世卫组织称疾病是海啸幸存者最重大的威胁

WHO Says Disease is Biggest Threat for Tsunami¹ Survivors²

世卫组织称疾病是海啸幸存者最重大的威胁

 

With millions of people in Southeast Asia living without clean water and proper sanitation³, as a result of tsunami, public health experts say the spread of disease is a serious concern.  There are some guidelines for people to follow as they struggle to cope without basic necessities. 

 

World Health Organization spokesman Oliver Rosenbauer says the spread of disease is the gravest threat facing people affected⁴ by Sunday's disaster. 

 

Oliver Rosenbauer: Basically, what is important at the moment, the most crucial thing, is preventing diseases, and the best way to do that is by making sure people have access to safe and clean drinking water.

 

For those who do not have access to a safe water supply, Mr. Rosenbauer recommends contacting relief workers and local authorities as they try to provide basic necessities to the survivors.

 

Oliver Rosenbauer: Millions of water purification tablets have been sent out to the region, so there should be an infrastructure⁵ in place to get these distributed to the local populations, so local populations should check with their local authorities, with NGOs [non-governmental organizations] on the ground. 

 

Because circumstances are different in each community, Mr. Rosenbauer says it is impossible for him to provide specific advice to people in need of food, water or proper sanitation. He reiterates⁶ that relief workers and local authorities and health officials are the best sources of information. 

 

Yet, he says one fact holds true for the entire region, corpses⁷ do not pose a public health risk.

 

Oliver Rosenbauer: When a person dies, any viruses or other pathogens that lives inside that body dies with the body almost immediately, so dead bodies do not actually pose a public health risk. Diseases do not spread from that. If diseases do spread, it would be through the survivors and poor sanitation infrastructure.

 

He adds that people who handle corpses should work with local authorities to be sure basic guidelines are being followed.  He says such guidelines include wearing gloves and face masks and using body bags.

 

Although dead bodies do not threaten a survivor's physical health, Mr. Rosenbauer says exposure to dead bodies can have a negative effect on mental health.

 

Oliver Rosenbauer: To the general population, dead bodies do not represent a public health risk. I think what is much more important is that local customs are adhered to, that the families are given the opportunity to give a proper burial ceremony according to their local custom.  This probably has a greater psychological effect on populations because it is also very distressing⁸ to see all these dead bodies lying about, perhaps, and obviously there is also an odor associated with them.

 

The World Health Organization says between three million and five million people have been displaced by the earthquake and tsunami, and many of those individuals may be living without access to water, food or adequate sanitation.

 

Suzanne Presto⁹, VOA news, Washington.

 

注释：

cope [kEup] vi. 应付，处理

necessity [ni5sesiti] n. 必需品

purification [7pjuErifi5keiFEn] n. 净化

infrastructure [5infrE5strQktFE] n. 下部组织

distribut [dis5tribju:t] v. 分布

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

3 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 reiterates   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The Chinese government reiterates that the question of Taiwan is China's internal affair. 中国政府重申，台湾问题是中国的内政。 来自汉英非文学 - 汉英文件
• Wang Jianzhou reiterates a fact and a viewpoint in Davos. 王建宙在达沃斯重申一个事实和一个观点。

7 corpses   

n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The living soldiers put corpses together and burned them. 活着的战士把尸体放在一起烧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

8 distressing   

a.使人痛苦的

参考例句：

• All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
• It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。

9 presto   

adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的

参考例句：

• With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！
• I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。