義大利新冠疫情繼續惡化，確診病例已過萬。對於人口只有6000萬的義大利而言，這個比例確實很嚇人。
義大利政府宣布從3月10日開始「封國」（national lockdown)，義大利總理孔特要求國民待在家裡不要出門。
不過，義大利的封城跟我們理解的封城有所不同，商店繼續營業，公交車繼續運營。居民如需要外出，需攜帶一張寫有「出門理由」的自主受權書，顯得十分「自由」。
義大利居民出行的「自主授權書」
然而自由是有代價的，疫情沒有因此停止，確診病例幾乎是「一夜破百，一周破千，兩周破萬」的速度，讓義大利迅速成為重災區。
雖然有義大利的「前車之鑑」，但還是有一些國家抱有僥倖心理，既不封城，也不強制戴口罩，甚至不惜犧牲百萬人以達到「群體免疫」。
面對這樣的國際環境，被封國的義大利人發了一封「公開信」，給全世界敲了敲警鐘。
這封信已在海外社交媒體廣泛流傳，國外網友讀完感觸很深。下面是一位網友讀完公開信的感慨：
One of my relatives just forwarded this email to me from one of their friends in Italy. I can’t vouch for its authenticity or accuracy, but it certainly got my attention, and based on what I』ve been reading about the situation in Bergamo and Italy, I believe it. You, however, can decide what to believe for yourself – just don’t fool yourself.
【譯】我的一個親戚從他的義大利朋友拿到這封信，並轉發給我。我無法擔保此信的真實性和準確性，但確實引發了我的關注。鑑於我從貝加莫和義大利了解的情況，我相信這封信是真的，信不信由你，但不要愚弄自己。
這封公開信的英文部分來自網際網路，中文翻譯來自「英語周報」今日頭條帳號，語言點整理來自侃哥。讓我們一邊傾聽義大利人的心聲，一邊學英文。
I am writing to you from Bergamo, Italy, at the heart of the coronavirus crisis.
Bergamo：/'berɡɑ:mɔ:/ n. 貝加莫（義大利北部城市）【譯】我正在義大利這次新冠疫情的中心貝加莫市寫這篇文章，希望大家都能看到。
The news media in the US has not captured the severity of what is happening here. I am writing this post because each of you, today, not the government, not the school district, not the mayor, each individual citizen has the chance, today to take actions that will deter the Italian situation from becoming your own country’s reality.
1.severity: /sɪˈverəti/ n.嚴重性3.deter: /dɪˈtɜː(r)/vt.制止【譯】美國新聞媒體並沒有充分報導義大利疫情的嚴重狀況。我寫此文的原因是，今天，你們每一個人——不是政府，不是學區，不是市長，而是每一個公民——都還有機會馬上採取行動，不要讓重蹈義大利的覆轍。
義大利貝加莫城
The only way to stop this virus is to limit contagion. And the only way to limit contagion is for millions of people to change their behavior today.
contagion: /kənˈteɪdʒən/ n.蔓延、擴散【譯】阻止病毒肆虐的唯一方法就是限制傳播。而限制傳播的唯一方法就是千千萬萬人改變現在的行為方式。
If you are in Europe or the US you are weeks away from where we are today in Italy.
【譯】如果你們目前在歐洲或美國，也許幾周之後，你們所處之地就會像今天的義大利一樣了。
I can hear you now. 「It’s just a flu. It only affects old people with preconditions」。
2.precondition: /ˌpriːkənˈdɪʃn/ n.前提（這裡指身體不好的前提）【譯】我似乎能聽到有人說：「這只是個流感。原本身體就不好的老人才會被傳染上。」
There are 2 reasons why Coronavirus has brought Italy to its knees. First, it is devastating. When people get really sick, they need weeks of ICU – and. Second, because of how fast and effectively it spreads, there is a two-week incubation period and many who have it never show symptoms.
1.bring sb. to one’s knees：使某人屈服2.devastating: /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/ adj. 破壞性的3.incubation period: /ˌɪŋkjuˈbeɪʃn/ /ˈpɪəriəd/ 潛伏期【譯】新冠病毒令義大利幾無招架之力，原因有二。第一，這種病毒極具破壞性——重症患者要接受好幾周的重症監護；第二，這種病毒傳播速度快，傳播效率高。病毒潛伏期為兩周，而病毒攜帶者中有很多始終沒有出現症狀。
When Prime Minister Conte announced last night that the entire country, 60 million people, would go on lockdown, the line that struck me most was 「there is no more time.」 Because to be clear, this national lockdown is a Hail Mary. What he means is that if the numbers of contagion do not start to go down, the system, Italy, will collapse.
