那些天生不会感染新冠的人

特殊时期，愿你安好，保护好自己。

🤔️小作业：

无注释原文：

Who Are the ‘Never-Coviders’?

The New York Times

The year began as the surge in the Omicron variant in the U.S. was nearing its peak: On Jan. 20, nearly 160,000 Covid patients were hospitalized, the most at any point in the pandemic. On Feb. 2, the seven-day average of new reported deaths peaked at 2,669.

As the year comes to a close, an expected seasonal increase in Covid cases has begun. The seven-day average of daily deaths is up 65 percent from two weeks ago. With cases of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., also high, several cities and counties, including New York City and Los Angeles, have advised people to mask up.

But one of the most confounding mysteries of the pandemic remains: Some people have never had Covid, this season or ever.

While many people may have avoided infection through precaution or luck, “never Coviders,” scientists believe, are truly out there: People who are naturally immune and whose genetics could hold clues for treatment.

Jonathan Wolfe spoke with Times colleague Apoorva Mandavilli about how scientists are trying to find them, and what we might learn.

Does this really happen?

It probably is a real thing. There are other viruses for which we know there are people who are naturally resistant. The most striking example I can think of is H.I.V., where there is a mutation that makes some people resistant to getting infected with the virus. That's actually been the key to curing the very few people that have been cured of H.I.V.

What's going on inside people who have never gotten Covid?

We don't know for sure.

One way for the body to be resistant to a virus is through genetic mutations. So, for example, the coronavirus needs what's called an ACE2 receptor on a cell in order to latch on to it. If you have a mutation in that particular receptor, then the virus can't get into your cells and can't infect you. But that kind of mutation is likely to be pretty rare.

Genetics also plays a role in how severely people get sick. Some people have mutations in the innate immune system, which is like the first responder part of your immune system and is pretty generic. More specific reactions, like antibodies for a particular virus, appear later in an infection.

We know now that people who have mutations in that first responder system tend to have very severe disease. So the flip side is also likely to be true: Some people may have mutations that prevent them from getting infected at all.

Couldn't they just be asymptomatic?

People who are asymptomatic are still infected. The virus is in their bodies, but they have no visible symptoms, or really mild symptoms. That's very different from what we're talking about here — somebody who doesn't get infected at all. But it's been really difficult for researchers to home in on the difference between these two groups, because so many people have been infected by now.

What do you mean?

There were a lot of people who thought, “Oh, I'm immune to the virus.” I've even had friends say that to me: “I haven't gotten it yet. Scientists should study me.” Some researchers did begin studying people who had not gotten Covid. But then Omicron came along and infected nearly everyone. Some scientists were very frustrated because they basically had to start over. On the other hand, those people were not “never Coviders” anyway. So the studies may take longer, but they'll be based on people who truly can't get infected.

Some scientists are studying health care workers and caregivers who really should have gotten infected because they had such high exposure, but didn't. The idea is that knowing what causes somebody to not get infected might help us figure out treatments for infection.

How many true “never Coviders” are there?

We don't know because there are so many unknowns. We don't know if all the people who say they haven't gotten it yet really haven't had it, or had it and didn't know. We also don't know if they've just been incredibly careful and so the virus just hasn't had a chance to infect them yet.

Also, things got complicated after the vaccines were introduced because the vaccines gave some immunity against infection. But the actual number of people who are totally immune to the virus, for whatever reason, is probably pretty small.

What if I've never been infected?

If you haven't gotten it yet, that's wonderful and you're lucky, either because you're genetically lucky or because you've managed to dodge the virus. But I wouldn't assume that you are naturally resistant and throw all precautions to the wind. The chances you're naturally immune are fairly low. And as Omicron shows, it may be that you just haven't met the right variant yet.

Your ‘never Covid’ experiences

We asked you how you think you might have avoided Covid so far, and got over 10,000 responses.

“I spent the pandemic taking care of a friend with cancer and avoided everyone just to focus on him and make him feel safe. He passed away in February and I started going out again and seeing new people, but I still haven't caught it! Either I am immune or I have a Covid guardian angel (him).” — Jessica Choe, Brooklyn, N.Y.

