时差N小时 当心短信脖缠身

Remember when the Blackberry was all the rage, and people worried about straining their thumbstyping on that tiny keyboard?

记不记得当初黑莓手机风行一时的时候，人们担心在这么小的键盘上敲击键盘会造成拇指劳损？

Well, now that the iPhone and other smart phones have taken center stage, there's another malady¹ gaining traction² text neck.

而现在由于iPhone和其他智能手机的普及，另一种疾病开始高发，这就是短信脖。

Seriously text neck, as in all that hunching³ over phones and tablets playing Angry Birds, causing muscles in the neck, shoulders, and even arms and hands to become strained.

就像弓身缩背在手机和平板电脑上游玩愤怒的小鸟一样，短信脖会造成颈部、肩膀甚至胳膊及双手严重肌肉劳损。

And all that straincan lead to chronic⁴ pain, because the joints⁵ and muscles of the neck and shoulders are not meantto be flexed⁶ for long periods.

这些劳损会造成慢性疼痛，因为颈部和肩膀的关节和肌肉不适合长时间弯曲。

There's even been a study on the text neck phenomenon.

有人甚至专门针对短信脖作了研究。

It found that among 140 students or so surveyed,

研究发现在被调查的约140名学生当中，

those who used tablets and smart phones at least three hours a day were more likely to experience neck and shoulder pain than those who used the devices less frequently.

每天使用平板电脑或智能手机超过3小时的学生相比更少使用这些设备的学生更容易患颈部或肩膀疼痛。

True,140 students is a pretty small sample.

140名学生确实不能说明什么显著的问题。

But anecdotal evidence is legion.

但坊间证据层出不穷。

And chiropractors and orthopedic doctors have been advising people to avoid text neck by not hunching overtheir devices.

推拿师和整形医师们一直在建议人们不要弓身玩这些设备，以免患上短信脖。

Instead, try tucking your elbows into your side and holding the device up by yourchest.

他们建议要把双肘夹在身体两侧，把设备举到胸部以上的位置。

And, of course, it's important to take regular breaks from staring into your smart phone's bottomless digital playground.

当然，重要的是你需要有规律的休息，隔一段时间就让你的视线离开智能手机那无底洞般的数字游乐场一会儿。

There's even a text neck app that alerts you when you're hunching over your device andreminds you to straighten up.

人们甚至开发了一种预防短信脖的应用程序，它会在你弯着腰摆弄设备时发出警告，提醒你挺直身躯。

1 malady   

n.病，疾病(通常做比喻)

参考例句：

• There is no specific remedy for the malady.没有医治这种病的特效药。
• They are managing to control the malady into a small range.他们设法将疾病控制在小范围之内。

2 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

3 hunching   

隆起（hunch的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• She leaned forward, hunching over the desk. 她身体前倾，伏在写字台上。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

5 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

6 flexed   

adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌

参考例句：

• He stretched and flexed his knees to relax himself. 他伸屈膝关节使自己放松一下。 来自辞典例句
• He flexed his long stringy muscles manfully. 他孔武有力地弯起膀子，显露出细长条的肌肉。 来自辞典例句