血源性肝炎是导致世界各地人们肝硬化和肝癌的一个主要的全球性健康难题。今年的诺贝尔生理学或医学奖授予了三位科学家，他们鉴定出一种新型病毒，即丙型肝炎病毒，从而在与血源性肝炎的斗争中做出了决定性的贡献。

Thomas Perlmann, Secretary of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet and of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, announces Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice as the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine during a news conference at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, October 5, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

Three scientists who played central roles in the discovery of the hepatitis C virus have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020.

2020年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖近日揭晓，获奖者是三位在发现丙型肝炎病毒的过程中做出重大贡献的科学家。

This prize will be shared by Michael Houghton, from the United Kingdom, and United States scientists Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice, who all made notable contributions toward the discovery of the blood-borne virus that causes chronic liver problems.

这个奖项将由英国科学家迈克尔·霍顿以及美国科学家哈维·J·阿尔特和查尔斯·M·赖斯分享，他们都为发现导致慢性肝脏问题的血源性丙型肝炎病毒做出了卓越贡献。

Alter demonstrated in the 1970s that some people who received blood transfusions would develop cases of hepatitis that were not caused by the hepatitis A or B viruses, suggesting that another infectious agent was to blame.

阿尔特在20世纪70年代证明，一些接受输血的人会患上不是由甲型或乙型肝炎病毒引起的肝炎，这表明另一种感染源是罪魁祸首。

In the 1980s, Houghton managed to isolate the genetic sequence of the virus, while Rice proved that the pathogen could replicate and cause infection.

在20世纪80年代，霍顿成功地分离出了丙型肝炎病毒的基因序列，而赖斯则证明了这种病原体可以复制并引起感染。

The World Health Organization estimates that around 71 million people worldwide live with hepatitis C, which can cause major liver complications and, in some cases, death.

据世界卫生组织估计，全世界大约有7100万人患有丙型肝炎，丙型肝炎会导致严重的肝脏并发症，在某些情况下甚至会导致死亡。

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, which is the Stockholm-based body that oversees the awards, said the three researchers had contributed to a "landmark achievement in the ongoing battle against viral diseases".

斯德哥尔摩卡罗林斯卡学院的诺贝尔奖大会称，这三位研究人员为“抗击病毒性肝炎的一项里程碑式的成就”做出了贡献。卡罗林斯卡学院负责评审和颁发诺贝尔生理学或医学奖。

"The discovery of hepatitis C virus revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic hepatitis and made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives," the assembly said in a statement. "Thanks to their discovery, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now available and these have essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health."

大会在一份声明中说：“丙型肝炎病毒的发现揭示了其余慢性肝炎病例的病因，使验血和研制新药成为可能，从而挽救了数百万人的生命。由于他们的发现，现在可以对病毒进行高度敏感的血液检测，这基本上消除了世界许多地区的输血后肝炎，极大地改善了全球健康。”

The assembly said that the discoveries performed by the newly minted Nobel Laureates also allowed for the rapid development of antiviral drugs directed at hepatitis C.

大会说，这些新诺贝尔奖得主的发现也为快速开发针对丙型肝炎的抗病毒药物创造了条件。

"For the first time in history, the disease can now be cured, raising hopes of eradicating hepatitis C virus from the world population," the statement said.

该声明说：“丙型肝炎在历史上首次得以治愈，为在全人类中根除丙型肝炎病毒带来了希望。”

The award for physiology and medicine is the first of the Nobel Prizes to be handed out this year, with prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics to follow during the next seven days.

生理学或医学奖是今年颁发的第一个诺贝尔奖项，接下来的七天里还将颁发物理学奖、化学奖、文学奖、和平奖和经济学奖。