教学素材 | 疫情与宠物

叶心怡 供稿

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 2,400,000 people around the globe, killing more than 160,000. But it's not just humans impacted by the spread of the pandemic.

目前，全球确诊新冠肺炎病例已逾240万，死亡人数累计超过16万。不仅仅是人类，新冠疫情的蔓延对动物也造成了不小影响。

Many pets have died or are at risk of dying because their owners got ill or evacuated the houses in lockdown without them.

因主人生病或撤离，许多宠物被留在空屋无人照管，有些奄奄一息，不少已经死亡。

Vshine Animal Protection Association, a China-based animal welfare and environmental organization which partners with Humane Society International, estimated in March that the number of dogs and cats left behind in apartments in Hubei cities were in the tens of thousands. The organization has received hundreds of calls from worried residents, asking employees to check in on their pets, and they have saved hundreds of dogs and cats that were left behind.

“微善爱护动物协会”是一个与国际人道协会合作的动物保护组织。该组织在3月份曾估算湖北各城市中被留在家中无人照看的宠物猫和狗有数万之多。有数百位紧急撤离的宠物主人曾忧心忡忡地请求他们前去救援自己的宠物。目前该组织已救出数百只宠物。

There are also many animals abandoned by their owners on purpose, for fear of animal-to-human transmission.

此外，也有许多主人担心宠物会传播病毒而将其主动抛弃。

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, there is no evidence that companion animals can spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to people.

美国疾病防控中心称，尚无证据表明宠物会将新冠病毒传播给人类。

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, in which some cause illness in people, and others cause illness in certain types of animals. Animals infected by some viruses of the family can spread it to people, but such cases are rare.

冠状病毒有很多种，其中有些会使人类染病，还有一些会感染特定动物。确有一部分感染了某些冠状病毒的动物会将疾病传染给人类，但这种情况非常罕见。

Up till now, there have been a few cases in which animals were tested positive for the virus, but further studies are needed to understand how animals could be affected by the virus, and how infected animals might affect human health. For the time being, the new coronavirus is spreading mainly from person to person.

目前已有一些动物被确认感染了新冠病毒，但这方面的研究还不完善，尚无法断定动物如何感染，以及是否会传染给人类。眼下新冠病毒的主要传播途径依然是人传人。

Nevertheless, many people kept at home are adopting pets, because pets can accompany them and provide a sense of purpose.

另一方面，也有许多宅家的人开始收养宠物，因为宠物能陪伴他们，并且让疫情期间的生活更加充实有意义。

For pet owners, so far the best suggestion to protect yourselves and your pets is to treat pets as you would treat human family members: keep them away as far as possible from people or other animals outside the household.

对于养宠物的人而言，目前最安全的对策是把它们当成家人一样对待，在出门时尽量使之与他人和其他动物保持距离。

Vocabulary

pandemic - n. （全国或全球性的）流行病

evacuate - v. 撤离、疏散

nevertheless - adv. 尽管如此、然而

household - n. 一家人、同住一间房子的人