VOA慢速英语2016 全球最高和最矮的人分别在哪里？（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-08-05 Where Are the World's Tallest and Shortest People? 全球最高和最矮的人分别在哪里？

The tallest men in the world are Dutch, while the tallest women come from Latvia.

世界最高的男性是荷兰人，但全球最高的女性则来自拉脱维亚。

That finding comes from a new British study.It also found that East Timor is home to some of the shortest men on our planet,while the shortest women are in Guatemala.

该发现源自英国最新的一项研究。该研究还发现，全球最矮的一些男性来自东帝汶，而最矮的女性则来自危地马拉。

Scientists from Imperial College of London studied height measurements for young adults over the past century.The scientists found that between 1914 and 2014,people in some countries have grown taller while average height shrank in other areas.

过去一个世纪期间，英国帝国大学的科学家对青年人的身高进行了测量。科学家们发现，1914年至2014年年间，一些国家人民的身高增加了，而其他地区的平均身高则有所降低。

The study found that Dutch men now have an average height of more than 182 centimeters.Among Latvian women, the average height is 170 centimeters.Those numbers represent an increase for both countries since 1914.

该研究表明，荷兰男性的平均身高大于182cm。拉脱维亚女性的平均身高是170cm。这些数字表明两个国家的身高，自1914年起，都有所升高。

The question to ask is, why?

问题在于出现这个现象的原因。

Philip Wilkens is from Amsterdam, the largest city in The Netherlands.He thinks diet and exercise might explain, in part, why Dutch men are so tall.

Philip Wilkens来自荷兰最大的城市阿姆斯特丹。他认为，饮食和锻炼可能是荷兰人身高较高的部分原因。

Maybe they eat more potatoes?Maybe they eat more bread than other people?We are sportsmen so we do a lot of sports.Maybe that’s why we grow a little faster.

“或许是因为他们吃土豆吃的较多？或者吃的面包较多？我们都是喜欢运动的人，经常做运动。或许这就是我们长得快的原因。”

He might have a point.Scientists agree that sport has something to do with how tall a person is.

他说得可能有道理。科学家们也一致表示，运动可能会对人的身高造成影响。

Silvija Umbrasko is from Riga Stradins University in Latvia.

Silvija Umbrasko来自拉脱维亚里加斯坦丁斯大学。

She says that the height of women can be increased by playing sports and through exercises.She adds that sports such as basketball, volleyball and even handball help a young person grow“because of the stretching exercises that are used."

她表示女性可通过运动和锻炼增加身高。她补充道，像篮球、排球、甚至是手球这些运动都有助于年轻人成长，因为这些运动中包括一些伸展运动。

Experts agree that physical activity is important for physical growth.Other studies have explored possible links between a lack of emotional attention and physical growth.But scientists also add that growth depends mostly on diet and environmental and genetic factors.

专家们一致认为，体育锻炼对于身体发育来说非常重要。其他研究则探讨了情感注意与身体发育之间可能存在联系。但科学家们还补充道身体的发育主要取决于饮食、环境以及遗传因素。

Sanda is a tall woman from Latvia’s capital, Riga.

Sanda是来自拉脱维亚首都里加一个高个女子。

She says, "I’m so used to my height that I don’t pay attention to it.However, I’ve heard that guys like tall girls; so it is a good thing.”

她表示：“我已经习惯了我的身高，因此并未关注这个问题。但我听说男孩子都喜欢高挑的女生，真是好事呢。”

In 2014, the top 10 tallest nations for men and women were mainly in Europe.Many scientists believe that people in Europe have grown taller in recent years because of improved nutrition.

2014年，身高最高的10个国家主要位于欧洲。很多科学家都相信，由于营养提升，欧洲人最近几年身高有所增加。

However, the average height in many African and Middle Eastern nations has declined since 1914.In East Timor, the average man is 160 centimeters tall.Many people are also short in Yemen, Laos, Madagascar and a number of Asian and African countries.

但是，自1914起，非洲及中东一些国家的平均身高则有所下滑。东帝汶男性的平均身高为160cm。也门、老挝、马达加斯加以及一些亚非国家的人们也是非常矮。

The British scientists say that the United States reached a plateau in growth about 20 years ago.In other words, the average height of young adults has changed little during that period.

英国科学家表示，20年前，美国人的身高开始出现停滞。换句话说，在此期间，青年人的平均身高变化不大。

But really, who cares?Is there a good reason for being tall?

但谁又真正关心这些呢？长得高有什么好处吗？

According to some earlier studies, the answer could be, yes.

根据先前的研究，答案是肯定的。

For example, one study explored the relationship between a person’s height and their future earnings.American researchers led this investigation.They found that “taller workers receive a notable wage or earnings premium in developing economies.”Their findings were reported in the Journal of Human Capital.

比如，一项研究研究了身高和收入的关系。美国研究人员领导了这项调查。他们发现发展中经济体中，较高的员工拿到的工资和奖金较多。他们的发现发表在《人力资本杂志》上。

Words in This Story

genetic – adj. of, relating to, or involving genes

plateau – n. a period when something does not increase or advance any further

notable – adj. unusual and worth noticing

premium – n. a high or extra value