【英語多益通】看紐約如何防範伊波拉

文/周強

恐怖的伊波拉(Ebola)在西非己奪去五千條人命美國難逃疫情,已有4起病例,並有1人死亡;紐約市現在是剉着等,市長白思豪(Bill de Blasio)頻開記者會安撫人心,醫護人員則已有數人染上伊波拉。

▲紐約伊波拉傳單(圖/www.nyc.gov/ebola)

紐約市的公共場所醫院車站現在到處都看得到以上這張傳單。如果你準備飛赴紐約市出差、旅遊、或是留學,你得要看懂它。如果你正在準備參加多益測驗,你也要學着看懂傳單,因爲這種溝通工具常是出題材料

在這張標題爲「伊波拉:我有風險嗎?(EBOLA: AM I AT RISK?)」的傳單上,清楚而簡單地說明,伊波拉病毒注意事項。首先它表明:「伊波拉是一個由病毒引起、嚴重而常會致人於死的疾病。西非目前正發生着疫情大爆發。」

Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease caused by a virus.A large outbreak is now occurring in West Africa.

* severe [səˋvɪr] (a.) 嚴重的;劇烈的;凜冽的* fatal [ˋfet!] (a.) 致命的,生死攸關的* outbreak [ˋaʊt͵brek] (n.) 爆發

一般人不用太過驚慌,因爲只有經由「直接接觸伊波拉病人(having direct contact with another sick person)」,纔有風險;而且傳單上列示出這些「接觸」包括:接觸染上伊波拉的人、接觸死於伊波拉的人、接觸病人的體液(body fluids)、或被體液污染物品。傳單上並詳列「體液」包括:血液(blood)、嘔吐物(vomit)、尿液(urine)、排泄物(feces)、汗液(sweat)。

至於最令人擔心的藉由空氣傳染,傳單上則說「不會經由空氣,或是靠近伊波拉病人而感染。」

You CANNOT get Ebola through the air or just by being near someone who has Ebola.

「如果你最近曾造訪疫情爆發的國家,而且在21天之內有發燒的現象,請立刻尋求醫療協助;但是在就醫之前,要先警戒通報醫療人員與急診室有關於你的症狀以及你是否直接接觸了可能得有伊波拉的病人。」傳單上寫道:

If you visited a country affected by the outbreak, and develop a fever within 21 days, seek medical care right now.Alert the doctor’s office or emergency room about your symptoms before going.Tell your doctor if you had direct contact with a person who might have had Ebola.

其中的重要字「症狀(symptom)」,它可是個國際職場與多益測驗的核心字彙。而染上伊波拉的症狀則包括:fever(發燒),headache(頭痛),weakness(虛弱),vomiting(嘔吐),diarrhea(腹瀉),stomach pain(胃痛)。

我們常見「發燒」的說法是「have a fever」或「run a fever」,但是傳單上是用「develop a fever」。動詞develop常用於「發展」、「開發」,但也可以用於患(病);此外,沖洗照像底片動作也用develop!

至於紐約市有許多窮人不敢上大醫院,因爲怕付不出醫藥費。在這張傳單的頁尾提到「不管你是否有能力付擔醫藥費,會有人爲你看診。」畢竟,在這個非常時期醫療費事小,預防造成疫情大爆發纔是大問題海報上說:

You WILL BE SEEN regardless of ability to pay.

如果你看懂了以上紐約市的伊波拉傳單,那以下這一《多益測驗官方全真試題指南》的題目可就難不倒你了:

Researchers at Gasnite Company have developed an improved method of ______ fuel from industrial waste materials.(A) extraction(B) extracts(C) extracted(D) extracting

解析本題的正確答案是(D)。「extract fuel from…」是「從…提煉燃料」,extract在此是動詞,動詞在介係詞of的後面要加「-ing」。

值得一提的是句中的develop在此是「發展」,在前文中的「發燒」,則是看到它「develop a fever」的用法

全句句意爲「Gasnite公司研究人員發展出從工業廢棄物中提煉燃料的改良方法。」

世界各國對於伊波拉的警戒持續升高,我們要看懂國際媒體相關的報導,就從這張傳單開始吧!

以下爲傳單上的原文:EBOLA: AM I AT RISK?Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease caused by a virus.A large outbreak is now occurring in West Africa.

YOU CAN ONLY GET EBOLA FROM HAVING DIRECT CONTACT WITH ANOTHER SICK PERSON BY:+ Touching a person who is sick with Ebola.+ Touching a person who died from Ebola.+ Touching a body fluids (blood, vomit, urine, feces, sweat) or objects soiled with the body fluids of a person sick with Ebola.- You CANNOT get Ebola through the air or just by being near someone who has Ebola.

IF YOU VISITED A COUNTRY AFFECTED BY THE OUTBREAK, AND DEVELOP A FEVER WITHIN 21 DAYS, SEEK MEDICAL CARE RIGHT NOW.+ Alert the doctor’s office or emergency room about your symptoms before going.+ Tell your doctor if you had direct contact with a person who might have had Ebola.

SYMPTOMS: FEVERS, HEADACHE, WEAKNESS, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, STOMACH PAIN

Hospital staff WILL NOT ask you about your immigration status. You WILL BE SEENregardless of ability to pay.

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