# 第四册 Lesson 17 A man-made disease 人为的疾病

## 一、课文原文

In the early days of the settlement of Australia, enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit. This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits. It overran a whole continent. It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle. Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and apparently no other animal) was susceptible to a fatal virus disease, myxomatosis. By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows, local epidemics of this disease could be created. Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of this disease and passed it on to the rabbits. So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes, Australia was encouraging this one. It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabbit population. It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated. There were hopes, however, that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable.

Ironically, Europe, which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest to Australia, acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence. A French physician decided to get rid of the wild rabbits on his own estate and introduced myxomatosis. It did not, however, remain within the confines of this estate. It spread through France, where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as a pest but as a sport and a useful food supply, and it spread to Britain where wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but where domesticated rabbits, equally susceptible to the disease, are the basis of a profitable fur industry. The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had invented.

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| enterprising | /ˈentəpraɪzɪŋ/ | adj. | 有事业心的，有进取心的 | enterprising settlers 有进取心的移民 |
| Antipodes | /ænˈtɪpədiːz/ | n. | 对跖地，澳大利亚和新西兰 | 指与欧洲相对的南半球地区 |
| promiscuous | /prəˈmɪskjuəs/ | adj. | 杂乱的，不加选择的 | promiscuous abandon 不加节制的放纵 |
| overrun | /ˌəʊvəˈrʌn/ | v. | 蔓延，侵扰 | overran a whole continent 蔓延整个大陆 |
| devastation | /ˌdevəˈsteɪʃn/ | n. | 破坏，毁灭 | caused devastation 造成破坏 |
| burrow | /ˈbʌrəʊ/ | v./n. | 打洞，洞穴 | burrowing and devouring 打洞和吞噬 |
| herbage | /ˈhɜːbɪdʒ/ | n. | 草本植物，牧草 | devouring the herbage 吞噬牧草 |
| susceptible | /səˈseptɪbl/ | adj. | 易受影响的，易感染的 | susceptible to 易感染... |
| myxomatosis | /ˌmɪksəməˈtəʊsɪs/ | n. | 粘液瘤病 | 兔子的致命病毒性疾病 |
| epidemic | /ˌepɪˈdemɪk/ | n. | 流行病 | local epidemics 局部流行 |
| drastically | /ˈdræstɪkli/ | adv. | 大幅地，激烈地 | drastically reduced 大幅减少 |
| resistance | /rɪˈzɪstəns/ | n. | 抵抗力，抗性 | developing resistance 产生抗性 |
| exterminate | /ɪkˈstɜːmɪneɪt/ | v. | 根除，消灭 | completely exterminated 完全消灭 |
| bequeath | /bɪˈkwiːð/ | v. | 遗赠，留下 | bequeathed...as a pest 把...作为害兽留下 |
| pestilence | /ˈpestɪləns/ | n. | 瘟疫 | acquired as a pestilence 作为瘟疫获得 |
| confines | /ˈkɒnfaɪnz/ | n. | 范围，界限 | within the confines of 在...范围内 |
| domesticated | /dəˈmestɪkeɪtɪd/ | adj. | 驯化的，家养的 | domesticated rabbits 家兔 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. so that 引导结果状语从句

> ...**so that** it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits.

- so that = 因此，结果（结果状语）
- 区别：so that = 以便（目的状语，常加can/may）

### 2. which might have maintained 虚拟过去

> ...the herbage **which might have maintained** millions of sheep and cattle.

- might have done = 本来可能（但没有实现）
- 牧草本可以维持数百万牛羊——但被兔子吃掉了

### 3. while 引导对比状语从句

> ...**while** the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes, Australia was encouraging this one.

- while = whereas，表对比
- 全世界灭蚊 vs 澳大利亚养蚊

### 4. whether 引导的名词性从句

> The question became one of **whether** Man could control the disease he had invented.

