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In the heart of 19th-century Vienna, a young physician made a simple yet groundbreaking discovery that would forever change the course of medicine, save the lives of countless women, and ruin his own.
在19世纪维也纳的中心地带，一位年轻的医生做出了一个简单却具有开创性的发现，这一发现将永远改变医学的发展进程，拯救无数妇女的生命，却毁了他自己的生命。
Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was born in Hungary in 1818. He grew up in a modest family but displayed an early aptitude for academics.
伊格纳兹·塞麦尔维斯医生于1818年出生于匈牙利。他在一个普通家庭长大，但很早就表现出了学术天赋。
After school, he pursued a medical education. The young doctor began his career working in the maternity clinic at Vienna General Hospital.
毕业后，他继续攻读医学学位。这位年轻的医生在维也纳综合医院的产科诊所开始了他的职业生涯。
This is when he noticed a distressing pattern: women who gave birth in the clinic, where doctors were in charge, had an extremely high mortality rate—due to childbed fever.
这时，他注意到一个令人痛心的现象：在由医生负责的诊所分娩的妇女死亡率极高——原因是产褥热。
New mothers in the wards managed by midwives were just fine. This puzzled Semmelweis, who was deeply worried about the women and their babies.
助产士管理的病房里的新手妈妈们都很好。这让塞麦尔维斯感到困惑，他深切担心这些妇女和她们的孩子。
And so he became determined to uncover the root cause of the tragedy. Scientific study and meticulous research eventually led him to a groundbreaking discovery.
于是他决心找出悲剧的根源。科学研究和细致的研究最终使他有了突破性的发现。
He noted that some doctors transitioned directly from performing autopsies to delivering babies and hypothesized that they were transmitting dangerous pathogens that infected the new mothers.
他注意到，一些医生直接从尸检转为接生，并假设他们传播了危险的病原体，感染了新妈妈。
To address this issue, Semmelweis introduced a simple yet revolutionary medical practice: handwashing with a chlorine solution before doctors attended to women in labor.
为了解决这个问题，塞麦尔维斯引入了一种简单而革命性的医疗实践：在医生为产妇接生之前，用氯溶液洗手。
This single measure led to a significant reduction in maternal mortality rates in the physician-attended clinic.
仅凭这一措施，医生接生的诊所的产妇死亡率就显著降低了。
Despite these impressive results, Semmelweis faced resistance from most of his colleagues—they simply didn't want to wash their hands.
尽管取得了这些重大成果，但塞麦尔维斯仍然面临大多数同事的抵制——他们根本不想洗手。
The medical establishment of his time was skeptical of his ideas, as the germ theory of disease was not yet widely accepted.
当时的医学界对他的想法持怀疑态度，因为疾病的细菌理论尚未被广泛接受。
The rejection and the tragedy that unfolded right in front of his eyes took a toll on Semmelweis's mental health—he started to experience depression and anxiety.
眼前发生的排斥和悲剧对塞麦尔维斯的心理健康造成了损害——他开始出现抑郁和焦虑。
In 1865, at the age of 47, he was committed to a psychiatric institution in Vienna.
1865年，47岁的他被送往维也纳的一家精神病院。
He died there just two weeks later, reportedly due to a severe infection, but most likely because he was badly beaten by the guards—though this was never proven.
两周后，他在那里去世，据报道死于严重感染，但最有可能是因为他遭到警卫的毒打——尽管这一点从未得到证实。
Semmelweis's story highlights the challenges faced by pioneers in medicine.
塞麦尔维斯的故事凸显了医学先驱所面临的挑战。
His work would eventually become standard practice in healthcare, saving countless lives,
他的工作最终成为医疗保健的标准做法，挽救了无数生命，
but the tragic circumstances of his life and death underscore the difficulties faced by those who challenge established beliefs.
但他生前和死后的悲惨境遇凸显了那些挑战既定信念的人所面临的困难。
"Science advances one funeral at a time," the German physicist Max Planck said.
“科学越进步，人类离坟墓越近，”德国物理学家马克斯·普朗克说道。
Or more precisely: "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light,
或者更准确地说：“新的科学真理的胜利不是因为说服了反对者，让他们看到了光芒，
but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."
而是因为反对者最终死去，而熟悉它的新一代成长起来。”
What do you think about Semmelweis's story and its broader implications for innovation in science and medicine?
您如何看待塞麦尔维斯的故事及其对科学和医学创新的更广泛影响？
And do we, as Planck said, really only advance one generation at a time? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
正如普朗克所说，我们真的只能一次进步一代吗？请在下面的评论中分享您的想法。
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