The media can also do their bit. Suicide is strangely contagious. When Robin Williams, an actor, killed himself in 2014, his method and motives were reported in great detail. Researchers calculated that there were 1,800 more suicides than would otherwise have been expected in the next four months, often using the same method. Journalists should cover such tragedies in less detail, and with more restraint.
内容总结：
这一段呼吁媒体也可以为降低自杀率做点事。为避免2014年Robin Williams结束自己生命后四个月内自杀事件突增的情况再发生，记者应该在报道这类悲剧时更克制和尽量避免描述细节。
实用表达：
1.sb can also do their bit
用来表达“也出了一份力”，与sb helps可以同义替换。
造句：Speaking of reasons that cause air pollution,smoking also does its bit.
2.contagious
这个词本意为某种病是有传染性的，引申为“情感、行动等富于感染力，if a feeling, attitude, or action is contagious, other people are quickly affected by it and begin to have it or do it”
本文中的“Suicide is strangely contagious.”就是“自杀有种奇特的传染性”的意思。
如果想说种族歧视就像传染病，可以说：
Racism is like a contagious disease.
3.otherwise
otherwise是个神奇的词，可以用它来精简整个句子，这里来学习它“要不然、否则 used when saying what would have happened or might have happened if something else had not happened”这一释义。
在本段中，there were 1,800 more suicides than would otherwise have been expected in the next four months的意思为“四个月内，相较于发生这件悲剧之前多了1800多起自杀事件”。这里用otherwise一个词就替代了“如果悲剧没有发生并且被大幅报道”这层含义。
再举两个例子体会一下otherwise这个释义，如果你想说“若不是因为在机场耽搁了，我们早到这里了”，可以说：We were delayed at the airport. Otherwise we would have been here by lunch time.
另外，想表达“若不是得到了两张免费机票，他们根本负担不起去加拿大旅游”，就可以说：They got two free tickets to Canada, otherwise they’d never have been able to afford to go.
重点分析：
Researchers calculated that there were 1,800 more suicides than would otherwise have been expected in the next four months, often using the same method. 这句话很长，可以分为几个层次来理解：
首先，Researchers calculated that研究人员统计了一个数据，数据是什么呢？that引导出主句，there were 1,800 more suicides than would otherwise have been expected in the next four months，可以看出统计的数据为“多出了1800个自杀事件”，与什么情况作对比的呢？通过than可以看出比较的主体为would otherwise have been expected“如果没有这件悲剧发生的话”，后面in the next four months限定了时间为悲剧发生后的四个月，often using the same method补充说明这些新增的自杀事件通常使用的自杀方法与Robin一样。
综上所述，这句话可以这样理解：研究人员发现，自Robin Williams的悲剧发生后四个月内，自杀事件多了1800起，并且这些人通常使用了与Robin同一种自杀方法。
For a few people—those who are terminally ill, in severe pain and determined to die—suicide may be the least terrible option. In such circumstances, and with firm safeguards, doctors should be allowed to assist. But many of the 800,000 people who kill themselves each year act in haste, and more could be saved with better health services, labour-market policies and curbs on booze, guns, pesticide and pills. America, in particular, could spare much pain by learning from the progress elsewhere.
内容总结：
最后一段明确了作者的态度，对于长期被病痛折磨的人应该有在医生协助下结束自己生命的权利。但更多仓促赴死的人应该可以得到帮助，尤其在美国，政府可以通过学习其他国家在这方面的发展为这些人解脱痛苦。
实用表达：
1.act in haste
haste表示仓促：great speed in doing something, especially because you do not have enough time。in haste表示急忙地，如果想表达离开得匆忙，可以说left in haste，不过in haste是比较正式的表达，一般在口语中还是用hurry比较多。
在本文中kill themselves act in haste，意为仓促地结束掉自己的生命。（没有经过深思熟虑）
2.curb on booze,guns…
curb这个词表示控制和约束，同义词为restrain。表示对sth的管控时常与on连用。
比如：
curb on spending抑制消费
curb on government borrowing 控制政府借债
在本段中表示对酒类和枪支等的管控。
3.spare much pain
spare作为动词有很多层含义，这里用的是这个词的“免除（麻烦或痛苦）”之意：to prevent someone from having to experience something difficult or unpleasant
如果想表达不用受头痛之苦了，可以说：
spare the pain of headache
习语分享：
act in haste,repent at leisure：仓促行事，闲时后悔
相似表达有：marry in haste,repent at leisure，与我们常说的“闪婚后悔半辈子”类似。
