A serious infectious disease, caused by bacteria, that spreads mainly through sexual contact; a pregnant woman can also pass it to her baby.

A serious infectious disease一種嚴重的傳染病，caused by bacteria由細菌引起，that spreads mainly through sexual contact主要透過性接觸傳染；a pregnant woman懷孕的女性 can also pass it to her baby也可能把它傳給寶寶。

It moves in stages — first a painless sore that heals on its own, then a rash and flu-like illness, then often years of nothing at all — and that quiet middle stage is what makes it dangerous, because someone can feel perfectly well while the infection is still there. Left untreated for many years it can damage the heart, the brain and the nerves.

It它 moves in stages會分階段發展——first先是 a painless sore一個不會痛的潰瘍 that heals on its own會自己好的，then接著是 a rash and flu-like illness紅疹和類似感冒的症狀，then然後 often years of nothing at all常常會有好幾年什麼症狀都沒有——and而 that quiet middle stage正是這個安靜的中間階段 is what makes it dangerous讓它變得危險，because因為 someone can feel perfectly well一個人可能感覺完全正常 while the infection is still there感染還在身體裡的時候。Left untreated如果放著不治療 for many years好幾年 it它 can damage the heart, the brain and the nerves可能會傷害心臟、腦部和神經。

Before penicillin it was a genuine terror of European life and killed or maddened a long list of famous people; today it is cured with antibiotics, though case numbers have been rising again in many countries, Taiwan included, which is why it still appears in health campaigns rather than only in history books.

Before penicillin在青黴素出現以前，it它 was a genuine terror of European life是歐洲生活裡真正令人恐懼的東西 and killed or maddened a long list of famous people害死或害瘋了一長串名人；today今天 it它 is cured with antibiotics可以用抗生素治好，though不過 case numbers have been rising again病例數又開始上升 in many countries在許多國家，Taiwan included包括台灣在內，which is why這也是為什麼 it它 still appears in health campaigns至今還出現在衛教宣導裡 rather than only in history books而不只是出現在歷史課本裡。

In English it is a plain medical noun, uncountable, and takes a singular verb ('syphilis is curable'). Be aware that it still carries heavy shame in ordinary talk, so outside a clinic people use it as an insult or avoid saying it at all — the general polite phrase is 'a sexually transmitted infection' or 'an STI'.

In English在英文裡，it它 is a plain medical noun是一個純粹的醫學名詞，uncountable不可數，and而且 takes a singular verb動詞要用單數 ('syphilis is curable')（像是「syphilis is curable」）。Be aware要注意，that it still carries heavy shame in ordinary talk在日常對話裡它仍然帶有很重的羞恥感，so所以 outside a clinic在診間之外，people人們 use it as an insult會拿它當侮辱的話 or avoid saying it at all或是根本避免說出口——the general polite phrase is比較禮貌的通用說法是 'a sexually transmitted infection' or 'an STI'「a sexually transmitted infection」或「an STI」。

The stress falls on the first syllable: SIF-uh-lis.

The stress falls on the first syllable重音在第一個音節：SIF-uh-lisSIF-uh-lis。