VOA即美國之音（The Voice of America，簡稱VOA）。美國之音是一家提供45種語言服務的動態的國際多媒體廣播電臺。
科學家警告如果不保護自然，可能會出現更致命大流行病
By Bryan Lynn
03 November 2020
Scientific experts have warned that deadly pandemics are likely to keep happening if action is not taken to protect natural environments.
科學專家警告稱，如果不採取行動保護自然環境，致命的流行病很可能會繼續發生。
Future pandemics will happen more often, spread faster and kill more people than COVID-19, the experts said. Such events are also expected to cause lasting harm to the world economy.
專家表示，與新冠肺炎相比，未來的大流行病可能會發生得更頻繁，傳播得更快並導致更多人死亡。預計這類事件也將會對世界經濟造成持久損害。
The warning came in a report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, an international expert group that advises governments. The group has more than 130 member states.
這一警告出自於生物多樣性和生態系統服務政府間科學政策平臺的一份報告，這是一家向政府提供建議的國際專家組織。該組織有130多個成員國。
The experts called for major efforts aimed at preventing pandemics rather than trying to contain them after they happen. The report urges major worldwide efforts to stop habitat destruction that can lead viruses to jump from wild animals to humans.
專家們呼籲作出重大努力，目的是預防大流行，而不是在大流行發生後再設法加以遏制。該報告督促在全球範圍內作出重大努力，以制止可能會導致病毒從野生動物躍遷到人類的棲息地破壞。
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals. Scientists have said COVID-19 probably started in bats and began spreading among humans.
美國疾病控制與預防中心估計，人類新出現的每4種傳染病中，就有3種來自於動物。科學家表似乎，新冠肺炎可能起源於蝙蝠，並開始在人類中傳播。
In their report, the experts predict that about half of an estimated 1.7 million undiscovered viruses in nature might be able to infect people. Activities such as poaching or clearing forests to grow soy or palm oil can bring humans and disease closer together.
專家們在報告中預測，自然界大約有170萬種未發現的病毒，其中大約有一半可能會感染人類。諸如偷獵或砍伐森林以種植大豆或棕櫚油之類的活動可能會讓人類更加接近於疾病。
Deforestation, agriculture expansion, urbanization and other land-use changes are responsible for about one-third of all new diseases that have emerged since 1960, the report says. The $100 billion global wildlife trade is also responsible for the spread of new and existing diseases.
該報告稱，森林砍伐、農業擴張、城市化以及其它土地用途的變化要對1960年以來所有新發疾病中大約1/3的疾病負責。全球野生動植物貿易額達1000億美元，它也要對新發和現有疾病的傳播負責。
The experts predict that about $50 billion a year in pandemic prevention spending could save the world about $1 trillion a year, on average, in economic damage. They said that as of July, the economic cost from COVID-19 was at least $8 trillion and rising.
專家預計每年大約500億美元的大流行預防開支可以為全球平均減少1萬億美元的經濟損失。他們表示，截至7月，新冠肺炎造成的經濟損失至少為8萬億美元，並且還在繼續上升。
Peter Daszak was the report's lead writer. He is president of EcoHealth Alliance, an international health, environment and development organization. He said in a statement that even though the experts call for urgent action, "this is not a doom and gloom report saying the world's going to end and it's too late." Instead, Daszak said it should be seen as "an optimistic call for action."
彼得·達薩克是該報告的主要作者。他是生態健康聯盟的主席，這是一家國際健康、環境和發展組織。。他在一份聲明中表示，即使專家們呼籲採取緊急行動，「這也不是一份悲觀沮喪的報告，不是說世界就要完蛋了，一起都為時已晚了。」達薩克表示，相反，它應該被視為一種「對行動的樂觀呼籲。」
He noted that the current method for dealing with pandemics is to wait for them to emerge and then try to identify them before they spread. COVID-19 has demonstrated the problems with that plan. Officials attempted to contain COVID-19 after the disease was discovered last year, but it was already too late.
他指出，當前應對流行病的方式是等著流行病出現，然後在流行病蔓延之前發現它們。新冠肺炎已經證明了這種方案的問題所在。去年發現新冠肺炎之後，有關官員曾試圖遏制住它，但是為時已晚。
"And here we are waiting for a vaccine and drugs to work," Daszak said. "It's not a good strategy. We need to do more."
達薩克表示：「現在我們在等著疫苗和藥物起作用。這不是一種好策略。我們需要做更多事情。」
I'm Bryan Lynn.
我是布萊恩·林恩。
habitat – n. the natural environment of an animal or plant
emerge – v. to appear
poach – v. to catch and kill animals without permission on someone else's land
urbanization – n. the process by which more and more people leave rural areas to live in cities
gloom and doom – n. sad and tragic events
optimistic – adj. feeling or showing hope for the future
strategy – n. a plan used to achieve a particular goal
*內容來源51VOA.COM原創翻譯，侵刪~