“Healthy constitution. Rarely got colds or flu even before the pandemic, plus early precautions, masking, vaccines, boosters, working from home and luck. Two and a half years with nary a sniffle, so we've given up our masks, dine indoors, socialize and party regularly now. Probably jinxing myself as I type.” — Katherine Fife, Davis, Calif.

“I think neither my husband nor I have caught Covid mostly due to luck. We don't have kids. We maintain a small, close circle of friends that shared the same views on how best to navigate the pandemic. We also had the benefit of living in Wyoming at the start of the pandemic, a place that isn't densely populated. We've since moved to Okinawa, Japan, and have become embedded in a culture that prioritizes public health and welfare over the individual. Mask-wearing is normal here, making it easier for us to continue the habits that have kept us safe and healthy these past almost three years.” — Jillian, Okinawa, Japan

- ◆ -

注：中文文本为纽约时报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

那些天生不会感染新冠的人

Who Are the ‘Never-Coviders’?

The New York Times

《纽约时报》

The year began as the surge in the Omicron variant in the U.S. was nearing its peak: On Jan. 20, nearly 160,000 Covid patients were hospitalized, the most at any point in the pandemic. On Feb. 2, the seven-day average of new reported deaths peaked at 2,669.

这一年伊始，美国奥密克戎变种的激增接近顶峰：1月20日，近16万名新冠患者住院，是大流行期间住院人数最多的一次。2月2日，新报告死亡人数的七天平均值达到2669人的峰值。

1）作动词，表示“急剧上升；飞涨；剧增”，英文解释为“If something surges, it increases suddenly and greatly, after being steady or developing only slowly.”举个🌰：

The company's profits have surged.

公司的利润激增。

2）作名词，表示“剧增”，英文解释为“A surge is a sudden large increase in something that has previously been steady, or has only increased or developed slowly.”举个🌰：

An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash.

突然出现的电压剧增导致电脑死机。

🎬电影《雷神2：黑暗世界》（Thor: The Dark World）中的台词提到：But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her. 但她体内涌动的能量太大 她撑不住的。

表示“变体；变种”，英文解释为“A variant of a particular thing is something that has a different form from that thing, although it is related to it.”举个🌰：

The quagga was a strikingly beautiful variant of the zebra. 白氏斑马是一种极其美丽的斑马变种。

可以作名词，也可以作动词，表示“（达到）峰值”，英文解释为“When something peaks, it reaches its highest value or its highest level.”举个🌰：

Temperatures have peaked at over 90 degrees. 温度已达到峰值，超过了90度。

表示“送…住院治疗”，英文解释为“If someone is hospitalized, they are sent or admitted to a hospital.”举个🌰：

Most people do not have to be hospitalized for asthma or pneumonia. 多数人不必因哮喘或肺炎住院。

🎬电影《考试过关的艺术》（The Art of Getting By）中的台词提到：Now that he knows I can hospitalize him. 他知道我能把他弄进医院。

注意区分对比：

📍hospitality（名词）表示“热情好客，殷勤，友好”，英文解释为“the act of being friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors”，举个🌰：

The local people showed me great hospitality. 当地人对我非常地热情友好。

As the year comes to a close, an expected seasonal increase in Covid cases has begun. The seven-day average of daily deaths is up 65 percent from two weeks ago. With cases of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., also high, several cities and counties, including New York City and Los Angeles, have advised people to mask up.

临近年末，预期中的新冠病例季节性增长已经开始。七天平均每日死亡人数比两周前增加了65%。由于流感和呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）病例也很高，包括纽约市和洛杉矶在内的多个城市和县都建议人们戴口罩。

respiratory /ˈrɛspərətərɪ/ 表示“呼吸的”，英文解释为“connected with breathing”，如：the respiratory system 呼吸系统，respiratory diseases 呼吸道疾病。

But one of the most confounding mysteries of the pandemic remains: Some people have never had Covid, this season or ever.

