This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。
For people infected with HIV, the earlier they start treatment, the better -- and better not just for them. A new study shows that early treatment greatly reduces the risk that the partner of an infected person will also get infected. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
对艾滋病毒感染者来说，越早治疗越好--而且不仅仅是对感染者有利。一项新的研究显示，早期治疗大大降低了艾滋病感染者的配偶受到感染的风险。艾滋病毒（HIV）是导致艾滋病（AIDS）的病毒。
Dr. Anthony Fauci is with the United States National Institutes of Health which paid for the study.
安东尼·福奇（Anthony Fauci）医生就职于赞助这项研究的美国国立卫生研究院。
ANTHONY FAUCI: "Many studies have been showing that the earlier you start, the better it is for the person who is infected. This study shows that not only is it better for the person who is infected, but it helps that person from transmitting to the person that's their sexual partner, heterosexual partner."
福奇：“许多研究已经证实越早治疗对艾滋病毒感染者越有利。这项研究不仅证实越早治疗对感染者有利，还有助于降低感染者向其异性性伴侣传播艾滋病毒的风险。”
Researchers cannot say if the results would be the same in men who have sex with men. Most of the couples in the study were heterosexual.
研究人员还不能肯定在同性恋中的研究结果是否会相同。这项研究所涉及的大部分配偶都是异性恋。
The study took place in Botswana, Brazil, India, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and Zimbabwe. It involved almost two thousand couples divided into two groups.
这项研究在博茨瓦纳、巴西、印度、肯尼亚、马拉维、南非、泰国、美国和津巴布韦进行，涉及了被分成两组的近两千对配偶。
In one group, the infected man or woman began to take a combination of three antiretroviral drugs immediately after being found to have HIV. In the other group, the infected partners began drug treatment only when they started to show signs of getting AIDS.
在其中一组，感染者一被发现感染艾滋病毒，立即采取三种抗逆转录病毒药品的联合治疗。而另外一组的感染者直到出现艾滋病患病迹象时才开始药物治疗。
The researchers say both groups received equal amounts of HIV-related care and counseling. That included information about safe sex practices, free condoms and regular HIV testing.
研究人员说，这两组研究对象得到了同等水平的艾滋病毒相关治疗和辅导。包括安全性行为知识，免费避孕套和艾滋病毒定期检测。
The study began in two thousand five. It was supposed to last until twenty-fifteen. But researchers stopped it early because the results were so clear. Only one case of infection was reported in couples where the infected partner began immediate treatment.
这项研究始于2005年，原计划持续到2015年。但研究人员提前终止了这项研究，因为研究结果已经非常明确。在感染者立即得到治疗的配偶中，只有一位感染者的配偶受到了感染。
Dr. Fauci says earlier treatment led to a ninety-six percent reduction in the spread of HIV to uninfected partners.
福奇医生表示，早期治疗可以使艾滋病毒感染者配偶的感染几率降低96%。
ANTHONY FAUCI: "This is a powerful bit of evidence that will go into the thinking and formulation of guidelines and of global policy, policy by WHO, by UNAIDS, by the international organizations that help to provide drugs in the developing world."
福奇：“这是一个有力证据，它将进入艾滋病指导方针和全球政策的考量和制定，这些全球政策包括世卫组织，联合国艾滋病规划署以及向发展中国家提供药品的国际性组织的政策。”
The study shows the value in testing and treating HIV before a person even feels sick enough to see a doctor. But in many countries, public health budgets are already stretched thin. In sub-Saharan Africa, the area hardest hit by AIDS, for every person who gets treated, two others go untreated.
这项研究证实了在感染者虚弱到需要就医前就进行检测和治疗的价值。但在许多国家，公共卫生预算已经捉襟见肘。在撒哈拉以南非洲这个受艾滋病打击最为严重的地区，只有三分之一的感染者能够得到治疗。
Antiretroviral drugs suppress the virus. Once people start treatment, they have to continue it daily for the rest of their life.
抗逆转录病毒药物可以抑制艾滋病毒。一旦感染者开始治疗，他们余生的每天都要进行这项治疗。