Typhus is a serious disease that people catch from the bite (or, more exactly, the droppings) of tiny insects that live on human and animal bodies — body lice, fleas, and mites. It gives you a very high fever, a bad headache, aching muscles, and usually a rash on the skin; before modern medicine it killed a lot of people.

Typhus is a serious disease that people catchTyphus（斑疹傷寒）是一種會傳染給人的嚴重疾病 from the bite (or, more exactly, the droppings)傳染途徑是被咬（更準確地說，是接觸到牠們的排泄物） of tiny insects that live on human and animal bodies這些咬人的是寄生在人或動物身上的小蟲 — body lice, fleas, and mites像體蝨、跳蚤、蟎蟲。 It gives you a very high fever, a bad headache, aching muscles, and usually a rash on the skin得病後會發高燒、頭痛得很厲害、肌肉痠痛，皮膚上通常還會出疹子; before modern medicine it killed a lot of people在現代醫學出現之前，它奪走了很多人的性命。

It is a formal, medical word. Where you meet it most is in history: it spread through armies, prisons, refugee camps, and ships — anywhere many people were crowded together, cold, and could not wash or change clothes. That is why it has old names like 'jail fever' and 'camp fever'.

It is a formal, medical word這是一個正式的醫學用字。 Where you meet it most is in history你最常在歷史裡看到這個字: it spread through armies, prisons, refugee camps, and ships它曾在軍隊、監獄、難民營、船上大規模傳播 — anywhere many people were crowded together, cold, and could not wash or change clothes只要是很多人擠在一起、又冷、又沒辦法洗澡換衣服的地方，都會爆發。 That is why it has old names like這就是為什麼它有像 'jail fever' and 'camp fever'「jail fever」（獄熱病）和「camp fever」（營熱病）這樣的舊稱。

Today it is rare in places with clean water and washing machines, and antibiotics cure it, so most people know the word only from history books and films. Note that the insect does not really 'carry' the germ into you like a mosquito; you usually scratch the bite and rub the insect's dirt into the broken skin.

Today it is rare in places with clean water and washing machines現在在有乾淨用水、有洗衣機的地方已經很少見, and antibiotics cure it而且抗生素就能治好, so most people know the word only from history books and films所以大部分人只在歷史書和電影裡認識這個字。 Note that the insect does not really 'carry' the germ into you like a mosquito要注意的是，這種蟲不像蚊子那樣直接把病菌『帶進』你體內; you usually scratch the bite and rub the insect's dirt into the broken skin而是你抓癢的時候，把蟲的排泄物揉進被抓破的皮膚裡。

Careful writers add a word in front — 'epidemic typhus', 'scrub typhus' — because these are somewhat different illnesses with the same family name.

Careful writers add a word in front嚴謹的寫作者會在前面加一個字 — 'epidemic typhus', 'scrub typhus'像「epidemic typhus」（流行性斑疹傷寒）、「scrub typhus」（恙蟲病） — because these are somewhat different illnesses with the same family name因為這些是名字相近、但其實不太一樣的疾病。