VOA慢速英语2011--How Much Screen Time Is Too Much for Chi

Technology Report - How Much Screen Time Is Too Much for Children?

科技报道 - 合理控制儿童使用数码设备的时间

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。

Children can spend hours a day looking at computer screens and other digital devices. Some eye care professionals say all that screen time has led to an increase in what they call computer vision syndrome 1.

儿童每天可能会花数小时盯着电脑屏幕或其他数码产品。一些眼保健专家称，盯着屏幕导致了越来越多的电脑视力综合症。

Nathan Bonilla-Warford is an optometrist 2 in Tampa, Florida, with VSP, Vision Service Plan, a big insurance provider. He says he has seen an increase in problems in children.

内森·博尼拉-沃尔福德（Nathan Bonilla-Warford）是美国佛罗里达州坦帕的一名验光师，就职于VSP，这是一家大型保险公司。他说他看到儿童的视力问题越来越严重。

NATHAN BONILLA-WARFORD: “I see a lot more children who are coming into the office either because their parents have noticed that they have headaches or red or watery 3 eyes or discomfort 4, or because their prescription 5, their near-sightedness, appears to be increasing at a fast rate and they're worried.”

博尼拉-沃尔福德：“我看到越来越多的儿童来到我们公司。要么是因为他们的父母已经注意到他们头痛，眼睛红肿、流泪或不适，要么是因为他们的验光报告，他们的近视似乎越来越严重，使他们很担心。”

Dr. Bonilla-Warford says part of the problem is that children may be more likely than adults to ignore early warning signs.

博尼拉-沃尔福德医生表示，（儿童视力问题的）部分原因是由于儿童可能比成人更容易忽视视力早期预警信号。

NATHAN BONILLA-WARFORD: “Even if their eyes start to feel uncomfortable or they start to get a headache, they’re less likely to tell their parents, because they don’t want to have the game or the computer or whatever taken away.”

博尼拉-沃尔福德：“即使儿童们的眼睛开始感觉不适，或开始感觉头痛，他们也不大可能告诉父母。因为他们不希望游戏机、电脑或其他任何数码设备被父母没收。”

He says another part of the problem is that people blink less often when they use digital devices.

他表示，另一部分原因是由于当人们使用数码设备时眨眼次数会减少。

NATHAN BONILLA-WARFORD: “The average person who uses a computer or an electronic device blinks about a third as much as we normally do in everyday life. And so that can result in the front part of the eye drying and not staying moist and protected like normal.”

博尼拉-沃尔福德：“一般人使用电脑或其它电子设备时的眨眼次数只有我们日常生活中的1/3。这样会导致眼睛外部干燥，而不是像平常一样保持湿润来保护眼睛。”

Eye doctors offer suggestions like following what is known as the 20/20/20 rule.

眼科医生通常会提供一些建议，例如以下的20/20/20规则。

NATHAN BONILLA-WARFORD: “Every twenty minutes, look away twenty feet or more for at least twenty seconds from whatever device you’re using.”

博尼拉-沃尔福德：“无论使用任何设备，每20分钟，把目光移到20英尺以外远眺20秒以上。”

Twenty feet -- that's six meters.

20英尺也就是6米。

Other suggestions include putting more distance between you and the device and using good lighting 6. Of course, another way to avoid eye strain is to spend less time looking at screens. Many experts say children should spend no more than two hours a day using digital devices -- with no screen time for children under two.

其它建议包括眼睛离数码设备更远一些，光线要良好。当然，另一种避免眼睛疲劳的方式是减少盯着屏幕的时间。很多专家表示，儿童每天使用数码设备的时间不能超过2小时--两岁以下儿童不能接触数码设备。

But not all eye doctors have noticed an increase in problems in children. Dr. David Hunter says he has not seen an increase in his practice as a pediatric ophthalmologist at Children’s Hospital Boston. He also serves as a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

但是并非所有的眼科医生都有发现儿童视力问题增加。大卫·亨特医生(Dr. David Hunter)表示，作为波士顿儿童医院的儿童眼科医生，他在实际工作中并没有看到儿童视力问题的增加。他同时还担任美国眼科学会的发言人。

Dr. Hunter thinks calling it a syndrome, as in computer vision syndrome, is a little much. He says the real problem is simple.

亨特医生认为称其为电脑视力综合症有点夸张。他表示真正的原因很简单。

DAVID HUNTER: "Spending too much time in one place, focusing on one thing, not looking away from their work, etc."

亨特：“（真正原因是由于）盯在同一个地方时间过久，专注于一件事情，视线没有离开他们的工作，等等。”

And while this might be tiring to the eyes, he says, it will not cause permanent damage.

他说，尽管这可能导致眼睛疲劳，但这不会造成永久性损伤。

DAVID HUNTER: “While it is possible to develop fatigue 7 looking at various screens for a long period of time, there’s certainly no evidence that it actually causes any damage to the eyes.”

亨特：“虽然长时间盯着各种屏幕可能会导致眼睛疲劳，但没有任何证据表明它会对眼睛造成任何损伤。”

And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report, written by June Simms. You can learn English and much more at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.