A person washes her hands under a tap using a bar of soap
Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis discovered the importance of handwashing in stopping infection in 1847. He realised doctors were transferring infections to patients because they didn't wash their hands, with many patients dying as a result. After he introduced handwashing rules, these deaths were significantly reduced.
匈牙利医生Ignaz Semmelweis 在1847年发现洗手能减少细菌传播的重要性。他发现当时由于医生不洗手，从而把细菌传染给了病人，以导致很多病人因此死亡。在他推行了一系列洗手规定后，由于交叉感染导致的病人死亡的概率大大减少。
今日短语
短语 wash one’s hands of 的意思是退出参与某事，不再过问某事，彻底洗手不干了。
例句
The studio executives turned the movie from a drama into a comedy. The director got angry and washed his hands of the whole project.
Mr Brooks was tired of helping lazy students every day. He decided to wash his hands of them and only concentrate on the pupils who worked hard.
请注意
短语 something will not wash with somebody 的意思是某事不会被别人相信。这是一个非正式表达。
例句
Susan said she was late because she had to go to a funeral, but that excuse won't wash with her teacher any more. He now knows there was no funeral.
