利亚联手推出的生物风险应对项目就是这样一个项目。阿尔及利亚公共和动物卫生领域的一些科学家和专业人士参加了这样的培训活动，帮助参加培训者获得应对生物病原体的必要技能。更为重要的是，阿尔及利亚培训师已经能够设计新的课程，来适应当地的不同需要，并在最需要培训的地方独立开展培训活动，凯瑟琳说道。

For scientists with a shared interest in global health security, these projects are a valuableopportunity to share information and learn from each other. They face challenges unique totheir varied environments, but collaborating on ways to address threats and prevent disastersis among the most interesting and rewarding parts of their work. The State Department isproud to support efforts that mitigate biorisks around the world and strengthen global healthsecurity.

对于有志于国际卫生安全领域的科学家而言，这样的项目机会难得，可以共享信息，彼此学习。虽然他们各自面临的挑战随具体环境的不同而千差万别，但他们依然感激一起寻找办法来应对威胁并预防灾害的时刻，并乐在其中。美国国务院很自豪能够支持致力于消除全球生物风险以及加强全球卫生安全的工作。