and one that caused sinister speculations.

阴险猜测的例子可以说明这一点
In time of plague, as you know,

我们知道瘟疫时代
those who tended the plague victims--physicians and priests--

内科医生和牧师容易感染瘟疫
perished in unimaginable proportions.

他们在死者中占了很大的比例
During the time of cholera, however,

然而在霍乱期间
doctors and priests moved among the most sordid slums,

医生和牧师搬离了最肮脏的贫民窟地区
and yet mysteriously they managed to stay healthy,

因此在极大程度上神奇地保持健康
for the most part, while those around them fell ill and died.

而周围的人遭受感染并死亡
There are good epidemiological reasons for this.

这是有流行病学原因的
Doctors didn't eat and sleep in the sickrooms, as the poor did.

医生不会像穷人一样在病房里吃喝睡觉
They had better diets.

他们有更好的饮食
They washed their hands. They drank different water.

他们洗手饮用不同的水源