新聞閱讀的根本目的是獲取信息，尤其是時效性強的信息，然而，更多的讀者恐怕是僅僅滿足於信息獲取，卻常常忽略所獲取信息的來源，即關於信息的時間和出處及其真實和可靠性。如果說，作為母語的新聞閱讀忽略信息源對信息的接收和處理影響有限的話，因為母語閱讀者具有深厚的關於信息的社會文化背景知識，而作為外語學習的英語新聞閱讀對於信息源的確認和確信則不是可有可無的，因為非母語閱讀者關於非母語的社會文化背景知識是非常有限的，因此，如果對於信息源不夠專注的話很有可能對信息的獲取造成相當大的影響，難以獲得完整的信息。所以，對於英語學習者和愛好者來說，在閱讀英語新聞的過程中，特別關注信息源並注意持續加強相關的背景知識的瞭解和學習是非常必要的，不僅有助於強化英語學習，而且更有助於完整和準確地獲取信息，以達到接近母語新聞閱讀者的水平和能力。以下為讀者提供的新聞報道包含相當多的信息，同時也提供了相應的信息源，讀者可以嘗試特別關注信息源及其背景知識。
一、信息源及其背景知識
1. Johns Hopkins University：指約翰·霍普金斯大學系統科學與工程中心（the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University），是關於COVID-19信息的權威發佈機構。
2. Coronavirus Task Force：冠狀病毒特別工作組：特朗普總統在一月份任命的一個特別工作組，由副總統邁克·彭斯領導，成員包括傑羅姆·亞當斯、亞歷克斯·阿扎爾、西瑪·韋爾馬、黛博拉·比爾克斯和安東尼·福奇。（President Trump appointed a task force in January to develop a U.S. response to the potential crisis. Vice President Mike Pence was appointed in February by President Trump to head a task force charged with leading the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. The current coronavirus task force members include Jerome Adams, Alex Azar and Seema Verma, Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci.）
3. Dr. Deborah Birx：德博拉·伯克斯博士，2月底被任命為白宮冠狀病毒應對協調員，同時擔任美國國務院全球艾滋病協調員和美國全球衛生外交特別代表，世界著名的醫學專家，曾在全球抗擊艾滋病毒/艾滋病方面廣有建樹。（Deborah Birx was appointed as the White House coronavirus response coordinator in late February, is a world-renowned medical expert and has worked extensively in the global fight against HIV/AIDS -- both as the State Department's U.S. global AIDS coordinator and as the U.S. special representative for global health diplomacy.）
4. Dr. Anthony Fauci：安東尼·福奇博士，國家過敏和傳染病研究所所長，在治療各種免疫介導和傳染病，包括呼吸道感染、腹瀉病、結核病和瘧疾，以及埃博拉和寨卡等新疾病方面卓有建樹並在相關機構擔任多種職務。（Dr. Anthony Fauci is head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He's made numerous contributions to research and his portfolio at the agency includes the treatment of various immune-mediated and infectious diseases, including respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, and malaria as well as emerging diseases such as Ebola and Zika.）
二、英語新聞報道原文
More than 10,000 People Have Now Died of Coronavirus in the United States
More than 10,000 people have died in the United States after testing positive for the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins University reported Monday.
The nation's updated fatality count—which climbed to 10,335 on April 6—now represents roughly 14 percent of the global total.
Worldwide, at least 72,600 deaths have occurred as a result of COVID-19 infections and upward of 1.3 million cases of the virus have been confirmed since late December. The U.S. is now considered the pandemic's epicenter, surpassing 347,000 positive cases Monday afternoon. About 91 percent of those cases were active, meaning close to 318,000 people diagnosed with the illness still carried the infection.
The U.S. death toll has been eclipsed only by those of Italy and Spain, which have now respectively reported 16,523 and 13,169 fatalities related to COVID-19. Despite fewer deaths, as of Monday, the U.S. has confirmed more positive cases of the virus than both countries combined, and White House officials warned last week that the nation could ultimately see a surge in domestic fatalities as the outbreak approaches its peak.
