2007年VOA标准英语-State of the Art Technology Improves Vision for

By Carol Pearson
Washington
03 September 2007
 

U.S. Military doctors have performed more than 100,000 eye surgeries on active duty personnel to eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. Now, at the new Joint¹ Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center, they expect to perform even more.  VOA 's Carol Pearson has more on the technology and how it impacts troop performance.

The Joint Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center opened just recently in the southwestern state of Texas. It uses state of the art technology not available anywhere else in the U.S.  Personnel from all branches of the U.S. military will have their vision corrected there.

laser procedure

Lasik is the most common procedure.  A surgeon uses a laser to reshape the cornea to correct its focusing power.  Air Force Dr. Charles Reilly says with the technology at this new center, surgeons can correct abnormalities that just five years ago were not even measurable. Dr. Reilly says the surgery carries less risk than wearing contact lenses and improves performance in combat zones.   

"If you have to wear contacts or glasses, you can't wear night vision goggles², you can't be out in the desert environment, you can't be out in the mountains of Afghanistan.  Your eyes are getting dry. So refractive surgery is the answer for that."

Navy ophthalmologist Doctor Steve Shallhorn started providing refractive surgery to active duty personnel in 1993.  "It gives them an edge.  It gives them a big edge. It improves their effectiveness as war fighters and also their survivability."

Navy Lieutenant³ Laura Reeves is a helicopter pilot who used to depend on contact lenses until she had refractive surgery.  When she was interviewed in 2006, she said refractive surgery improved her ability to do her job."As far as flying goes, when we go into the dirt and do turf landings, I don't have to worry about gravel⁴ or sand flying up into my eyes, where, when I had contacts, I would constantly have to rub them and remove any filaments⁵.

As for risk, Dr. Reilly says every surgery carries some risk, but he says the new technology and meticulous⁶ pre-operative evaluations⁷ minimize the risk.  

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 goggles   

n.护目镜

参考例句：

• Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
• My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

3 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

4 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

5 filaments   

n.（电灯泡的）灯丝( filament的名词复数 )；丝极；细丝；丝状物

参考例句：

• Instead, sarcomere shortening occurs when the thin filaments'slide\" by the thick filaments. 此外，肌节的缩短发生于细肌丝沿粗肌丝“滑行”之际。 来自辞典例句
• Wetting-force data on filaments of any diameter and shape can easily obtained. 各种直径和形状的长丝的润湿力数据是易于测量的。 来自辞典例句

6 meticulous   

adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的

参考例句：

• We'll have to handle the matter with meticulous care.这事一点不能含糊。
• She is meticulous in her presentation of facts.她介绍事实十分详细。

7 evaluations   

估价( evaluation的名词复数 )； 赋值； 估计价值； [医学]诊断

参考例句：

• In fact, our moral evaluations are merely expressions of our desires. 事实上，我们的道德评价只是我们欲望的表达形式。 来自哲学部分
• Properly speaking, however, these evaluations and insights are not within the concept of official notice. 但准确地讲，这些评估和深远见识并未包括在官方通知概念里。