2007年VOA标准英语-Indonesia Questioned Over Bird Flu Preparedness

By Chad Bouchard
Jakarta
11 September 2007

International health officials want to know what Indonesia is doing to stop the spread of avian influenza¹, which has claimed 85 human lives there and shows little sign of slowing. As Chad Bouchard reports for VOA from Jakarta, Indonesian officials are defending their efforts.

Officials from the United Nations' Avian and Human Influenza program are in Bali for a two-day meeting with the Indonesian government. They are assessing ways to improve the country's programs to prevent bird flu from spreading.

An Indonesian volunteer sprays disinfectant inside a chicken cage in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, 27 Aug 2007

Indonesia's head of the National Bird Flu Committee, Bayu Krisnamurthi, says officials have are getting better at quickly detecting human outbreaks of the virus.

"We already tripled the units for surveillance in Indonesia, so the components² of surveillance is becoming more and more complete," said Bayu. "It's not yet perfect for all of Indonesia, but at least we made some progress."

Avian influenza is endemic in birds globally. The most worrisome strain of the bird flu is the H5N1 virus, which has caused the greatest number of human cases and fatalities³ since the most recent outbreak began in Asia in 2003. More than 50 percent of people who have gotten sick with this type of bird flu have died.

Most human infections come from contact with sick fowl⁴ or their feces. In Indonesia there is greater worry of transmission to humans who live in close proximity⁵ to millions of backyard chickens.

Scientists fear that it is just a matter of time before the virus mutates into a form easily transmissible between humans.

On Monday, the World Health Organization warned a flu pandemic was inevitable⁶, and cautioned against complacency among public health and disaster preparedness officials world wide.

The group in Bali is expected to establish a new set of guidelines for Indonesia on Wednesday.

1 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

2 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

3 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 fowl   

n.家禽，鸡，禽肉

参考例句：

• Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。
• Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。

5 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

6 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。