World Leprosy Day started in 1954 and takes place on January 29th. It aims to raise awareness about the disease leprosy. In particular, it is an opportunity to inform people that leprosy is a curable disease and is not passed on by touching leprosy sufferers. For hundreds of years, people have wrongly thought they can catch leprosy through contact with those who have the disease. They are afraid of anyone with leprosy. Because of this, people with leprosy have been made to live outside of society in special colonies, often on remote islands. Other sufferers become outcasts in their communities. Leprosy affects millions of peoplearound the world today, often the poorest people in society. Having the disease means they cannot find work, which adds to their poverty.
世界防治麻风病日开始于1954年,并在每年的1月29日举行。该节日的目的是提高人们对麻风病的认识。此外,该节日也是一个让人们了解麻风病的机会,麻风病是可治之症,触摸麻风病病人是不会感染的。几百年来,人们总是错误地认为人们可以通过与麻风病病人接触而患病。他们害怕任何患有此病的人。出于这个原因,病人通常会居住在远离社会的特殊地区,有时是遥远的海岛。其他病人被社会所遗弃。如今,麻风病影响了全球上百万人,病人通常是社区中的贫困者。患有麻风病就意味着他们无法找到工作,这更加加深贫困。
Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s Disease, named after doctor G.H.A. Hansen, who discovered the disease. It is a bacteria that is carried in water vapor through the air. Most people are naturally immune to the disease but those in poorer countries can have weaker immune systems and so have little immunity. If it is not treated, it causes permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It can cause permanent disability and reduce life expectancy by 50 per cent. For centuries, people believed leprosy caused parts of thebody to fall off, but this is totally untrue. This is another part of the fiction and social stigma that surrounds the disease. Medicine can prevent the spread of the disease. More than 14 million people have been cured with a multi-drug therapy since the early 1980s.
麻风病也叫汉森氏病,他是以G.H.A.汉森医生的名字命名的,是汉森发现了麻风病。这是一种携带在空气水蒸气中的细菌。绝大部分人天生对这种疾病有免疫功能,但是贫困国家中的人民免疫系统差,他们对这种病没有免疫能力。如果治疗不得当,它将对皮肤、神经、眼睛和四肢造成永久的伤害。它还能造成永久性瘫痪,减少50%的寿命。几个世纪以来,人们相信部分身体器官将会衰退,但是这是完全不正确的。这是关于这一疾病的又一谎言。药物可以避免疾病的传播。在20世纪80年代早期,有超过1400万人都接受了药物治疗。
译文属可可英语原创,未经允许,不得转载。