Heroic homestay

Just as Tarun Betala, the author of the book The Things We Don’t Know, said: “We ought to, as human beings, have the courage to seek a collective ‘truth’ that benefits our species the most.”
正如《我们未知之事》一书的作者塔伦·贝塔拉所言：“身为人类，我们应当具备一份勇气，去寻找最能造福于我们的共同“真理”。”

During the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), it’s obvious that medical staff deserve our respect and admiration. However, ordinary people are making contributions in their own way.
在新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情期间，医护人员当然值得我们尊重与敬佩。但普通人也在以自己的方式做着贡献。

Since the outbreak of the disease in mid-January, provinces and municipalities across the country have launched emergency measures calling on citizens to stay at home.
自1月中旬疫情爆发以来，全国各省市都采取了紧急措施，呼吁市民不要外出。

Following the government’s rules, most Chinese people have given up their Spring Festival family gatherings to stay at home. They dutifully wear masks when they have to go out. It’s not easy, especially for teenagers.
大多数中国民众都听从了政府的指挥，放弃了春节家庭聚会，待在家中。大家外出时都负责任地戴上了口罩。这点尤其对于青少年而言并不容易。

“Staying at home for more than 25 days is quite challenging, which means I can’t have fun with my friends face to face and I feel quite bored and lonely,” Zeng Jingxian, a senior high student from Longcheng High School in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, told TEENS. “But as a citizen, I have the duty to do so to protect myself and contribute to slowing the spread of the virus.”
“超过25天都待在家里是个挺大的挑战，这意味着我不能和朋友们一起玩了，我感到很无聊，很孤独，”广东省深圳市龙城高级中学学生曾婧贤在接受本报采访时如此说道。“但身为一位公民，我有义务这么做，这既保护了自己，又有助于降低病毒传播风险。”

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency on Jan 28, Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan suggested that people should not wander around their cities. This way, it will reduce the risk of infection. Chinese internet users launched a hashtag on Sina Weibo, which translates to “Stay at home until Zhong allows us to go out”.
中国呼吸科专家钟南山1月28日在接受新华社采访时，建议大家不要到处跑。这么做能够降低感染风险。中国网友还在新浪微博上发起了一个话题 —— #钟南山说动才动#。

Actually, following the rules not only contains the spread of virus, but also helps people develop a healthier habit in daily life.
其实，遵从这些做法不光遏制了病毒的传播，还有助于人们养成更健康的日常生活习惯。

Since we were very young, our parents and teachers have told us to wash our hands frequently. In truth, many people forget or don’t bother to wash their hands before eating.
从小，家长和老师就教导我们要勤洗手。但事实上，许多人在吃饭前都会忘记洗手，或者根本就不在意。

With the outbreak of the virus, they have started to keep it in mind and practice it with more enthusiasm.
此次疫情让他们开始牢记洗手这件事，并且积极行动起来。

“I’m happy that more Chinese people can develop good health habits now. That will make them stronger,” Zeng said.
“我很高兴地看到，如今越来越多的中国人养成了良好的卫生习惯。这会让大家身体变得更好，”曾婧贤说道。

Indeed, the individual is the collective, and the collective is the individual. As we deal with a public crisis, each individual should follow the advice of medical organizations and professionals.
的确，个人与集体密不可分。当我们应对一场公共危机时，每个人都应该听从医疗机构与专业人士的建议。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二781期