雙語：英國發現新冠病毒新變種 感染人數超1000例
英國確認發現新冠病毒的新變種，傳播速度更快，感染人數已超過1000例。從12月16日凌晨起，倫敦防疫等級將升至最高級。
A new variant of coronavirus has been found which is growing faster in some parts of England.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at least 60 different local authorities had recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant.
英國衛生大臣馬特·漢考剋日前證實，至少有60個地區發現了新冠病毒新變種造成的感染病例。
He said the World Health Organization had been notified and UK scientists were doing detailed studies.
漢考克還稱，英國衛生部門已向世界衛生組織通報了這一情況，科學家已展開詳細研究。
He said there was "nothing to suggest" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.
他還表示，“尚無法確認”變種病毒是否會使病情更嚴重或者令新冠疫苗失效。
He told MPs in the House of Commons that over the last week, there had been sharp, exponential rises in coronavirus infections across London, Kent, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire.
他告訴下議院的議員們，在過去一週，新冠病毒感染病例數在倫敦、肯特、埃塞克斯和赫特福德郡的部分地區呈指數級急劇上升。
exponential：adj.指數的
"We've currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the South of England although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas.
“我們目前已經確認了1000多例新冠病毒新變種感染病例，儘管在近60個不同的地區都發現了這種病例，但主要集中在英格蘭南部。”
"We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant but no matter its cause we have to take swift and decisive action which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out."
“我們不知道這在多大程度上是由於新的變異造成的，但無論原因是什麼，我們必須迅速且果斷地採取行動，這對於在疫苗推出期間控制這種致命疾病非常必要。”
England's Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty said current coronavirus swab tests would detect the new variant that has been found predominantly in Kent and neighbouring areas in recent weeks.
英格蘭首席醫療官克里斯·威蒂教授說，目前的冠狀病毒拭子測試可以檢測出近幾周主要在肯特郡和鄰近地區發現的新變異病毒。
The changes or mutations involve the spike protein of the virus - the part that helps it infect cells, and the target Covid vaccines are designed around.
這種變化或突變涉及病毒的刺突蛋白，刺突蛋白是使病毒感染細胞的部分，而新冠疫苗就是以其爲目標設計的。
It is too soon to know exactly what this will do to the behaviour of the virus.
現在要確切地知道這中突變會對病毒的行爲產生什麼影響還爲時過早。
Prof Alan McNally, an expert at the University of Birmingham, told the BBC: "Let's not be hysterical. It doesn't mean it's more transmissible or more infectious or dangerous.
伯明翰大學專家艾倫·麥克納利教授告訴英國廣播公司說：“人們不用太慌。這並不意味着它的傳染性更強或更危險。”
hysterical：adj.歇斯底里的；異常興奮的
"It is something to keep an eye on.
“我們只是需要關注它。”
keep an eye on：留意；密切注視
"Huge efforts are ongoing at characterising the variant and understanding its emergence. It is important to keep a calm and rational perspective on the strain as this is normal virus evolution and we expect new variants to come and go and emerge over time."
“人們正盡力來描述這種變異並理解它的出現。重要的是要對該毒株保持冷靜和理性的看法，因爲這是正常的病毒進化，我們預計隨着時間的推移，總是會有新的變種出現又消失。”
Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of Wellcome, said it was potentially serious. "The surveillance and research must continue and we must take the necessary steps to stay ahead of the virus."
惠康基金會主任傑里米·法勒博士說，這可能會很嚴重。“我們必須繼續進行監測和研究，搶先採取必要措施遏制病毒傳播。”
當地時間12月14日，世衛組織舉行新冠肺炎例行發佈會，針對英國發現一種變異的新冠病毒已在英格蘭地區感染上千人，世衛組織衛生緊急項目負責人邁克爾·瑞安表示，病毒會隨時間改變，已有多種變異出現，關鍵在於其是否會影響公共衛生。目前這種變異病毒正在英國逐漸流行，需要與國際實驗室合作觀察這種變異病毒是否在全球範圍內流行。
邁克爾·瑞安同時指出，病毒變異非常常見，問題在於變異是否會讓病毒更易傳播、是否會影響診斷或疫苗有效性，目前沒有信息表明會出現此類情況。每次發現病毒變異，都要花時間評估其重要性。
世衛組織衛生緊急項目技術主管瑪麗亞·範·科霍夫表示，世衛組織正與全球各地科學家合作研究每種變異，目前沒有證據顯示英國出現的變異病毒表現有所不同，研究人員正在觀察中和抗體是否有變化。