Up to 90% of school leavers in major Asian cities are suffering from myopia- short-sightedness - a study suggests. Researchers say the "extraordinary rise" in the problem is being caused by students working very hard in school and missing out on outdoor light.

　　近期的一項研究表明，在亞洲主要城市中，高達90%的畢業生都患有近視。研究人員説，這一問題“陡然增加”的原因是學生在學校拼命學習，較少接觸戶外光線。

　　The scientists told the Lancet that up to one in five of these students could experience severe visual impairmentand even blindness. In the UK, the average level of myopia is between 20% and 30%.

　　研究者對權威醫學期刊《柳葉刀》雜誌表示，五個學生中有一個可能會遇到嚴重的視力障礙，甚至失明。在英國，平均近視率是20%到30%。

　　According to Professor Ian Morgan, who led this study and is from the Australian National University, 20-30% was once the average among people in South East Asia as well. "What we've done is written a review of all the evidence which suggests that something extraordinary has happened in east Asia in the last two generations," he told BBC News.

　　領導這項研究的是來自澳大利亞國立大學的伊恩 摩根教授。他表示東南亞地區的平均近視率之前也是在20-30%之間。“我們所做的就是將所有研究結果落實書面形式，證據表明，在東亞地區最近兩代人中出現的近視率飆升非同尋常，”他告訴BBC記者説。

　　"They've gone from something like 20% myopia in the population to well over 80%, heading for 90% in young adults, and as they get adult it will just spread through the population. It certainly poses a major health problem."

　　“東南亞地區的近視人口已經從大約20%激增至超過80%，青壯年近視率正在接近90%，隨著他們變為成年人，這將影響到整個人口結構。這必然會誘發重大的健康問題。”

　　Eye experts say that you are myopic if your vision is blurred beyond 2m (6.6ft). It is often caused by an elongationof the eyeball that happens when people are young. According to the research, the problem is being caused by a combination of factors - a commitment to education and lack of outdoor light.

　　根據眼科專家的説法，如果你的視力超過2米（6.6英尺）就模糊不清，那你就是近視。其原因通常是由於人們年輕時眼球拉伸造成的。據研究，這個問題是由多種因素造成，包括專注學習以及較少接觸室外光線。

　　Professor Morgan argues that many children in South East Asia spend long hours studying at school and doing their homework. This in itself puts pressure on the eyes, but exposure to between two and three hours of daylight acts as a counterbalanceand helps maintain healthy eyes.

　　摩根教授認為，東南亞地區的許多兒童花大量時間在校學習和做功課。這本身就對眼睛造成壓力，但接觸兩三個小時的日光可起到抗衡作用，並有助於保持健康的眼睛。

　　"We're talking about the need for two to three hours a day of outdoor light - it doesn't have to be massively sunny, we think the operating range is 10-20,000 lux, we're not sure about that - but that's perfectly achievable on a cloudy day in the UK."

　　“我們所説的是一天中需要兩到三個小時的戶外光線，並不需要大量的光線。我們認為1到2萬的勒克斯照明強度就可以，對此我們不能確定，但在英國即使陰天也是完全可以做到的。”