HIV/AIDS features in news stories almost every day of the ye

Gary:  HIV/AIDS features in news stories almost every day of the year.  It’s a subject that concerns us all – the politicians who lead our countries, health workers of all kinds and at every level, and, of course, the people infected with HIV, those who are living with AIDS – and their families. 

Clip VOX POPS  Comments from people in the field 

Gary:  In this series, we’re considering the major topics that appear in BBC World Service news programmes.  Today’s “big story” has a medical theme – we focus on HIV/AIDS.   I’ll be talking to the BBC World Service Science Correspondent and we’ll hear from a project worker who’s helping 1 fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic 2 in Zambia. We’ll focus on some of the issues and the language behind the topic, and we’ll look at how the subject is reported in the news.   

 

Clip Richard Black, WS Science Correspondent

Richard: One term – HIV – refers to the virus, the thing that actually causes the disease.  Whereas the other term – AIDS – refers to the disease itself, the set of symptoms which the patient has.

Gary: BBC World Service Science Correspondent Richard Black.

 

Clip Richard Black, WS Science Correspondent

Richard: Now, the disease was discovered first.  It was then called a syndrome 3（综合症） because what happened was: patients were turning up with a certain collection of symptoms, and when doctors see this but they don’t know what’s causing the symptoms, they call this a syndrome.  The people were obviously suffering from an immune system that was not working properly – so hence “immune deficiency(缺乏，不足) syndrome”.  And it was obviously something that was not inherited（遗传的）, they were picking it up, they were acquiring it – hence Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.  Only later on did scientists find out what was actually causing this – and this is HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Gary: If someone has AIDS – what does that mean in practical terms?

Richard: What it means basically is that their immune systems, their bodies, cannot fight off germs （细菌）that come along – so any bacterium（细菌）, any virus, any fungus（真菌） which comes along which can infect them, will infect them, and they will become sick with it.  There are other things that happen as well, for example, some infections（口腔病害） which lead to certain types of cancer are much more prevalent（流行的，普遍的） in people who have AIDS.  But that’s basically the idea: the immune system does not work properly, you cannot fight off infections.

Gary: So what we’re saying here is that you can have HIV without actually having AIDS – is that right?

Richard: That’s absolutely right.  Many people are infected with HIV – sometimes for years before they show the signs of AIDS.

Gary: What about the terms HIV positive and HIV negative?

Richard: HIV positive simply means that you are infected with HIV – you have the virus.  HIV negative simply means that you don’t.

Gary:HIV is a virus -- the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.  A person infected with HIV develops AIDS -- or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome – when their immune system eventually becomes too weak – or deficient 4 – to fight off infections.  It’s possible to be infected with the virus, to be HIV positive, without developing the symptoms of AIDS for many years. As we’ve heard HIV/AIDS has been described as devastating 5 epidemic – its impact is far reaching.

 

Clip  Richard Black, WS Science Correspondent

Richard: It is quite simply the disease which is changing the face of many communities on earth – particularly in sub-Saharan Africa but in the future, perhaps, in Asia as well.  It is having such a devastating effect on some communities that there are villages really where the entire middle sector 6 of the population – the young adults, the economically productive people, the parents – are being removed from the population.  There are villages where there is virtually no one left but old people and young people because of AIDS.  And this is really unparalleled –certainly in modern experience. 

Gary: So we’ve said, then, that HIV/AIDS is an important issue in different parts of the world.  How does it appear in news stories?

Richard: There are several things which typically give rise to news stories about HIV and AIDS.  One is simply that there are a large number of international conferences looking at either the science of HIV/AIDS or funding for efforts to combat it.  And quite often some prominent members of the international community are there, and they will make speeches and this will get reported.  There are studies which come out, for example, into the economic consequences of HIV/AIDS.  So that’s another time when people will report it.  We have scientific developments – not as many as one would like, but they do happen, and when they happen, then we report those as well.  And there are some individual countries where there are particular political stories, which also put HIV/AIDS into the news. 

Gary: Finally, Richard, when as a journalist you’re reporting news stories about HIV/AIDS, is it difficult to find the sort of language to use to tell those stories?

Richard: I think it can be because when, for example, you’re talking about a scientific development you can use language which is rather too dry, rather too impersonal 7.  You can almost forget, while you’re writing the story, that there are 40 odd million people out there in the world who are infected with HIV.  This is a real life situation for them, and for their families, and for their communities.  On the other hand, when you’re dealing 8 with the people side of it, when you’re talking about the communities which are very affected 9, then you can easily use words which many people would prefer you didn’t use – such as “sufferer”, such as “victim” which really … you can paint a picture of people who are hopeless – who have no hope in their daily lives.  Whereas, in fact, they may be doing the best they can to live a normal life, and have as decent(得体的) a life as they can under the circumstances, and labelling people as a “victim” where they may not feel they’re victims, is something that we always try not to do; but it’s as very easy trap to fall into.

Gary: BBC World Service Science Correspondent Richard Black.

The international development charity VSO runs several projects in Southern Africa in which volunteers from different countries around the world join forces with local government institutions and organisations to strengthen their response to HIV and AIDS. Stuart Sutherland is currently their country director in Zambia, and I asked him to describe the situation there – the scale of the epidemic and the impact it has on people’s lives.

 

Clip Stuart Sutherland, VSO Zambia

The scale is immense … [the full transcript 10 is not available]

Gary: Stuart Sutherland , working with the international development charity VSO in Zambia. （本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

 

 

 

点击收听单词发音  






1
helping

  
 


n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的


参考例句：





The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。












2
epidemic

  
 


n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的


参考例句：





That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。












3
syndrome

  
 


n.综合病症；并存特性


参考例句：





The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。












4
deficient

  
 


adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的


参考例句：





The crops are suffering from deficient rain.庄稼因雨量不足而遭受损害。
I always have been deficient in selfconfidence and decision.我向来缺乏自信和果断。












5
devastating

  
 


adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的


参考例句：





It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。












6
sector

  
 


n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形


参考例句：





The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。












7
impersonal

  
 


adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的


参考例句：





Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。












8
dealing

  
 


n.经商方法，待人态度


参考例句：





This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。












9
affected

  
 


adj.不自然的，假装的


参考例句：





She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。












10
transcript

  
 


n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书


参考例句：





A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。