世卫组织建议用希腊字母给新冠变种毒株重新命名

时间:2021-06-04 00:07:29

(单词翻译:单击)

新冠病毒的变异株不断出现,但是你知道怎么称呼这些变异株吗?比如最早在印度发现的变异毒株学名为B.1.617.2,又该怎么念呢?针对变异毒株难念难写又难记的问题,同时也为了避免将毒株和地名联系在一起产生的污名化问题,世界卫生组织建议用希腊字母表来给新冠变种毒株重新命名。
 
The World Health Organization has proposed new names for Coronavirus variants2 using letters from the Greek alphabet.
世界卫生组织提出用希腊字母表的字母重新命名新冠变种毒株。
 
WHO's naming scheme will be used to label noteworthy strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as 'Delta3' for the variant1 first detected in India, also known as B.1.617.2.
世卫组织将为值得关注的新冠病毒变种重新命名,比如将印度首次发现的变种毒株命名为Delta,该毒株又名为B.1.617.2。
 
Naming variants after a geographical4 location — such as a country — is misleading because a Covid variant didn't necessarily emerge where it was initially5 identified, but people from that place are still blamed for a variant's spread of a Covid variant.
根据地理位置(比如一个国家)为变种毒株命名容易产生误解,因为变种不一定是在最先发现的地方产生的,但是那里的人们依然会因为变种病毒的传播而受到指责。
 
In a letter to the journal Science, researchers concluded that "scientific and media reports should not refer to variants by country names" but admitted that "mutation-based or lineage names are difficult to say and write."
研究人员在致《科学》杂志的一封信中总结道“科学和媒体报道不应该用国名来指代变种”,但是也承认“基于变异的名字或谱系名难念又难写”。
 
Mark Pallen, professor of microbial genomics at the Quadram Institute and University of East Anglia, suggested alternatives that use a pre-generated list of proper nouns because labels like B.1.617.2 are so tricky6 to pronounce and remember.
四方研究所和东英吉利亚大学的微生物基因组学教授马克·帕伦建议采用一个固有的专有名词清单来重新命名,因为B.1.617.2这样的标签不好念也不好记。
 
WHO designed its Greek naming scheme to allow people to talk about Covid variants without using inappropriate labels, says Pallen. "It was so that the media and the public could communicate quickly about the variants."
帕伦称,世卫组织拟定了一个希腊命名计划,让人们不必再用不合适的标签来谈论新冠变种病毒。“这样媒体和公众就可以在谈论变种病毒时快速交流。”
 
WHO will assign a Greek letter after selecting a 'Variant of Interest' (VOI) — a strain with mutations that seem to increase local cases or impact health — or a 'Variant of Concern' (VOC) that also spreads more readily, is more virulent7 (causes severe disease) or can escape the immunity8 provided by vaccines9.
世卫组织会在选出“待观察变种”或“须关切变种”后分配希腊字母。“待观察变种”就是导致本地病例增加或影响患者健康的变种,“须关切变种”就是在此基础上传染性更强、加重患者病情或疫苗对其无效的变种。
 
As of 31 May 2021, WHO had assigned names to six VOIs and four VOCs. The four worrying variants have been named Alpha (AKA lineage B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1) and Delta (B.1.617.2), which were first detected in the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India respectively.
截至2021年5月31日,世卫组织已经给6个待观察变种和4个须关切变种指定了名字。这4个值得关注的变种分别被命名为Alpha(又名为B.1.1.7)、Beta(B.1.351)、Gamma(P.1)和Delta(B.1.617.2),首次发现这些变种的地点分别是英国、南非、巴西和印度。
 
WHO's scheme has solved a major problem: labels based on location can create social stigma10 and lead to racism11. Using Greek letters provides a practical solution because the new names are easy to say, write and remember. There's no excuse not to use them.
名字基于地点的标签会造成社会污名化,引发种族歧视,而世卫组织的命名计划解决了这个大问题。采用希腊字母也很实用,因为新名字好念、好写也好记。没有理由不用这些新名字。
 
Persuading the media to use Greek letters could still be a challenge, however. A press release that announces the scheme ends by saying that, to avoid using names that are stigmatizing12 and discriminatory, "WHO encourages national authorities, media outlets13 and others to adopt these new labels."
然而,说服媒体采用希腊字母名依然是个挑战。一篇宣布该计划的新闻稿的结尾是这样写的:为了避免使用带来污名和歧视的名字,“世卫组织鼓励各国政府部门、媒体机构和其他各方都采用这些新标签。”
 
WHO's approach has some minor14 limitations. Delta Airlines probably won't be pleased to have its brand associated with a Covid variant, for example, and it's not clear what will happen after variants inevitably15 outnumber the letters from the Greek alphabet.
不过,世卫组织的命名方式也有一些小小的局限性。举例来说,达美航空公司应该不希望自己的品牌名和新冠变种联系在一起,而且当变种数量不可避免地超过希腊字母表的字母数量时,又该怎么办呢?

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1 variant GfuzRt     
adj.不同的,变异的;n.变体,异体
参考例句:
  • We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段,提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
  • In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种,是数据驱动的测试。
2 variants 796e0e5ff8114b13b2e23cde9d3c6904     
n.变体( variant的名词复数 );变种;变型;(词等的)变体
参考例句:
  • Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
  • Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样,病毒也有变种,一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句
3 delta gxvxZ     
n.(流的)角洲
参考例句:
  • He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
  • The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔,形成了一个三角洲。
4 geographical Cgjxb     
adj.地理的;地区(性)的
参考例句:
  • The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
  • These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。
5 initially 273xZ     
adv.最初,开始
参考例句:
  • The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
  • Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。
6 tricky 9fCzyd     
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的
参考例句:
  • I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手,你能帮我吗?
  • He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题,只做了个笼统的表述。
7 virulent 1HtyK     
adj.有毒的,有恶意的,充满敌意的
参考例句:
  • She is very virulent about her former employer.她对她过去的老板恨之入骨。
  • I stood up for her despite the virulent criticism.尽管她遭到恶毒的批评,我还是维护她。
8 immunity dygyQ     
n.优惠;免除;豁免,豁免权
参考例句:
  • The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
  • He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。
9 vaccines c9bb57973a82c1e95c7cd0f4988a1ded     
疫苗,痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
  • The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。
10 stigma WG2z4     
n.耻辱,污名;(花的)柱头
参考例句:
  • Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
  • The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。
11 racism pSIxZ     
n.民族主义;种族歧视(意识)
参考例句:
  • He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
  • Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。
12 stigmatizing a439a524b86cf0ed076d1e37e322db08     
v.使受耻辱,指责,污辱( stigmatize的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Laing regards the concept of mental illness as both unscientific and stigmatizing. 菜恩认为精神病的概念是不科学的和诬蔑性的。 来自辞典例句
  • The existing social benefits are considered to be stigmatizing and repressive. 现存的社会福利被指责为是无价值的、残暴的。 来自互联网
13 outlets a899f2669c499f26df428cf3d18a06c3     
n.出口( outlet的名词复数 );经销店;插座;廉价经销店
参考例句:
  • The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
14 minor e7fzR     
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修
参考例句:
  • The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
  • I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。
15 inevitably x7axc     
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地
参考例句:
  • In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去,毫无疑问是会散伙的。
  • Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

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