除非人们改变自己的行为，否则到12月1日，美国预计将会再有近10万人死于新冠肺炎。这一估算出自美国最受关注的预测模型。
Health experts say the number of deaths could be cut in half if nearly everyone wore a face covering in public spaces.
卫生专家表示，如果绝大部分人都在公共场所戴上口罩，死亡人数可能会减少一半。
These predictions show that what happens with coronavirus infections this fall depends on human behavior, said Lauren Ancel Meyers. She is director of the University of Texas COVID-19 Modeling Consortium.
劳伦·安塞尔·迈耶斯表示，这些预测表明，今年秋季新冠病毒感染造成的后果取决于人类行为。她是德克萨斯大学新冠肺炎建模联盟的负责人。
"We cannot stop Delta," she said, "but we can change our behavior overnight."
她说：“我们没法阻止德尔塔变种，但是我们可以在一夜之间改变我们的行为。”
That means wearing face coverings, limiting social gatherings, staying home when sick and getting vaccinated.
这是指戴口罩、限制社交聚集、生病时呆在家里以及接种疫苗。
"Those things are within our control," Meyers said.
迈耶斯表示：“这些事情在我们的控制范围之内。”
The U.S. is in the middle of its fourth wave of infection. The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is partly to blame. It has caused a sharp rise in cases, hospitalizations and deaths, and has set back months of progress against the virus.
美国正处于第四波感染的中期。具有高度传染性的新冠病毒德尔塔变种是这波感染的部分原因。它导致新增病例、住院和死亡人数的急剧上升，并逆转了数月来抗击病毒所取得的进展。
In the U.S., deaths are now above 1,100 a day on average. The number has not been that high since the middle of March.
美国平均每天死亡人数超过1100人。这个数字是3月中旬以来的新高。
Experts with the University of Washington predict that 98,000 more Americans will die by the start of December. That will make the total number of U.S. deaths nearly 730,000.
华盛顿大学的专家预测，到12月初，将会有98000名美国人死亡。这将使美国的死亡总人数接近73万人。
The prediction says deaths will rise to nearly 1,400 a day by the middle of September, then lessen slowly. But the model also says many of those deaths can be avoided if enough Americans change their ways.
该预测称，到9月中旬，死亡人数将会上升至每天近1400人，然后缓慢下降。但是该模型还称，如果有足够多美国人改变他们的行为方式，其中许多死亡是可以避免的。
"We can save 50,000 lives simply by wearing masks. That's how important behaviors are," said Ali Mokdad. He is a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington and is involved in making the predictions.
阿里·穆克达德表示：“只需戴上口罩，我们就可以挽救5万人的性命。这就是行为的重要性。”穆克达德是华盛顿大学的健康计量科学教授，他参与了这些预测。
There are already signs that Americans are taking the threat more seriously.
已经有迹象表明，美国人开始更加认真地对待这一威胁。
In the past several weeks, the demand for COVID-19 vaccine shots has gone up. The number of shots given each day has climbed around 80 percent over the past month to an average of about 900,000.
在过去几周里，新冠肺炎疫苗接种需求有所增长。在过去一个月里，每天的疫苗注射次数增长了80%左右，达到了约90万次。
More people in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi "got their first shots in the past month" than in the two earlier months combined. Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 coordinator, announced that news last week.
阿拉巴马州、阿肯色州、路易斯安那州和密西西比州过去一个月接种第一针的人数超过了前两个月的总和。白宫新冠肺炎协调员杰夫·齐恩茨上周宣布了这一消息。
Millions of students across the country are now required to wear masks. And more companies are requiring workers to get the vaccine after Pfizer's shot got full government approval last week. In addition, cities like New York and New Orleans are requiring that people show proof of vaccination if they want to eat at restaurants.
全国各地数百万学生现在被要求戴口罩。在辉瑞疫苗上周获得政府的全面批准之后，越来越多企业要求员工接种疫苗。此外，纽约和新奥尔良等城市要求人们在餐馆用餐时出示疫苗接种证明。
Half of American workers support vaccine requirements at work, says a new opinion study from The Associated Press research center.
美联社研究中心的一项全新民意调查称，一半美国工人支持工作中的疫苗要求。
Early signs suggest change may already be lowering infection rates in a few places where the virus has been a big problem this summer.
早期迹象表明，相关变化可能已经降低了今年夏天病毒成为大问题的少数地区的感染率。
An Associated Press study shows the rate of new cases is slowing in Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas. They are some of the same states where first shots are on the rise.
美联社的一项调查显示，密西西比州、佛罗里达州、路易斯安那州和阿肯色州的新增病例比例正在放缓。首针接种率上升的也是这些州。
In Florida, pleas from hospitals and a battle over face coverings in schools may have pushed some to protect themselves. And late last week, a judge blocked Florida governor Ron DeSantis' attempt to ban face covering mandates in schools.
在佛罗里达州，医院的恳求和围绕在学校戴口罩的争论可能已经促使一些人自我保护。而上周晚些时候，一名法官阻止了佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯试图禁止学校口罩令的企图。
However, the news is more troubling for places like Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming. In those states, new infections have continued to rise.
然而，乔治亚州、肯塔基州、南卡罗来纳州、田纳西州、西弗吉尼亚州和怀俄明州等地的消息更加更加令人不安。在这些州，新增感染人数继续上升。
Even vaccinated people should be careful, said Dr. Gaby Sauza of Seattle, Washington, who is vaccinated. Days after an August wedding in Vermont, she and other attendees tested positive for COVID-19. It happened even though events were mainly held outdoors. And attendees had to show proof of their vaccinations.
华盛顿州西雅图市的盖比·索查打过疫苗，她说即使打过疫苗的人也要小心。在佛蒙特州8月的一场婚礼之后的数日，她和其他参与者新冠肺炎检测都是阳性。尽管婚礼主要是在户外举行，但感染还是发生了。而且参与者当时必须出示疫苗接种证明。
Sauza says she really wishes she had worn a face covering. She says she knows the vaccine kept her infection from being severe. But she still suffered through several days of body pains, high temperatures, tiredness, and coughing.
索查表示，她好希望当时自己戴了口罩。她说她知道疫苗可以防止重症。但她还是经受了几天的身体疼痛、高烧、疲倦和咳嗽。
"If we behave, we can contain this virus," Ali Mokdad said. "If we don't behave, this virus is waiting for us."
穆克达德表示：“如果我们采取行动，我们就能控制住这种病毒。如果我们听之任之，这种病毒就在等着我们。”
I'm Alice Bryant.
我是爱丽丝·布莱恩特。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)