張競／「衛生福利部疾病管制署」的英文翻譯　值得大家注意

▲疾管署的英文翻譯，你有注意過嗎？（圖／記者李毓康攝） 

文.／張競

今天在「衛生福利部疾病管制署」前有場抗議集會，但這不是我這份貼文要談的重點；我要指出的是「衛生福利部疾病管制署」的英文翻譯，值得大家注意。

當然大家都會注意到Taiwan Centers for Disease Control，那個Taiwan與「衛生福利部」並不對稱，但我要提醒的是那個Centers為何是用英文複數名辭？其實我認為當初疾病管制署這個英文翻譯是直接從美國對等機構抄襲過來，但為何美國疾管局之機構名銜Centers是用複數，其實是有合理解釋：

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-name-for-the-US......
Why is the name for the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) plural?

Because there are more than one of them. The one in Atlanta is the headquarters, and much the best known because it usually gives out the press releases, but there are several others scattered across the United States, including Alaska and Puerto Rico. It is also responsible for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, also operating all over the United States, and lots of other bits and pieces.

另外亦有答稱：

It's because it isn't located in one state or location. There are more centres scattered across United States.
When you hear or read, “The CDC announced there is breakthrough in the cure of measles…” it implies the centers have collaborated together before the main one located at the headquarters announces the result.
It is treated as singular but it encompasses several of them.

現在問題來了，「衛生福利部疾病管制署」是否也是在很多地方另有設施，所以英文譯名也要用Centers複數呢？
不知疾病管制署本身是否知道這個譯名源頭