VOA慢速英语: 肯尼亚研究者研发疟疾疫苗

Kenyan Researchers Developing Malaria Vaccine
肯尼亚研究者研发疟疾疫苗
Malaria control efforts depend mainly on things like chemically-treated mosquito nets and sprays designed to kill the disease-carrying insects. But scientists in Kenya say another method -- a vaccine -- will be available next year. Researchers are already testing the vaccine on volunteers. If tests are successful, the treatment could add an important new weapon in efforts to control and possibly stop the disease.
疟疾的控制主要依靠经过化学处理的蚊帐和喷雾剂来杀死传播疾病的昆虫。但是肯尼亚的科学家称还有另外一种方法——一种疫苗——来年会得到有效使用。研究者已经在志愿者身上试验这种疫苗了。如果试验成功的话，这种疫苗就能成为控制疾病甚至是终止这种疾病的新型治疗武器。
Malaria kills more than 500,000 people a year worldwide. The disease sickens millions more every year. Many of those who die or become sick are children living in African countries south of the Sahara Desert.
世界范围内，疟疾已经夺取50多万人的性命了。每年都有数百万的人因疟疾而得病。撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲国家有很多孩子死于疟疾或者患病。
Kisumu is the third-largest city in Kenya. One-third of all patients in and near the city suffer from malaria.
基苏木是肯尼亚第三大城市，基苏木城市以及周围三分之一的病人都在遭受疟疾的折磨。
Existing malaria control efforts have helped to reduce the number of infections over the past ten years. But there has never been a vaccine to protect people against the disease.
过去十年来，现行的疟疾控制手段确实减少了疟疾感染的人数。但是还没有一种疫苗能够保护人们抵抗疟疾。
Scientists in Kisumu have created a vaccine that they are now testing on people. They worked with the British drug company GlaxoSmithKline and others to develop the vaccine. Scientists say vaccinating people --especially young children -- is necessary if the disease is to be stopped.
基苏木的科学家已经研发出一种疫苗，而且正在人身上试验。他们与英国葛兰素史克公司以及其他机构合作研发疫苗。科学家称要想阻止疾病，传播非常有必要给人们注射疫苗，特别是孩子们更需要注射疫苗。
Dr. Martina Oneko is a pediatrician -- a doctor who cares for babies and children. She helped to carry out a study on the effectiveness of a malaria vaccine, in rural western Kenya.
玛蒂娜·欧科博士是名儿科医生——主要治疗婴儿还孩子。在肯尼亚的西部乡村地区，他帮助进行研究疟疾疫苗的有效性。
“We saw a very good success of the vaccine resulting in health improvements in these children. They were just not as sick as their counterparts in the community who were not vaccinated. The overall vaccine efficacy in the older age group for all the sites was 47 percent and in the younger age group it was 27 percent.”
“我们看到疫苗的功效：这些孩子的健康状况得到提升，这个社区的没有注射疫苗的孩子健康状态不如他们。所有试验点中，疫苗对年龄稍大一点的实验者的功效是47%，而年纪稍小点的是27%。”
The vaccine stops the malaria parasite from infecting -- and reproducing in -- the liver. After a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite bites its victim, infected blood from the liver enters the body and infects other red blood cells. This process causes malaria.
疫苗能够阻止疟疾寄生虫在肝脏内的感染、繁殖。携带疟疾病原的蚊子，叮咬人之后，血液感染进入体内。还会影响血液里的红血细胞。这一过程就会引起疟疾。
Malaria researchers say the vaccine may not stop the spread of malaria by itself. But if it is used in combination with existing interventions, the lives of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa will be saved.
疟疾研究者称疫苗也许不能组织疟疾的传播，但是，如果疫苗跟现行的措施共同使用，那么撒哈拉以南的非洲就会有数以百万计的人获救。
I’m Christopher Cruise.
我是克里斯托弗·克鲁斯。
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Words in This Story
spray – v. to put (something) on a surface or into the air using a special container that produces a stream of small drops of liquid or gas
vaccine – n. a substance containing killed or weakened organisms given to a person or animal to produce protection against a disease
infect – v. to make sick with something that causes disease
efficacy – n. the power to produce a desired result or effect
parasite – n. an animal or organism that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it
introduction – n. the act of bringing something into practice or use for the first time