金學堂英語的部落格跳到主文歡迎光臨金學堂英語在痞客邦的小天地部落格全站分類：生活綜合相簿部落格留言名片Jul16Wed201415:08漢生病可治癒汙名卻難除----中壢英文補習班【聯合報╱ByNATALIEANGIER╱李京倫譯】DoctorsCanCureLeprosy,butStigmaandShameLingerThroughouthisadolescence,JoséRamirezJr.,nowaclinicalsocialworkerinHouston,hadashiftingarrayofbewilderingsymptoms.Sometimes,hewasfeverish;othertimes,nauseated.He’dfindswellingsonhishandsandhisfeet,andsoresthatwouldn’theal.He’dgrowhypersensitivetotouch,unabletobeareventherustleofabedsheet.Hisforearmswouldturnnumb,acomplicationhegamelysoughttoexploit.“I’dinsertsafetypinsintomyskin,”hesaid,“totrytoimpressgirls.”Dermatologistswerebaffled.Spiritualistsspokeofpossession.FinallytwodoctorsatthelocalhospitalsentbiopsiedtissuetofederalresearchersinAtlanta.“Within24hours,thedirectoroftheTexasHealthDepartmentcametoseeme,”Mr.Ramirezsaid.“HetoldmeIhadleprosy.”Itwas1968,Mr.Ramirezhadjustturned20,andhewouldspendthenextsevenyearsattheNationalLeprosariuminCarville,Louisiana.Today,Mr.Ramirez,66,isconsideredcuredofthedisorder,andhehasnovisiblesignsofit—nofacialscarringordisfigurement,nolossofdigitsorclawinginofthehandsandfeet.Emotionalscarringisanothermatter.The“stigma,guiltandshame”thatdogthedisorderdefybelief,Mr.Ramirezsaid,andignoranceaboutitremainsprofound.Thatiswhyhehasgiventalksglobally,withthemessagethateverythingyouthinkyouknowaboutHansen’sdisease,aboutleprosy,isprobablywrong.Thatmessageresonateswithresearchersaswell,whosaythatleprosycontinuestosurpriseandconfoundthem.Theillnesscannowbecuredthroughasustainedcourseofantibiotics,yetthebasicnatureofMycobacteriumlepraeisstillbeingsketchedout.Oneresearchgroupproposedthatleprosymaybetheoldestinfectiousdiseasetogospecificallyforhumanbeings,withoriginsdatingbackmillionsofyears.Butscientistshavealsofoundthattheleprosybacillusispooratmigratingbetweenhumanhosts.Itdiesquicklyoutsidethebody—acoupleofhoursonalabslide,andthat’sit—andabout95percentofpeopleappearimmune.“Irefertoitasawimpofapathogen,”saidRichardTruman,oftheNationalHansen’sDiseasePrograminLouisiana.Recentstudieshavefoundth