到2020年中國將有一半人口近視

The rate of myopia among the Chinese population is projected to reach 50 percent by 2020, with 70 million people suffering from severe myopia, according to a report released by the School of Public Health at Peking University, reported on May 19.

據中國青年網5月19日報道，北京大學公共衛生學院的一份報告顯示，到2020年時，中國人口的近視率將達到50%，7000萬人將患嚴重近視。

Especially of note, children aged between 6 and 10 who have myopia are more likely to suffer from severe myopia in the future. In addition, a whopping 90 percent of college students now have some form of myopia.

特別值得注意的是，6到10歲近視的孩子將來更有可能患上嚴重近視。此外，目前高達90%的大學生都患有某種形式的近視。

There are at least 10 million people in China with severe myopia, and they are predisposed to getting pathological myopia in middle age.

中國目前至少有1000萬人患有嚴重近視，且到中年時傾向於患上病理性近視。

Pathological myopia can't be treated with glasses or surgery, and it is one of the biggest factors that leads to blindness, Xu Xun, director of the ophthalmology department at Shanghai General Hospital, pointed out.

據上海中心醫院眼科主任徐訊指出，病理性近視不能用戴眼鏡和做手術的方式治好，是導致人們失明的最大原因之一。

Experts explain that the high rate of myopia among Chinese people can be attributed to two principle factors. One is high academic pressure, and the other one is excess use of electronic devices over a long period of time.

專家解釋稱，導致中國人近視率高的最主要原因可以歸結爲兩個。其一是學業壓力大，其二是長期使用電子設備。

Genetics, on the other hand, are not the main reason, as only 20 percent of Chinese people had myopia in the 1960s.

另一方面，基因並不是導致近視的主因，因爲在上世紀60年代的時候中國近視率還只有20%。

"Teenagers are now faced with severe academic pressure, which means they often study without natural light. This increases their risk of becoming nearsighted," Xu said.

徐訊說道：“青少年現在面臨着繁重的學業壓力，這就意味着他們經常要在沒有自然光的情況下學習，而這大大增加了近視的風險。”

Although authorities have issued documents urging relevant agencies to take action against the growing problem, it is the students themselves, along with their parents, who must change their behavior to fix the problem.

雖然政府已經發布文件，敦促有關機構採取措施應對日益嚴重的問題，但是真正必須改變自己的行爲來解決這個問題的人是學生自己和他們的父母。