但大流行病最令人困惑的谜团之一仍未解开：有些人从未感染过新冠，无论是以前还是这一季。

confound /kənˈfaʊnd/ 表示“使惊疑，使困惑”，英文解释为“to confuse and very much surprise someone, so that they are unable to explain or deal with a situation”举个🌰：

The singer confounded her critics with a remarkable follow-up album. 这位歌手随后又推出了一张不同凡响的专辑，令评论家们大感意外。

While many people may have avoided infection through precaution or luck, “never Coviders,” scientists believe, are truly out there: People who are naturally immune and whose genetics could hold clues for treatment.

虽然许多人可能通过预防措施或因为运气而避免了感染，但科学家认为，真的存在“永不感染者”(never Coviders)：他们天生具有免疫力，对他们的遗传学研究可以为治疗提供线索。

表示“预防措施；预防；防备”，英文解释为“something that is done in advance in order to prevent problems or to avoid danger”，如：safety precautions 安全防范措施。

1）表示“有免疫力”，英文解释为“cannot catch or be affected by a particular disease or illness”举个🌰：

Adults are often immune to German measles. 成人往往对风疹有免疫力。

2）表示“不受影响”，英文解释为“not affected by sth”举个🌰：

You'll eventually become immune to criticism. 你终究会不用在乎批评了。

3）表示“受保护；免除；豁免”，英文解释为“protected from sth and therefore able to avoid it”举个🌰：

No one should be immune from prosecution. 任何人都不应免于被起诉。

表示“遗传学”，英文解释为“the study of how, in all living things, the characteristics and qualities of parents are given to their children by their genes”。

Jonathan Wolfe spoke with Times colleague Apoorva Mandavilli about how scientists are trying to find them, and what we might learn.

乔纳森·沃尔夫与时报同事阿普尔瓦·曼达维利谈到了科学家们如何努力寻找这样的人，以及我们能学到什么。

Does this really happen? 这是真的吗？

It probably is a real thing. There are other viruses for which we know there are people who are naturally resistant. The most striking example I can think of is H.I.V., where there is a mutation that makes some people resistant to getting infected with the virus. That's actually been the key to curing the very few people that have been cured of H.I.V.

可能是。我们已知有些人天生对其他病毒具有抵抗力。我能想到的最突出的例子是艾滋病毒，其中有一种突变使一些人不会感染这种病毒。它实际上已经成为极少数已治愈的HIV患者的治疗关键。

resistant /rɪˈzɪs.tənt/ 表示“对…有抵抗能力的；抵抗…的；耐…的”，英文解释为“not harmed or affected by something”如：a stain-resistant carpet 抗污地毯。

1）表示“异乎寻常的，惊人的；引人注目的；显著的；不同寻常的”，英文解释为“Something that is striking is very noticeable or unusual.”举个🌰：

The most striking feature of those statistics is the high proportion of suicides. 那些统计数据最显著的特征是高自杀率。

2）表示“俊秀的；妩媚动人的；很有魅力的”，英文解释为“Someone who is striking is very attractive, in a noticeable way.”举个🌰：

She was a striking woman with long blonde hair. 她曾是一个留着金色长发的俊秀女子。

表示“（生物物种的）变异，突变”，英文解释为“a process in which the genetic material of a person, a plant or an animal changes in structure when it is passed on to children, etc., causing different physical characteristics to develop; a change of this kind”如：cells affected by mutation 受到突变影响的细胞。

What's going on inside people who have never gotten Covid? 从未感染过新冠病毒的人的身体里发生了什么？

We don't know for sure.

我们不确定。

One way for the body to be resistant to a virus is through genetic mutations. So, for example, the coronavirus needs what's called an ACE2 receptor on a cell in order to latch on to it. If you have a mutation in that particular receptor, then the virus can't get into your cells and can't infect you. But that kind of mutation is likely to be pretty rare.

人体抵抗病毒的一种方法是通过基因突变。例如，新冠病毒需要和细胞上一种叫做ACE2的受体结合才能进入。如果你的这个特定受体发生突变，那么病毒就无法进入你的细胞，也无法感染你。但这种突变可能非常罕见。

表示“感受器；受体”，英文解释为“a nerve ending which receives information about changes in light, heat etc and causes the body to react in particular ways”。

latch /lætʃ/ onto sth 1）表示“与…发生联系，与…产生关联”，英文解释为“to become connected to something”举个🌰：

The antibodies work by latching onto proteins on the surfaces of the viruses and bacteria. 抗体通过与病毒和细菌表面的蛋白质结合而发挥作用。

2）表示“对…产生浓厚的兴趣”，英文解释为“to become interested in an idea, story, or activity, and to start to use it”举个🌰：

Unfortunately the press have already latched onto the story. 遗憾的是报纸已经盯上这件事了。

Genetics also plays a role in how severely people get sick. Some people have mutations in the innate immune system, which is like the first responder part of your immune system and is pretty generic. More specific reactions, like antibodies for a particular virus, appear later in an infection.

