Hand-washing seems pretty simple, but a recent study shows that 97% of the time, we're still doing it wrong -- which can lead to contamination of food and surfaces and result in foodborne illness.

洗手看似简单，但最新调查显示，97%的状况下，我们洗手的方法都是错的。这会导致食物和表面受到污染，进而让人们患上食物传染疾病。

The study from the US Department of Agriculture shows most consumers failed to wash their hands and rub with soap for 20 seconds. That's the amount of time recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says that washing for shorter periods means fewer germs are removed.

美国农业部的调查显示，大多数消费者洗手和用肥皂揉搓的时间不够20秒。这是美国疾病防治中心建议的洗手时间长度。该机构表示，洗手时间越短，清洗掉的细菌越少。

"Numerous" study participants also didn't dry their hands with a clean towel.

还有很多参与者不用干净的毛巾擦干双手。

The study involved 383 people in six test kitchen facilities in the metro Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina and in rural Smithfield, North Carolina, the USDA said.

这项调查在北卡罗来纳州史密斯菲尔德农村地区以及洛利杜尔文市区开展。美国农业部表示，共有383人参与了调查，他们被分配到6个实验厨房。

Poor hand-washing practices led to cross-contamination, the study found. About half the time, participants spread bacteria to spice containers while preparing burgers, and 11% of the time, they spread bacteria to refrigerator handles.

研究发现，不好好洗手会导致交叉污染。参与者在准备做汉堡时会把手上的细菌传播到调料瓶，这占到了一半的比例。把细菌传播到冰箱门把手的几率占到了11%。

"You can't see, smell or feel bacteria," said Carmen Rottenberg, acting deputy undersecretary for food safety at the USDA. "By simply washing your hands properly, you can protect your family and prevent that bacteria from contaminating your food and key areas in your kitchen."

美国农业部食品安全代理副部长卡门-罗登伯格说：“人们看不到、闻不到，也感觉不到细菌。通过正确洗手，就可以保护家人，防止细菌污染食物和厨房的关键区域。”

The results from the USDA's study indicate our hand-washing habits may be getting worse. A study done in 2013 by Michigan State University found only 5% of people washed their hands correctly.

美国农业部开展的这项研究结果表明，我们的洗手习惯或许越来越糟。密歇根州立大学2013年开展的一项研究发现，只有5%的人会正确洗手。

So what's the right way to wash hands? The CDC has some tips, starting with an obvious step: wetting hands with clean, running water.

那么如何洗手才正确呢？美国疾病防治中心给出了一些小贴士，第一步当然是：用清洁的自来水把手打湿。

Step 2: After wetting hands with water, turn off the tap and apply soap.

2：打湿双手后，关掉水龙头，抹上肥皂。

Step 3: Lather hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails.

3：双手互相揉搓，打出肥皂泡。要确保让手背、指缝和指甲缝下面的肥皂也起泡。

Step 4: Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds. (Sing the alphabet song once or "Happy Birthday" twice.)

4：双手搓洗至少20秒（唱一遍字母歌或者两遍生日快乐歌。）

Step 5: Rinse hands well under clean, running water.

5：用干净的流动的水冲洗双手。

Step 6: Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry them.

6：用干毛巾擦干或者自然风干。

A separate study released last month found 49 of 100 towels tested showed growth of bacteria normally found in or on the human body. That included E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to as "staph."

上月发表的另一项独立研究表明，在100条接受检验的毛巾中，有49条中有细菌生长，而这些细菌通常在人体内或体表发现。其中包括大肠杆菌和金黄色酸脓葡萄球菌（通常称为葡萄球菌）。

The bacteria were more likely to be found on wet towels, and towels used for more than one purpose, such as wiping counter tops and utensils and drying hands, according to the study, conducted by researchers from the University of Mauritius.

毛里求斯大学的研究人员开展的这项研究显示，湿毛巾和多用途毛巾上更容易有这些细菌，比如一些毛巾不仅用来擦案台和餐具，还用来擦手。

Washing hands correctly is one of the easiest ways to avoid foodborne illnesses, which sickens 48 million Americans each year, according to CDC estimates. That results in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

正确洗手是避免食物传染疾病最简单的办法之一。据美国疾病防治中心估计，美国每年有4800万人患上食物传染疾病，导致大约12.8万人住院治疗，3000人死亡。