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spur

English translation: encourage

01:44 Dec 3, 2013
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Medical - Medical (general)
English term or phrase: spur
Two scientist broke important ground on how to spur, and prevent, the growth of viral disease.

What does "spur" exactly mean in this context?

Spur could mean stimulate, incite, prompt or support. Is it related to the growth of viral disease? If so, why someone would support the growth of a viral disease?

Could you please explain it?

Thanks so much.
Rajan Chopra
India
Local time: 18:26
Selected answer:encourage
Explanation:
You need to prvide more context to be sure. Please provide the preceding lines.

Scientists need to know the conditions viruses need to grow well, so they can better understand how to prevent ther growth. If you know what viruses need to flourish you can then deny them these conditions to create the opposite situation and thus keep their growth under control. This is how I understand your sentence.
Selected response from:

Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Local time: 14:56
Grading comment
Thanks so much.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
2 +6encourage
Shera Lyn Parpia
3to spur the prevention of ...
Marga Shaw


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +6
encourage


Explanation:
You need to prvide more context to be sure. Please provide the preceding lines.

Scientists need to know the conditions viruses need to grow well, so they can better understand how to prevent ther growth. If you know what viruses need to flourish you can then deny them these conditions to create the opposite situation and thus keep their growth under control. This is how I understand your sentence.

Shera Lyn Parpia
Italy
Local time: 14:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thanks so much.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your answer. The preceding and following sentences are not related to it.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: yes, I think this is a possible reading in a scientific study if "spur" is the word intended. Know how to create growth, hence how to curb and prevent it. Could be related to noun "spur" = fruiting part
7 hrs
agree  Thayenga: ;)
8 hrs
agree  Charles Davis: On further reflection I think this is probably what it means // "how to spur the growth of viral disease" would mean "what factors encourage the growth of viral disease". But "spur" is not really the right word, and the whole thing is poorly expressed.
8 hrs
agree  David Moore (X)
8 hrs
agree  Andrea Burde (X): spur includes everything from "encourage", "speed up" and "stimulate" to "grow". I think encourage is a good substitute for the term "spur". Charles is right about using "spur" in this context.
8 hrs
agree  Jörgen Slet
9 hrs
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to spur the prevention of ...


Explanation:
IMHO, this sentence is poorly formulated.

You could perhaps say -

"to spur (that is hasten) the prevention of the growth of viral disease"

or "spur" could perhaps also be a typo for "spurt":

"to spurt (that is to engage in a spell of intensified effort) to prevent the growth of viral disease."

Having said this, I also do not like "the growth of viral disease", I would have liked to see "the spreading of viral disease" or "the growth of the virus" or "the viral growth" instead.

In addition, I also do not think that a scientist would spend time "to encourage the growth of viral disease" to learn how to prevent it.

More context would be needed.





Marga Shaw
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrea Burde (X): it does not say that the prevention of the growth is encoureged
14 mins
  -> Thanks, but you have not read my whole answer, where I explain my answer and my reservations regarding the phrasing of the sentence given by the asker
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