- whether = 是否，引导宾语从句（介词of的宾语）
- 注意：介词后只能用whether，不能用if

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. characteristic of ...所特有的

> ...with that promiscuous abandon **characteristic of** rabbits.

- = typical of, peculiar to
- 仿写：The patience characteristic of good teachers.

### 2. act as 充当，作为

> ...a type of mosquito which **acted as** the carrier of this disease...

- = serve as, function as
- 仿写：He acted as mediator in the dispute.

### 3. pass on to 传递给

> ...and **passed it on to** the rabbits.

- = transmit to, transfer to
- 也可指"传给下一代"

### 4. get rid of 摆脱，除掉

> ...trying to **get rid of** mosquitoes...

- = eliminate, remove, dispose of
- 仿写：We need to get rid of the old furniture.

## 五、课文翻译

在澳大利亚移民初期，一些有事业心的移民不明智地引进了欧洲兔子。这种兔子在对跖地没有天敌，因此以兔子特有的不加节制的放纵大量繁殖。它蔓延了整个大陆。它通过打洞和吞噬本可以维持数百万牛羊的牧草造成了巨大的破坏。科学家发现，这种特定的兔子品种（显然没有其他动物）易感染一种致命的病毒性疾病——粘液瘤病。通过感染动物并将它们放入洞穴中，可以在当地制造这种疾病的流行。后来发现有一种蚊子充当了这种疾病的传播者，并将其传给兔子。因此，当世界其他地方在努力消灭蚊子时，澳大利亚却在鼓励这种蚊子。它有效地将疾病传播到整个大陆，大幅减少了兔子数量。后来显然兔子正在对这种疾病产生一定程度的抵抗力，因此兔子不太可能被完全消灭。然而，人们希望兔子问题会变得可控。

讽刺的是，把兔子作为害兽留给澳大利亚的欧洲，却把这种人造疾病作为瘟疫接收了回去。一位法国医生决定除掉自己庄园里的野兔，于是引进了粘液瘤病。然而，它并没有局限在这个庄园的范围内。它在法国蔓延开来——在法国，野兔一般不被视为害兽，而被视为猎物和有用的食物来源；它也蔓延到了英国——在那里，野兔被视为害兽，但同样易感的家兔却是有利可图的毛皮工业的基础。问题变成了：人类能否控制自己发明的疾病？

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：反讽叙事

- 核心反讽：欧洲送给澳大利亚兔害，澳大利亚"还"给欧洲瘟疫
- 最后的问题发人深省：人能否控制自己创造的疾病？
- 从澳大利亚→欧洲→英国，故事空间层层扩展

### 2. 文化背景

- **澳大利亚兔灾**：1859年，英国移民托马斯·奥斯汀引进24只兔子用于打猎，此后兔子疯狂繁殖，成为澳大利亚最严重的生态灾难之一
- **粘液瘤病（myxomatosis）**：1950年引进澳大利亚，最初杀死了99%的兔子，但后来兔子产生抗性
- **蚊子传播**：蚊子是粘液瘤病毒的自然传播媒介

### 3. 修辞分析

- **反讽**：Ironically——欧洲送给澳大利亚兔害，却收回了瘟疫
- **对比**：全世界灭蚊 vs 澳大利亚养蚊；法国视野兔为猎物 vs 英国视野兔为害兽
- **警示**：The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had invented——开放式结尾

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **理解题**：What factor helped to spread the disease of myxomatosis?（蚊子作为传播媒介）
2. **语法题**：might have done 虚拟过去的用法
3. **词汇题**：区分 susceptible/immune/resistant 的含义
4. **写作练习**：用反讽手法写一篇关于生态问题的文章

## 八、本课小结

本课讲述**人为引入粘液瘤病控制兔害**的生态案例，核心反讽：人类发明的疾病从澳大利亚传回欧洲，形成反噬。语法重点包括so that结果从句、might have done虚拟过去、while对比从句、whether名词性从句。修辞手法上以反讽为核心，配合对比和警示性结尾，是生态题材议论文的典范。