Mysteries of vernacular: Quarantine - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

字源探秘：Quarantine - Jessica Oreck 與 Rachael Teel

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Coco Shen

Mysteries of vernacular:

字源探秘：

Quarantine,

Quarantine

a state, period, or place of strict isolation

意指隔離檢疫的狀態、 時間，或場所

meant to prevent the spread of disease.

以防止疾病的傳播

In the 14th century,

在十四世紀時

the Bubonic Plague,

瘟疫

later called "The Black Death,"

後來稱為「黑死病」

spread across Europe

蔓延於歐洲

with devastating consequences.

造成破壞性的後果

It's been estimated

據估計

that the Plague decimated at least one-third

瘟疫至少毀滅了三分之一

of Europe's population.

的歐洲人口

In a vain effort to stave off infection,

在一次試圖避免流行病侵襲 的徒勞努力中

the Italian-speaking port city of Ragusa,

位於現今的克羅埃西亞的

in what is now Croatia,

義大利語港口城市 Ragusa

mandated that ships arriving

下令凡從瘟疫橫行的地區

from Plague-infested areas

航行而來的船舶

remain isolated on the water

都必須在水上隔離一段時間

until it was deemed likely

直到被認定為

that they weren't carrying a disease.

它們沒有攜帶病原為止

This meant that the entire contents of a ship

這意味著，一艘船的整個裝載物

and all of its passengers

以及所有乘客

were often forced to remain on board

經常被迫留在船上

for five or six weeks before being let ashore.

五到六個星期之後，才被允許上岸

Though the drastic measure

雖然這種嚴厲的措施

was only marginally successful,

僅僅只是勉強成功而已

it wasn't long before other port cities followed suit.

沒多久，其他港口城市也起而效尤

In 1397, the official period of isolation

在 1397 年，強制船隻和船員的

imposed on ships and crews

官方隔離期

was set at forty days.

定為四十天

Although it did little to protect ports from infection,

雖然它無法保護港口免受病菌侵害

the directive stuck.

人們仍舊執行該命令

From the Italian word quaranta,

Quaranta 這個來自義大利語的詞

meaning forty,

意指「四十」

this period of stasis was given the name

這段留置時期就被稱為

quarantine.

Quarantine（檢疫期）

And by the mid 1600s,

到了十七世紀中葉

the word quarantine was being used

Quarantine 這個詞

to describe any place,

便被用來指稱任何隔離的場所、

period,

期間

or state of isolation,

或狀態

plague-related or not.

無論它是否與瘟疫有關