Mysteries of vernacular: Quarantine.
通用俗语的谜团：Quarantine。
A state, period, or place of strict isolation meant to prevent the spread of disease.
Quarantine是指隔离检疫的状态、时间或场所，以防止疾病的传播。
In the 14th century, the Bubonic Plague, later called "The Black Death," spread across Europe with devastating consequences.
在十四世纪时，腺鼠疫，后来称为“黑死病”，在欧洲肆虐，惨绝人寰。
It's been estimated that the Plague decimated at least one-third of Europe's population.
据估计，腺鼠疫至少消灭了三分之一的欧洲人口。
In a vain effort to stave off infection, the Italian-speaking port city of Ragusa, in what is now Croatia,
在一次防止感染的徒劳努力中，讲意大利语的海港城市拉古萨，也就是如今的克罗地亚，
mandated that ships arriving from Plague-infested areas remain isolated on the water
要求来自感染地带的到港船只在水上进行隔离，
until it was deemed likely that they weren't carrying a disease.
直到被判断为不太可能载有疾病。

This meant that the entire contents of a ship and all of its passengers
这意味着整艘船的货物和所有乘客
were often forced to remain on board for five or six weeks before being let ashore.
都经常被强制滞留在船上，过5到6个星期后才被允许上岸。
Though the drastic measure was only marginally successful, it wasn't long before other port cities followed suit.
尽管这一极端措施效果有限，很快其他港口城市还是竞相效仿。
In 1397, the official period of isolation imposed on ships and crews was set at forty days.
1397年，针对船只和船员的官方隔离期限是40天。
Although it did little to protect ports from infection, the directive stuck.
尽管这么做并没有怎么保证港口不受感染，但该政策还是继续了下去。
From the Italian word quaranta, meaning forty, this period of stasis was given the name quarantine.
这段隔离的期限被称为quarantine，它来自意大利语“quaranta”，意思是40。
And by the mid 1600s, the word quarantine was being used to describe any place, period, or state of isolation, plague-related or not.
等到了17世纪中期，quarantine这个词便被用来指任何隔离的场所、期间或状态，无论它是否与瘟疫有关。