基因在人们生病的严重程度方面也发挥着作用。有些人的先天免疫系统发生突变，这就像是免疫系统里的应急反应，是一般性的。更具体的反应，如针对特定病毒的抗体，在感染后过段时间才会出现。

innate /ɪˈneɪt/ 1）表示“（素质）天生的，与生俱来的，固有的”，英文解释为“an innate quality or ability is something you are born with”，举个🌰：

Children have an innate ability to learn language. 儿童学习语言的能力是与生俱来的。

2）表示“（信仰）根深蒂固的”，英文解释为“an innate belief is something you feel strongly about and are unlikely to change”，如：the innate conservatism of the farming community 农业社区固有的保守主义。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述判断力问题的文章中提到：Some people think that good judgment is innate. 有些人认为良好的判断力是与生俱来的。

antibody /ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i/ 表示“抗体”，英文解释为“a protein produced in the blood that fights diseases by attacking and killing harmful bacteria”

We know now that people who have mutations in that first responder system tend to have very severe disease. So the flip side is also likely to be true: Some people may have mutations that prevent them from getting infected at all.

我们现在知道，在那个应急系统中发生突变的人，往往会患上非常严重的疾病。因此，相反的情况也可能真的存在：有些人的突变可能使他们完全不被感染。

flip side /ˈflɪp ˌsaɪd/ 表示“反面；负面；不受欢迎的一面”，英文解释为“the opposite, less good, or less popular side of something”

Couldn't they just be asymptomatic? 他们会不会只是无症状？

People who are asymptomatic are still infected. The virus is in their bodies, but they have no visible symptoms, or really mild symptoms. That's very different from what we're talking about here — somebody who doesn't get infected at all. But it's been really difficult for researchers to home in on the difference between these two groups, because so many people have been infected by now.

没有症状的人仍然是受到感染的。病毒在他们体内，但他们没有明显的症状，或者症状非常轻微。我们现在说的是截然不同的情况，这些是完全没有被感染的人。但研究人员很难弄清楚这两组之间的区别，因为现在有太多人被感染了。

asymptomatic /æˌsɪmptəˈmætɪk/ 表示“无症状的”，英文解释为“If someone with a disease is asymptomatic, it means that they do not show any symptoms of the disease.”

home in on sth/sb 1）表示“瞄准，对准”，英文解释为“to aim for”举个🌰：

The missile homed in on the ship. 导弹瞄准了那艘船。

2）表示“集中注意力于”，英文解释为“to find and give a lot of attention to something or someone”举个🌰：

The report homed in on the weaknesses in the management structure. 这篇报告重点论述了该管理体系的弱点。

What do you mean? 这是什么意思？

There were a lot of people who thought, “Oh, I'm immune to the virus.” I've even had friends say that to me: “I haven't gotten it yet. Scientists should study me.” Some researchers did begin studying people who had not gotten Covid. But then Omicron came along and infected nearly everyone. Some scientists were very frustrated because they basically had to start over. On the other hand, those people were not “never Coviders” anyway. So the studies may take longer, but they'll be based on people who truly can't get infected.

有很多人想，“哦，我对这种病毒免疫了。”甚至有朋友对我说：“我还没得过。科学家们应该研究我。”一些研究人员确实开始研究未感染新冠病毒的人。但随后奥密克戎出现并感染了几乎所有人。一些科学家非常沮丧，因为他们基本上不得不重新开始。另一方面，这些人无论如何都不是“永不感染者”。因此，研究可能需要更长的时间，但研究将基于真正不会被感染的人。

Some scientists are studying health care workers and caregivers who really should have gotten infected because they had such high exposure, but didn't. The idea is that knowing what causes somebody to not get infected might help us figure out treatments for infection.