Though an exact timeline for the expected U.S. trajectory of the virus has not been specified, President Donald Trump's foreboding remarks during Saturday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing suggested that this upcoming week would be particularly devastating.
"This will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week, and there will be a lot of death," he warned the public, noting that the White House's social distancing advisory—recently extended until at least April 30—would likely reduce the human cost significantly. "But there will be death," he said. Last Tuesday, Coronavirus Task Force members Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci projected that COVID-19 could take between 100,000 and 240,000 U.S. lives overall, even with containment measures in place.
New York has experienced the highest density of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., having reported more than 130,000 positive diagnoses and at least 4,700 deaths. New York City has shouldered the bulk of the virus' impact and has expanded its hospital bed capacity to accommodate an influx of patients. In terms of statewide figures, New Jersey, Michigan and California trailed New York's total with 37,505, 15,718 and 15,201 confirmed cases as of Monday afternoon.
三、新聞報道譯文
美國已有一萬多人死於冠狀病毒
據約翰霍普金斯大學週一報道，美國已有一萬多人新型冠狀病毒檢測呈陽性後死亡。
美國最新的死亡人數——4月6日攀升至10,335人——目前約佔全球死亡人數的14%。
全世界至少有72,600人死於COVID-19感染，自12月下旬以來確診病例多達130萬例。美國現在被認為是大流行的中心，週一下午陽性病例超過34.7萬例。其中約91%為活躍病例，意味著確診該疾病的近31.8萬人仍然存在感染。
美國的死亡人數僅低於意大利和西班牙，意大利和西班牙目前分別報告COVID-19相關死亡人數16,523人和13,169人。儘管美國的死亡人數相對較少，但截止週一，美國病毒呈陽性確診病例比這兩國的總和還要多，白宮官員上週警告說，隨著疫情接近高峰，美國國內死亡人數最終可能會激增。
儘管預測的美國的病毒發展軌跡確切時間表尚未明確，但唐納德·特朗普總統在週六的冠狀病毒特別工作組簡報會上的預感言論表明，未來一週將極具破壞性。
"本週到下週，可能是最艱難的一週，而且將會有很多人死亡，"他警告公眾並指出，白宮的社交距離公告——最近延長到至少4月30日——可能會極大降低人員損失。"但會有死亡，"他說。上週二，冠狀病毒特別工作組成員黛博拉·伯克斯博士和安東尼·福奇博士預測，即使抑制措施就位，COVID-19可能總共會奪去10萬至24萬美國人的生命。
紐約的COVID-19病例是美國最密集的，報告陽性確診病例超過13萬例和死亡病例至少4,700例。病毒給紐約市造成了巨大的影響，該市為容納大量湧入的患者擴充了醫院的病床容量。從各州範圍的數字來看，截止週一下午，新澤西州、密歇根州和加利福尼亞州的確診病例總數居於紐約州之後，分別為37,505例、15,718例和15,201例。
四、詞彙釋義：
test positive：檢測呈陽性
updated：最新的
fatality count：死亡統計數
represent：相當於，等於
roughly：大約
global total：全球總計
confirm：確認
pandemic：大流行
epicenter：中心，震中
surpass：超過
diagnose：診斷
eclipse：使…黯然失色，使…相形見絀
respectively：分別
ultimately：最終
surge：激增
domestic：國內的
outbreak：爆發
approach：接近
trajectory：（運行）軌跡
specify：明確說明
forebode：預示，預感
task force：特別工作組，行動組
briefing：簡報會
devastating：破壞性的，毀滅性的
social distancing：（保持）社交距離
advisory：公告，通告
extend：擴展
human cost：人員損失
project：預測
containment：遏制，抑制
in place：就位
density：密度
shoulder：承擔，承受
bulk：大部分
expand：擴大
capacity：能力，容量
accommodate：容納
influx：湧入
trail：落後，隨後
五、難句解析：
1. About 91 percent of those cases were active, meaning close to 318,000 people diagnosed with the illness still carried the infection.
