An unsung hero of vaccines无名的疫苗英雄

陈福金

大約三百年前，玛丽·沃特利·蒙塔古夫人给她的女儿接种了天花疫苗，使她的孩子成为西方第一个得到疫苗保护的人。她的一系列付出为疫苗的应用及推广铺平了道路。

1 About three hundred years ago， Lady Mary Wortley Montagu got her daughter inoculated （接种） against smallpox （天花）， making her child the first person in the West to be protected in this way. Without Montagus willingness to adopt a practice she had learned from other cultures， the introduction of vaccines would never have taken place.

2 Montagu first witnessed inoculation when she accompanied her husband to Turkey in 1717. Inoculation had started in Asia， probably in China， as early as the 10th century AD. Montagu observed how older women in Turkey took a tiny amount of pus （脓） from a person with smallpox. They then used needles to make cuts on peoples wrists and ankles and added the pus to their bloodstream. This helped people gain immunity （免疫力） against future infection.

3 Like other visitors to the country， Montagu took steps to ensure that her son was inoculated in Turkey. This worked well， but she knew that trying it in England would be far more challenging. Inoculation performed by unlicensed amateurs would threaten doctors professional standing and potentially rob them of valuable income. Churchmen also disagree with the practice， as they saw it as going against nature.

4 Back in England， Montagu observed the increased severity of smallpox infection. Eventually， in April 1721， she decided to use the Turkish practice to have her daughter inoculated， because she believed that the rewards would outweigh the risks. After a safe time had passed following the inoculation， Montagu allowed doctors to examine her daughter.

5 Doctors in Britain gradually accepted the practice. Years later， a pioneering physician found smallpox vaccines to destroy smallpox completely. As early as last century， academics argued that Montagu was no more than an enthusiastic amateur. In truth， she made a vital scientific contribution towards finding the cure for smallpox.

[Reading][Check]

Gist 1. What is the second paragraph mainly about？

A. The origin of smallpox inoculation.

B. Montagus first access to inoculation.

C. The benefits of smallpox inoculation.

D. Turkish womens invention of inoculation.

Detail 2. Montagu found it difficult to try inoculation in England because           .

A. it was against human nature

B. it might harm doctors interests

C. it was beyond doctors abilities

D. it might shake churchmens belief

Inference 3. What led doctors in Britain to accept inoculation？

A. The increased severity of smallpox infection.

B. A physicians discovery of smallpox vaccines.

C. The result of Montagus daughters inoculation.

D. Montagus focus on its rewards rather than its risks.

Inference 4. What can best describe Montagu according to the text？

A. Bold and energetic. B. Creative and learned.

C. Positive and cautious. D. Brave and dedicated.

[Language][Study]

Analyze difficult structures in the text

1. Three hundred years ago， Lady Mary Wortley Montagu got her daughter inoculated against smallpox， making her child the first person in the West to be protected in this way. 三百年前，瑪丽·沃特利·蒙塔古夫人给她的女儿接种了天花疫苗，使她的孩子成为西方第一个以这种方式得到保护的人。

【点石成金】本句中，got her daughter inoculated为“get+宾语+宾补结构”，当宾语与宾补构成被动关系时，使用过去分词形式。句中的making her child the first person in the West to be protected in this way为现在分词短语作结果状语。

2. Without Montagus willingness to adopt a practice she had learned from other cultures， the introduction of vaccines would never have taken place. 如果不是蒙塔古愿意采用她从其他文化中学到的做法，那么疫苗引进就永远不会发生。

【点石成金】本句中，to adopt a practice she had learned from other cultures为动词不定式作名词willingness的后置定语;she had learned from other cultures为省略了关系代词that/which的定语从句，that/which在定语从句中作宾语;整个句子是一个表示与过去事实相反的含蓄虚拟条件句，Without Montagus willingness to adopt a practice she had learned from other cultures为without引导的条件句，the introduction of vaccines would never have taken place为主句。