一些科学家正在研究没有被感染的医护人员和护理人员，他们接触病毒的频率非常高，本应受到感染。科学家认为，了解导致某人未被感染的原因可能有助于我们找出感染的治疗方法。

How many true “never Coviders” are there? 有多少真正的“永不感染者”？

We don't know because there are so many unknowns. We don't know if all the people who say they haven't gotten it yet really haven't had it, or had it and didn't know. We also don't know if they've just been incredibly careful and so the virus just hasn't had a chance to infect them yet.

我们不知道，因为有太多的未知数。我们不知道那些说自己还没得过新冠的人是真的没有得过，还是已经得过但不知道自己得过。我们也不知道他们是否特别注意，所以病毒还没有机会感染他们。

Also, things got complicated after the vaccines were introduced because the vaccines gave some immunity against infection. But the actual number of people who are totally immune to the virus, for whatever reason, is probably pretty small.

还有，引入疫苗后情况变得复杂了，因为疫苗提供了一定的抵抗感染的免疫力。但无论出于何种原因，对该病毒完全免疫的实际人数可能非常少。

What if I've never been infected? 如果我从未被感染怎么办？

If you haven't gotten it yet, that's wonderful and you're lucky, either because you're genetically lucky or because you've managed to dodge the virus. But I wouldn't assume that you are naturally resistant and throw all precautions to the wind. The chances you're naturally immune are fairly low. And as Omicron shows, it may be that you just haven't met the right variant yet.

如果你还没有感染过，那真好，你很幸运，要么是因为你在基因上很幸运，要么是因为你成功躲过了病毒。但我不会假设你天生就有抵抗力，继而把所有的预防措施都抛到九霄云外。你拥有自然免疫的概率相当低。正如奥密克戎让我们看到的那样，你可能只是还没有遇到相应的变体。

dodge /dɒdʒ/ 表示“闪开；躲开；避开”，英文解释为“to move quickly and suddenly to one side in order to avoid sb/sth”举个🌰：

He ran across the road, dodging the traffic. 他躲开来往的车辆跑过马路。

🎬电影《科洛弗档案》（Cloverfield）中的台词提到：You're dodging the question right now. 你在逃避问题。

有个说法叫throw caution to the wind/winds，字面意思就是把“谨慎”抛到九霄云外，不再考虑，可以解释为“不顾风险，不管三七二十一，鲁莽行事”，英文解释为“to do something without worrying about the risk or negative results”举个🌰：

I threw caution to the wind and bought the most expensive one. 我什么也不顾，买了最贵的那个。

Your ‘never Covid’ experiences 你的“从未感染新冠”的经历

We asked you how you think you might have avoided Covid so far, and got over 10,000 responses.

我们向人们询问到目前为止是如何避免感染新冠的，收到了超过1万份回复。

“I spent the pandemic taking care of a friend with cancer and avoided everyone just to focus on him and make him feel safe. He passed away in February and I started going out again and seeing new people, but I still haven't caught it! Either I am immune or I have a Covid guardian angel (him).” — Jessica Choe, Brooklyn, N.Y.

“在大流行病期间，我一直在照顾一位患有癌症的朋友，为了集中精力关照他并让他感到安全，我避开了所有人。他在2月去世后，我又开始外出见新朋友，但我还是没有感染过！要么我免疫，要么我有一个新冠守护天使（他）。”——来自纽约布鲁克林的杰西卡·崔

“Healthy constitution. Rarely got colds or flu even before the pandemic, plus early precautions, masking, vaccines, boosters, working from home and luck. Two and a half years with nary a sniffle, so we've given up our masks, dine indoors, socialize and party regularly now. Probably jinxing myself as I type.” — Katherine Fife, Davis, Calif.

