前一段時(shí)間困擾法國、英國等歐洲國家的臭蟲危機(jī)非但沒有緩解，如今還蔓延到了韓國。韓國政府如臨大敵，民眾也陷入恐慌，很多人都不敢去電影院，在地鐵上也寧愿站著。

South Korea has become the latest country to declare war on bedbugs following a wave of outbreaks, with bathhouses, university dorms, and train stations across the country on high alert.

繼臭蟲接連在多個(gè)國家肆虐后，近日韓國成為又一個(gè)對(duì)臭蟲宣戰(zhàn)的國家，韓國各地的澡堂、大學(xué)宿舍和火車站都對(duì)臭蟲高度戒備，嚴(yán)陣以待。

Thirty suspected or confirmed infestations have been reported since the end of October, prompting the government to announce a four-week campaign aimed at eradicating the bloodsucking pests.

截至10月底，已有30例疑似或被確認(rèn)的臭蟲感染事件上報(bào)，這促使韓國政府宣布了一個(gè)為期四周的除蟲計(jì)劃。

Previously, the country had been practically free of bedbugs following past extermination campaigns, with just nine infestations being reported to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA) since 2014.

先前，經(jīng)過多輪滅蟲運(yùn)動(dòng)，韓國已經(jīng)基本上見不到臭蟲的蹤影，自2014年以來，韓國疾病控制與預(yù)防中心只收到過9例臭蟲感染報(bào)告。

The sudden resurgence of the pests, which follows reports of similar outbreaks in France and the United Kingdom and an increase in cases in the United States, is spreading alarm among members of the public, with social media awash with pictures and accounts of people’s encounters with the insects.

繼法國、英國臭蟲泛濫，美國臭蟲數(shù)量也與日俱增后，臭蟲在韓國的突然泛濫讓公眾感到恐慌，社交媒體上到處是人們遇到臭蟲的圖片和描述。

Pest control firms have reported being inundated with requests for help while some websites have created dedicated sections to the problem, offering users a place to share tips on how to deal with the pests, with suggestions ranging from avoiding the cinema to standing on public transport.

除蟲公司報(bào)告稱收到了鋪天蓋地的除蟲請(qǐng)求，一些網(wǎng)站則專門為臭蟲問題開設(shè)了一個(gè)版塊，讓用戶可以在這里分享關(guān)于如何應(yīng)對(duì)臭蟲的建議，比如不去電影院或在公共交通工具上站著。

Some of the comments reflect both the fear and confusion of a public that has largely not needed to deal with the pests for many years.

有些評(píng)論反映出韓國民眾的恐慌和困惑，大部分民眾已經(jīng)許多年都無需面對(duì)臭蟲困擾。

"Should I throw away all electronics if I spot a bedbug,” asked a user on one website, while another wondered: “If I put double-sided tape around my mattress, would that stop the bugs getting on me?”

一名用戶在一個(gè)網(wǎng)站上問：“如果我看見一只臭蟲，我是不是應(yīng)該把所有電子產(chǎn)品都扔掉？”另一位用戶則想知道：“如果我在床墊周圍纏上雙面膠帶，臭蟲是不是就咬不到我了？”

Another said simply: “I’d rather have the Covid than bedbugs.”

還有一個(gè)人干脆說：“我寧愿得新冠肺炎也不要被臭蟲咬?！?/p>

While bedbugs do not spread diseases, the itching from their bites can cause a loss of sleep and secondary skin infections if people scratch them too hard. Being bitten by one of the insects – which are less than 1 cm (0.3 inch) in diameter - can also be seen as socially embarrassing.

盡管臭蟲不會(huì)傳播疾病，但是被臭蟲咬過之處的瘙癢會(huì)導(dǎo)致失眠，如果人們撓得太厲害，還會(huì)導(dǎo)致繼發(fā)性皮膚感染。被臭蟲（直徑不到1厘米）咬到也是一件讓人難堪的事情。

In the capital of Seoul, the city government is launching a new “Bedbug Reporting and Management System” and a “Zero Bedbugs City, Seoul” initiative, under which it says it will inspect 3,175 lodging facilities, bathhouses, and jjimjilbangs (Korean saunas with rooms of varying temperatures).

在韓國首都首爾市，市政府發(fā)布了新的“臭蟲報(bào)告與管理系統(tǒng)”和“零臭蟲城市計(jì)劃”，這一計(jì)劃將會(huì)檢查3175家住宿設(shè)施、澡堂和桑拿房。

The city has said it will also provide pest control support for small housing units known as jjokbang or gosiwon, which typically measure around 3-6 square meters (30-60 square feet) and house some of Seoul’s poorest residents.

首爾市政府表示，將會(huì)為考試院等小型住房提供除蟲支援，這種房子通常只有3到6平方米，是首爾最窮的一些人居住的地方。

Other areas deemed high-risk include subways and cinemas. The government says its campaign will include periodic steam-cleaning of subway seats.

其他高風(fēng)險(xiǎn)地區(qū)還包括地鐵和電影院。政府表示，除蟲活動(dòng)將包括對(duì)地鐵座椅進(jìn)行定期蒸汽清潔。

"Bedbugs are developing resistance to the insecticides that we commonly use, so the most effective solution these days is heating. It turns out that a temperature of about 45 degrees Celsius can kill the bugs and the eggs,” said Lee Si-hyeock, professor of Agricultural Biotechnology at Seoul National University.

國立首爾大學(xué)農(nóng)業(yè)生物技術(shù)系教授李思赫表示：“臭蟲對(duì)我們常用的殺蟲劑已經(jīng)產(chǎn)生了抗藥性，因此現(xiàn)在最有效的方法就是高溫殺蟲。實(shí)踐證明，45攝氏度左右的溫度可以殺死臭蟲和蟲卵?！?/p>

He said using a dryer or an iron could be an effective method for eliminating bedbugs and their eggs from fabric.

李教授指出，用烘干機(jī)或熨斗可以有效地殺滅布料上的臭蟲和蟲卵。

In its “Bedbug Prevention and Response Guidelines,” the Seoul City Government advises people against bringing items with a risk of infestation into their homes. It says high risk items include used furniture and old books.

首爾市政府在其《臭蟲防治和應(yīng)對(duì)指南》中建議人們不要把有臭蟲感染風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的物品帶回家。這種高風(fēng)險(xiǎn)物品包括用過的家具和舊書。

"Repairing damaged areas such as cracks and wallpaper can minimize potential bedbug habitats,” it adds.

指南中還提到：“修補(bǔ)破損的地方，比如裂縫和墻紙，可以盡可能消除臭蟲的潛在棲息地。”

英文來源：美國有線電視新聞網(wǎng)

翻譯&編輯：丹妮