——本句的特色是現在分詞引導賓語從句作狀語，其中從句的主語因含有後置定語與謂語形成分隔造成一定的理解障礙。
——About 91 percent of those cases were active——主句，About 91 percent——主語，of those cases——後置定語，were active——謂語（系表結構）
——meaning——狀語，現在分詞，與about 91 percent構成邏輯主謂關係，同時引導賓語從句
——close to 318,000 people diagnosed with the illness still carried the infection賓語從句，close to 318,000 people——從句主語，diagnosed with the illness——過去分詞短語，後置短語，still——狀語，carried the infection——謂語，動賓結構。
2. The U.S. death toll has been eclipsed only by those of Italy and Spain, which have now respectively reported 16,523 and 13,169 fatalities related to COVID-19.
——本句的特色是形象描述，eclipse的表面意思是（使）發生月食、月食的意思，實際含義是（使）相形見絀/黯然失色的意思。
——The U.S. death toll has been eclipsed only by those of Italy and Spain——主句，The U.S. death toll——主語，has been eclipsed——謂語，被動語態完成時，only——狀語，by those of Italy and Spain——狀語，表示施動者。
——which have now respectively reported 16,523 and 13,169 fatalities related to COVID-19——定語從句，which——關係代詞，代指Italy and Spain，從句主語， have now respectively reported——謂語，完成時，16,523 and 13,169 fatalities——賓語，related to COVID-19——過去分詞短語，後置定語。
3. Despite fewer deaths, as of Monday, the U.S. has confirmed more positive cases of the virus than both countries combined, and White House officials warned last week that the nation could ultimately see a surge in domestic fatalities as the outbreak approaches its peak.
——本句的特色是並列句疊加從句，狀語置後，與漢語語序有一定的差別。
——Despite fewer deaths——狀語，as of Monday——狀語，兩個狀語前置連用，便於句子平衡。
——the U.S. has confirmed more positive cases of the virus than both countries combined——主句，比較級，combined——後置定語。
——White House officials warned last week that… 並列主句，White House officials——主語，warned——謂語，last week ——狀語，that——連接詞，引導賓語從句。
——the nation could ultimately see a surge in domestic fatalities——賓語從句，the nation——狀語，could… see——謂語，ultimately——狀語，a surge——賓語，in domestic fatalities——狀語。
——as the outbreak approaches its peak——狀語從句，as——連接詞，the outbreak——主語，approaches——謂語，its peak——賓語。
4. "This will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week, and there will be a lot of death," he warned the public, noting that the White House's social distancing advisory—recently extended until at least April 30—would likely reduce the human cost significantly.
——本句是比較典型的新聞報道句式，即引用信息源，信息比較多，句子比較長，對句子的理解造成比較大的影響。
——"This will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week, and there will be a lot of death,"——直接引語，語序比較靈活，可置於主句謂語動詞之前，語法上，可看作是賓語從句，本句為並列主謂結構。
——he warned the public——主句，he——主語，warned——謂語，引導雙賓語，前置的直接引語是直接賓語，the public是間接賓語。
——noting that…——主語，現在分詞，that——連接詞，引導賓語從句。
——the White House's social distancing advisory… would likely reduce the human cost significantly——賓語從句，the White House's social distancing advisory——主語，would… reduce——謂語，the human cost——賓語，likely和significantly——狀語。
———recently extended until at least April 30———破折號，解釋說明，語法上相當於過去分詞引導的後置定語。
5. Last Tuesday, Coronavirus Task Force members Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci projected that COVID-19 could take between 100,000 and 240,000 U.S. lives overall, even with containment measures in place.
——本句的特色是獨立主格，with+名詞+介詞，even with containment measures in place，even——狀語，with——介詞，containment measures——介詞賓語， in place——賓語補足語。
——Last Tuesday, Coronavirus Task Force members Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci projected that…——主句，Last Tuesday——狀語，Coronavirus Task Force members Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci——主語，projected——謂語，that…——賓語從句，that——連接詞，引導賓語從句。
——COVID-19 could take between 100,000 and 240,000 U.S. lives overall——賓語從句，COVID-19——主語，could take——謂語，between 100,000 and 240,000 U.S. lives——賓語，overall——狀語。
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