“靠的是健康的体质。甚至在大流行之前我就很少感冒或得流感，再加上早期的预防措施，口罩、疫苗、加强针、居家办公和运气。两年半没有流过鼻涕，所以我们现在已经不戴口罩了，在室内用餐、社交和聚会。也许这些说多了会给我带来霉运。”——来自加利福尼亚州戴维斯的凯瑟琳·法夫

constitution /ˌkɒn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/ 1）表示“宪法；章程”，英文解释为“the set of political principles by which a state or organization is governed, especially in relation to the rights of the people it governs”举个🌰：

Britain has no written constitution. 英国没有成文宪法。

2）表示“组成；构成；结构；构造”，英文解释为“how something is made up of different parts”如：the constitution of a chemical compound 化合物的结构。

3）熟词僻义，表示“体质，体格”，英文解释为“the general state of someone's health”举个🌰：

He has a very strong constitution. 他体格很强壮。

表示“（增强药效的）辅助药剂”，英文解释为“a small amount of a substance that is given to increase the effect of the same substance given some time before, to continue to protect a person from illness”如：a polio booster 小儿麻痹症辅助药剂。

📍booster / booster shot / booster dose用来指加强针（疫苗）。

nary /ˈneə.ri/ a... 表示“（用于强调）没有一点”，英文解释为“not one or none at all; used for emphasis”举个🌰：

Nary a word of this was mentioned. 这件事一点都没提到。

sniffle /ˈsnɪf.əl/  可以作动词，也可以作名词，表示“（通常指因哭泣或感冒）抽鼻子，吸鼻子”，英文解释为“to breathe in quickly and repeatedly through the nose, usually because you are crying or because you have a cold”

📍a sniffle=the sniffles) 表示“鼻塞，轻微感冒”，英文解释为“a slight cold that mainly affects your nose”举个🌰：

I had a cold a couple of weeks ago and it's left me with a sniffle. 我几个星期前感冒了，现在依然有些鼻塞。

jinx /dʒɪŋks/ 表示“使…倒霉，遭遇厄运”，英文解释为“to cause a person or group to experience bad luck”举个🌰：

I thought we would win, but I didn't say so – I didn't want to jinx it. 我觉得我们会赢，但是不想说出来，怕因此倒霉。

“I think neither my husband nor I have caught Covid mostly due to luck. We don't have kids. We maintain a small, close circle of friends that shared the same views on how best to navigate the pandemic. We also had the benefit of living in Wyoming at the start of the pandemic, a place that isn't densely populated. We've since moved to Okinawa, Japan, and have become embedded in a culture that prioritizes public health and welfare over the individual. Mask-wearing is normal here, making it easier for us to continue the habits that have kept us safe and healthy these past almost three years.” — Jillian, Okinawa, Japan

“我认为我和我丈夫都没有感染新冠病毒主要是因为运气。我们没有孩子。我们有一个小而亲密的朋友圈，我们对如何尽可能应对这一流行病有着相同的看法。我们也有幸在大流行开始时住在怀俄明州，那里人口不密集。后来，我们搬到了日本冲绳，并融入了一种将公共卫生和福利置于个人之上的文化。过去三年来，我们的习惯让我们保持安全健康，在这里，戴口罩很正常，让我们更容易延续过去的习惯。”——来自日本冲绳的吉莲

表示“有人居住的；聚居了的；栖息了的”，举个🌰：

The southeast is the most densely populated area. 东南部是最稠密的居住区。

embedded /ɪmˈbed.ɪd/ 1）表示“嵌入（或插入、埋入）…之中的”，英文解释为“fixed into the surface of something”举个🌰：

The thorn was embedded in her thumb. 刺扎进了她的大拇指。

2）表示“（感情、态度等）深切的；根深蒂固的；强烈感受到的”，英文解释为“If an emotion, opinion, etc. is embedded in someone or something, it is a very strong or important part of him, her, or it.”举个🌰：

A sense of guilt was deeply embedded in my conscience. 一种负罪感在我内心打下了深深的烙印。

- 今日盘点 -

公众号后台对话框里发送：666

参与抽奖（12月24日0点开）

公众号后台对话框里发送：沙发

查看沙发计划，抢沙发拿奖励

公众号后台对话框里发送：打卡

参与每天持续行动打卡计划

公众号后台对话框里发送：提问

查看提问指南，不懂先查再问

- 推荐阅读 -

2022政府工作报告中英文对照注释版

为了这个合集，准备了整整1年11月

「LearnAndRecord」2021大盘点

写在七周年的话

- END -