新聞具有時效性和傳播性，人們不僅可以通過閱讀新聞了解時事資訊，還可以獲得關於新事物和新知識的學習的機會，而英語新聞還多了一項幫助英語學習者和愛好者的學習和提高英語的作用。近來關於新型冠狀病毒的英語新聞不僅為我們提供了相關的資訊而且還提供了相關的英語學習資料。下面即以一則關於新冠病毒的英語新聞，從詞彙釋義和難句解析與翻譯三個方面和有興趣的英語學習者和愛好者進行探討。
一、關於新冠病毒的英語新聞
What is the virus?
Coronavirus is a large family of viruses, which include severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
Common symptoms include a runny nose, cough, sore throat, and possibly a headache. Those who have a weakened immune system, particularly the young and the elderly, are at risk of the virus turning into a more serious respiratory tract illness.
Authorities said the Wuhan coronavirus was passed from animals to humans; can be spread from person to person; and appears to cause pneumonia in people who have weakened immune systems.
It is thought to be milder than SARS and MERS and take longer to develop symptoms. Patients to date have typically experienced a mild cough for a week followed by shortness of breath, causing them to visit a hospital.
Experts are now trying to understand how it is being transmitted, who is at most risk and whether transmission is occurring mostly in hospitals or in the community.
In one instance, 14 doctors and nurses operating on a patient -- who was not known to be carrying the virus -- were all infected with it, suggesting it can be spread relatively easily.
Where is this happening?
The outbreak emerged last month in the largest city in central China, Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in Hubei province.
Officials linked it to Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, saying wild animals sold there are the likely source of the virus. The market has been closed since January 1 for disinfection and officials are scrambling to discover its animal source.
Scientists in China say that the virus might have jumped from bats to snakes, which were sold in the local seafood market in Wuhan, and then to humans.
However, how the virus could adapt to both the cold-blooded and warm-blooded hosts remains a mystery, and further tests are necessary to determine the source animal.
As deaths mount in the city, officials imposed a number of new measures including the postponement of New Year celebrations in Wuhan, a ban on tour agencies from bringing groups of people out of the city and thermal monitors and screening in public spaces.
How does this compare to the SARS virus?
Scientists say the infectiousness of the virus is not as strong as SARS, but have added that the number of people infected is climbing.
SARS infected more than 8,000 people and killed 774 in a pandemic that ripped through Asia in 2002 and 2003.
On Thursday, David Heymann, the chairman of a World Health Organization committee gathering data on the outbreak, said the virus spreads more easily from person to person than previously thought.
But there is still much that is not known about the virus and, as the above graphic shows, its death rate is far smaller than that seen during the SARS outbreak.
二、詞彙釋義
virus：病毒
coronavirus：冠狀病毒
acute：（疾病）急性的
respiratory：呼吸的
syndrome：症候群
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)：嚴重急性呼吸症候群
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)：中東呼吸症候群
immune：免疫的
tract：（身體器官的）道
pneumonia：肺炎
to date：迄今，到目前為止
transmit：傳播
operate on：給......做手術
be infected with：被傳染
emerge：（從隱蔽處）出現，顯現，暴露
wholesale：批發
likely：可能的
disinfection：消毒
scramble：爭奪，力爭
adapt：（使）適應
cold-blooded：冷血的
warm-blooded：溫血的
host：宿主
mount：逐步增加
impose：推行，強制實行
postponement：推遲
ban：禁止
thermal：溫熱的
screen：篩查
pandemic：（疾病）大流行
rip through：橫衝直闖，肆虐
graphic：圖表
三、難句解析與翻譯
1. An outbreak of new coronavirus has sickened nearly 1,300 people and killed at least 41 in mainland China, while spreading to countries around the world.
1.1. 解析：
本句中，outbreak是主語是，has sickened ...1,300 people and killed ... 41是並列謂賓語，while spreading... 是連接詞接現在分詞短語作狀語，可以看作是while the outbreak is spreading的省略形式，spreading的邏輯主語是outbreak。
1.2. 翻譯：
中國大陸爆發了新型冠狀病毒導致將近1,300人患病和至少41人死亡，與此同時，世界其它國家也發生傳播病例。
2. Patients to date have typically experienced a mild cough for a week followed by shortness of breath, causing them to visit a hospital.
2.1. 解析：
本句中，patients是主語，have ... experienced a mild cough是謂賓語，followed by ... 是過去分詞短語作定語修飾week，causing... 是現在分詞短語作狀語。
2.2. 翻譯：
到目前為止，患者經歷了典型的輕微咳嗽一周之後，緊接著出現呼吸短促情況，導致他們去醫院看病。
3. Experts are now trying to understand how it is being transmitted, who is at most risk and whether transmission is occurring mostly in hospitals or in the community.
3.1. 解析：
本句中，Experts are ... trying to understand是主謂語，後接三個並列賓語從句，how it is ..., who is at most risk ... and whether transmission is ...，其中it is being transmitted是被動語態的進行時態。
3.2. 翻譯：
專家們現在正在極力弄清楚病毒如何是進行傳播的，誰的風險最大以及是醫院還是居民區病毒傳播的最多。
4. In one instance, 14 doctors and nurses operating on a patient -- who was not known to be carrying the virus -- were all infected with it, suggesting it can be spread relatively easily.
4.1. 解析：
本句中，... 14 doctors and nurses ... were all infected with it ... 是主謂語，operating ... 是現在分詞短語作定語修飾doctors and nurses，-- who was not known to be carrying the virus --是以破折號形式，實質是以定語從句說明修飾patient，suggesting ...是現在分詞短語作狀語修飾主句， 後接賓語從句it can be spread ...。
4.2. 翻譯：
有個案表明，曾經為一名無症狀顯示的病毒攜帶者做手術的14名醫護人員被感染上了病毒，說明這個病毒可能比較容易傳播。
5. Officials linked it to Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, saying wild animals sold there are the likely source of the virus.
5.1. 解析：
本句中，Officials linked it to ... 是主謂賓語，saying ... 是現在分詞短語作狀語修飾主句，wild animals ... are the likely source of the virus是賓語從句，sold there是過去分詞短語作定語修飾animals。
5.2. 翻譯：
官員認為病毒和海鮮批發市場相關，說那裡售賣的野生動物很可能是病毒的來源。
6. As deaths mount in the city, officials imposed a number of new measures including the postponement of New Year celebrations in Wuhan, a ban on tour agencies from bringing groups of people out of the city and thermal monitors and screening in public spaces.
6.1. 解析：
本句比較複雜，As deaths mount in the city是狀語從句表示時間，officials imposed a number ... 是主謂賓語，including the postponement ..., a ban ... and thermal monitors and screening ... 是介詞短語作狀語，後接三個並列賓語。
6.2. 翻譯：
隨著死亡人數的逐步增加，政府採取了一系列新措施，包括推遲慶祝新年，禁止旅行社帶團出城，在公共地方進行溫熱監測和篩查。