来自《耶鲁大学开放课程：1600年后西方社会的流行病 第3集 第3集》

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  And there would be pictures like this
  这些图片记录了
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  of rats killed by an epidemic of bubonic plague;
  因腺鼠疫死亡的老鼠
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  in this case Sydney, Australia.
  这是在澳大利亚的悉尼
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  So, ports are crucial in epidemics,
  港口对传播疫情起了关键作用
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  and in the development of public health measures to counter them.
  并且是公共卫生措施改进的重要突破口
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  Almost invariably in Western Europe the plague arrived in port cities
  西欧历史中 瘟疫总是从港口城市侵入
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  and then spread inland, following roads and rivers.
  然后沿着通路和河流蔓延至内陆城市
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  In the large cities, the disease typically would arrive in the spring,
  在大城市中 疾病一般在春天爆发
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  reach a peak of ferocity after a few weeks,
  几周后达到肆虐的顶峰
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  then continue as a violent outbreak for two to four months,
  这个强烈的劲头会延续两到四个月
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  and then decline with the coming of colder, dry weather,
  干冷气候的到来使疫情逐渐减退
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  either to disappear entirely,
  它也许会彻底消失