VOA慢速英语:A Study Looks at Environmental Influences on Children

One of the largest health studies ever done in the United States will look at environmental influences on children.
美国进行的最大的健康调查之一将着眼于环境对儿童的影响。

The study will examine the many environmental and genetic factors that affect the health of children and the adults they become.
这项研究将探讨许多环境和遗传因素对儿童及其成年后健康的影响。

Dr. Steven Hirshfeld at the National Institutes of Health is the study director. Test projects have already begun, and he says the main part of the National Children's study will begin next year.
国际卫生研究所的Steven Hirshfeld医生是这项研究的负责人。试验设计已经开始，他说，儿童健康研究计划(National Children's study)的主要部分将在明年开始。

STEVEN HIRSHFELD: "Our goal is to understand how you can get the healthiest, most robust child to develop into a healthy and contributing member of adult society."
Steven Hirshfeld：“我们的目标是了解如何将一个最健康、壮实的儿童培养成为一个健康的，对成人社会有贡献的成员。”

Researchers want to study one hundred thousand children across America. The study will collect information from before they are born until they are twenty-one years old.
研究人员希望对美国范围内10万名儿童进行研究。该研究将搜集从他们出生直到21岁的信息。

There are seven centers around the country where parents can join the study. Jennifer, three months pregnant, signed up for the study at the University of California, Los Angeles.
家长们可以通过分布全国的7个研究中心报名加入，怀孕三个月的珍妮弗在加州大学洛杉矶分校签署协议加入了这项研究。

JENNIFER: "Well, living in Los Angeles, I’m concerned, like, obviously about the pollution and the smog and that kind of stuff. And, you know, I’m also concerned about what I put in my body, like is the food genetically modified? Like, is the food organic? Like, do they add chemicals or preservatives to things and, like, how do those things have an effect on an unborn child?"
Jennifer：“居住在洛杉矶，我非常担心，例如担心污染，浓雾等等因素。你知道，我还非常担心摄入体内的食物，例如食品是不是转基因的？这些食品是不是有机的？他们有没有向这些食品中添加化学物质或防腐剂？这些物质对我未出生的孩子会有什么样的影响？”

Researchers at UCLA will consider questions like these as they study four thousand children in the Los Angeles area. They also plan to study one thousand children in a rural area. The aim is to see what effect pesticides used on nearby farms might have on the children's health.
加州大学洛杉矶分校的研究人员在对洛杉矶地区4000名儿童进行研究时会考虑到类似这些问题。他们还计划对农村地区的1000名儿童进行研究，目的是研究在农场周围使用农药对儿童健康可能会有什么影响。

Dr. Michael Lu is one of the lead investigators at UCLA.
Michael Lu医生是加州大学洛杉矶分校的主要调查人员之一。

MICHAEL LU: “We’re examining a number of very important child conditions such as asthma and autism, pre-term birth and birth defects, obesity and diabetes and various behavioral and learning problems.”
Michael Lu：“我们正在研究一些非常重要的儿童病症，如哮喘和自闭症，早产和新生儿缺陷，肥胖症和糖尿病，以及各类行为和学习问题。”

The researchers will also study mental health disorders.
研究人员还将针对精神健康疾病展开调查。

MICHAEL LU: “I think this study has the potential to change the way we look at childhood health and development.”
MICHAEL LU：“我认为这项研究有可能会改变我们研究儿童健康和发展的方式。”

The goal of the National Children's study is to create a database that researchers around the world can use. Dr. Hirshfeld, the study director, says this information could help solve some unanswered questions.
这次全国性儿童研究的目标是建立一个数据库供世界各地的研究人员使用。担任研究主任的希斯菲尔德医生表示，这些信息将有助于解决一些悬而未决的问题。

STEVEN HIRSHFELD: “We have knowledge gaps in many of the most important factors that influence not only the health and well-being and development of children, but that begin the foundations of what could turn into chronic conditions for adults.”
STEVEN HIRSHFELD：“在许多非重要的因素方面我们存在知识空白。这些因素不仅影响儿童的健康和发育，还会成为转变为成年人慢性疾病的症结。”

Findings from the study will be released as they become available. The information could lead to new policies and changes in existing laws on child health and the environment. The hope is that children can live healthier lives and grow into healthier adults.
来自该研究的结果出来后将及时公布。这些信息可能会导致一些新政策以及现有儿童健康和环境政策的变化，希望儿童可以健康生活健康成长。