雅思阅读材料之black death

The Black Death wiped out 100 million people

黑死病席卷欧洲（死亡一亿人）

One of the most devastating pandemics in the history of the world, the bacterium Yersinia pestis killed up to 60% of Europe's population between 1348 and 1350.

黑死病是人类史上最严重的瘟疫之一，其元凶是一种叫做鼠疫耶尔森菌的病毒。黑死病在1348年到1350年间导致欧洲六成人口死亡。

The monumental death toll shaped contemporary morality and a "live for the moment" approach to life infused Europe during the slaughter, and after the deaths tapered off.

死亡人数之多甚至改变了当时人们的人生观，在黑死病肆虐时期，人们只相信“活在当下”，这种情况直到黑死病的蔓延减弱才得以改变。

The disease was called "black" not for its tendency to cause gangrene before death, but because of the black mood it inspired. It took 150 years for the population to recover.

这场大瘟疫之所以称之为黑死病，并不仅仅因为它会使患者死前身体呈现大量黑色，更多的是因为它所造成的恐怖压抑的氛围。黑死病之后，人口数量经过了150年才得以恢复。