Alert sounds as MERS cases surge

“Dean Fung English”

By Victor Fung

Alert sounds as MERS cases surge Monday, May 05, 2014 Hong Kong may soon see imported cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (中東呼吸綜合症) after a significant increase （急增）in the number of infections worldwide, the Hospital Authority warned. More than 200 cases were confirmed （證實）last month, compared to a previous monthly average of just 15 cases, according to authority chief Leung Pak-yin. Medical staff were also contracting the SARS- like virus （新沙士病毒）, Leung added. He did not rule out (note 1) Hong Kong having cases in the future and urged （敦促） travelers to stay away from (note 2) camels. "The treatment for the MERS virus is not very effective（有效）," Leung said. He said it is necessary to take anti-infection measures at source (note 3). The Department of Health also announced yesterday that three suspected（懷疑）cases were all negative for the MERS virus. The first case involved a 70-year-old man with underlying illnesses (note 4) who traveled to the Mid-east. He developed a cough during the trip but his condition improved after self-medication（自行用藥）. Leung said miscommunication (note 5) might have been a factor in an unrelated fatal medical blunder (note 6). Meanwhile, using a magic paintbrush and his vivid imagination, Sorcerer Mickey will light up the night with dazzling colors at the launch of “Disney Paint The Night”, the new nighttime spectacular coming to Hong Kong Disneyland in October 2014. The parade will mark Hong Kong Disneyland's newest chapter after the completion of its three-part expansion project last year.

From good to better English:

(note 1) rule out=排除。rule=規則、定律、統治、尺；rules of decorum=禮法；the ruled class=被統治階級；out from under=脫離危困境。

(note 2) stay away from=遠離。stay=停留、持久、站住、堅持；stay where you are=請原位勿動；away=離開、不在、不斷，立刻。

(note 3) at source=從源頭上。source=來源、原因、血統；he source of wealth=富源；trace to its source=追根尋源。

(note 4) with underlying illnesses=潛在的疾病。underlying=下層的、基礎的、隱晦的；the underlying mortgage=第一擔保；illnesses=病、不健康；triumph over illness=戰勝疾病。

(note 5) miscommunication=誤傳；錯誤傳達、理解錯誤；software developers need to conform to such conventions to prevent miscommunication=軟體發展者需要遵循這些標準以避免溝通的障礙。

(note 6) a fatal medical blunder=一個致命的醫療事故。fatal=必然的、毀滅性的; medical=醫學的、醫藥的、內科的；blunder=失策、疏忽、弄糟。

Victor’s view:

Figures don’t lie. It is alarming to learn that cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome have increased from 15 to 200 a month. We must keep alert.