1.lockdown: /ˈlɒkdaʊn/ n.封鎖3.Hail Mary: 萬福馬利亞（天主教祈禱文），這裡比喻「孤注一擲」【譯】昨晚義大利總理孔特宣布將封閉義大利全國——這意味著6000萬義大利人將限制出行——他的講話中，我印象最深的一句就是「我們沒有時間了」。很顯然，封國是孤注一擲之舉。他的意思是，如果傳染人數不能儘快開始減少，整個義大利就完了。
Why? Today the ICUs in Lombardy are at capacity – more than capacity. They have begun to put ICU units in the hallways. If the numbers do not go down, the growth rate of contagion tells us that there will be thousands of people who in a matter of a week? two weeks? who will need care? What will happen when there are 100, or 1000 people who need the hospital and only a few ICU places left?
1.at capacity：以最大程度
2.hallway: n.走廊
【譯】為什麼這麼說？今天，倫巴第大區的重症監護病房已經滿載——甚至超載了。醫院已經開始把重症監護病房安置在走廊裡。如果傳染人數還不減少，按照目前的傳染增長速度，也就一周或是兩周吧，就會有成千上萬人需要就醫。如果到時有100人或者1000人需要入院治療但重症監護病房已所剩無幾，會出現什麼狀況？
On Monday a doctor wrote in the paper that they have begun to have to decide who lives and who dies when the patients show up in the emergency room, like what is done in war. This will only get worse.
【譯】星期一，有位醫生在報紙上發表文章說，當病人一個接一個送進急診室時，醫生們已經像在戰場上一樣，必須決定先救誰——決定誰生誰死。狀況只會越來越糟。
There are a finite number of doctors, nurses, medical staff and they are getting the virus. They have also been working non-stop, non-stop for days and days. What happens when the doctors, nurses and medical staff are simply not able to care for the patients when they are not there?
1.finite: /ˈfaɪnaɪt/ adj.有限的【譯】醫生、護士等醫護人員的數量是有限的，而且他們也有人被感染了。這些日子他們夜以繼日地工作。如果有一天，這些醫護人員再也無力照顧病人，無法堅守崗位，又會出現什麼狀況？
And finally for those who say that this is just something that happens to old people, starting yesterday the hospitals are reporting that younger and younger patients – 40, 45, 18, are coming in for treatment.
【譯】最後，再對那些認為只有老人會被這種病毒感染的人說一句：從昨天開始，醫院報告說，前去就診的病人越來越年輕了——40歲、45歲、18歲都有。
You have a chance to make a difference and stop the spread in your country. Push for the entire office to work at home today, cancel birthday parties, and other gatherings, stay home as much as you can.
1.make a difference: 扭轉乾坤
2.cancel: vt.取消
【譯】你們還有機會做些什麼，為阻止病毒在你們國家傳播貢獻一份力量。請讓各個機構的員工現在都在家工作，請取消生日聚會等各種聚會，請儘可能待在家裡。
If you have a fever, any fever, stay home. Push for school closures, now. Anything you can do to stop the spread because it is spreading in your communities – there is a two-week incubation period – and if you do these things now you can buy your medical system time.
2.school closure：關閉學校（停課）【譯】如果發燒了，出現任何發燒症狀，請一定待在家裡。請現在就關閉學校。請竭盡全力阻止病毒傳播，因為它會不知不覺在你們社區傳播開——它可有兩周的潛伏期——如果現在就開始這麼做，能夠為你們的醫療系統爭取更多的準備時間。
And for those who say it is not possible to close the schools, and do all these other things, locking down Italy was beyond anyone’s imagination a week ago.
2.beyond one’s imagination：超出某人想像【譯】有人會說，關閉學校不可能，剛剛說的那些事都不可能做到——我想對他們說，一周以前，有誰會想到整個義大利都要封閉。
Soon you will not have a choice, so do what you can now.
【譯】很快你們就沒有選擇的餘地了，所以，現在就盡全力行動吧。
Please share.
【譯】請轉發給你的朋友和家人。
這封信寫的有理有據、言辭懇切，不像是亂編的，應該來自於義大利疫區的民眾。
這封信的出爐無疑給全世界敲響了警鐘，目前世界各國可能是一周或兩周前的義大利，如果不果斷採取行動，義大利的今天就是各國的明天。
Forza, Italy!
Stay strong, world!
推薦：小米給義大利捐口罩，上面寫了句英文名言，老外熱淚盈眶