VOA慢速英語: 英國集團(tuán)給盧旺達(dá)帶去眼鏡

UK Group Brings Eyeglasses to Rwanda

Getting prescription glasses isn't a big deal for most Westerners, but in poor countries such as Rwanda it can require substantial time, effort and money. But now, thanks to a British scientist, up to one million Rwandans with poor vision will soon start testing new affordable glasses that they can adjust to sharpen their sight.

英國集團(tuán)給盧旺達(dá)帶去眼鏡

Most people in developed countries do not have a problem getting prescription eyeglasses. They go to an ophthalmologist-- a trained specialist who treats problems and diseases of the eye. The ophthalmologist can perform tests on the person's eyesight. The patient may receive a prescription from the doctor at the end of the exam. The prescription gives the patient permission to buy and use eyeglasses.

發(fā)達(dá)國家很多人配一副眼鏡基本上沒什么問題。他們?nèi)タ囱劭漆t(yī)生——受過培訓(xùn)的專業(yè)醫(yī)生能夠治療眼睛疾病。眼科醫(yī)生給患者進(jìn)行視力測試。給病人檢測最后，也許會從醫(yī)生那兒得到醫(yī)生開的處方藥。這處方藥就是讓病人購買、使用眼鏡。

But in poor countries like Rwanda, it may take a lot more time, effort and money. Rwanda has only 14 ophthalmologists to serve the country's 11 million people.

但是在一些像盧旺達(dá)貧困的國家，也許配副眼鏡需要更多的時(shí)間、精力和金錢。盧旺達(dá)全國有110萬人口，但是只有14名眼科醫(yī)生。

But now, a British-based group is helping up to one million Rwandans with poor eyesight. The group is called Vision for a Nation. It will soon start testing new affordable eyeglasses that wearers can adjust to improve their sight.

但是現(xiàn)在，一家英國旗下公司試圖幫助100萬視力差的盧旺達(dá)人。這個(gè)組織叫國家視覺。很快這個(gè)組織就會開始測試這些新的、人們可以支付得起的眼鏡，這樣配戴眼鏡的人就能矯正、提高視力。

James Chen set up Vision for a Nation. He says Rwanda is one nation where there is a great need for the glasses, especially among schoolchildren.

詹姆斯·陳發(fā)起這項(xiàng)國家視覺的計(jì)劃。他說盧旺達(dá)對眼鏡有很大的需求，特別是在校的學(xué)生更需要眼鏡。

"We expect that perhaps a million people in Rwanda will need some form of vision correction and out of that probably 900,000 people will just need a simple reading glass and we would be able to supply that, or it would be our adjustable glasses."

“我們預(yù)計(jì)盧旺達(dá)大概有100萬人需要一些視力矯正，其中大概有90萬人僅僅需要簡單的閱讀放大鏡，我們有能力供應(yīng)這些眼鏡，或者使用我們的矯正眼鏡。”

James Chen is the founder of the eyewear manufacturer Adlens. The company produces two kinds of adjustable glasses. Mr. Chen says they are easy to use and have a wide range of magnification.

詹姆斯·陳是Adlens眼鏡工廠的創(chuàng)始人，該公司生產(chǎn)兩種矯正眼鏡。陳先生表示他們生產(chǎn)的眼鏡很容易使用，而且有很大范圍的放大率。

"You have two lenses as they move against each other in the part of the eye you can see out, the power changes with the two lenses moving against each other. The other technology we have is the fluid filled (lens) which is a chamber, on the one side you have a plastic kind of a sheet and as you put in the fluid which is a silicon oil, it changes the curvature of that and so that's what's changing the power."

“你有兩只鏡片，它們相互移動(dòng)摩擦，你可以通過鏡片看清楚，透鏡又改變了兩個(gè)相互移動(dòng)的鏡片。我們擁有的另一項(xiàng)技術(shù)是‘液體填充’這是一種凹窩，一方面你有一種塑料的球面，當(dāng)你把硅油放進(jìn)去時(shí)，彎曲率就會發(fā)生改變，這就是改變了透鏡。”

Graham Mackenzie is an ophthalmologist who works for Adlens. He says the glasses are best for people whose eyesight changes from day to day.

格雷厄姆·麥肯茲是Adlens公司的眼科醫(yī)生。他表示對每天視力都在變化的人來說，戴眼鏡是最好的選擇。

"If your eyesight does fluctuate from day to day, or even minute to minute you can just read just the lens power to meet your needs. The technology as it currently stands has a very high power range -- so high, in fact, that we can capture 90 per cent of all the sorts of refractive errors that are out in the world."

“如果你的視力時(shí)好時(shí)壞，那只有調(diào)整眼鏡度數(shù)才能滿足閱讀需求?，F(xiàn)行的配眼鏡技術(shù)有很高的度數(shù)范圍——非常高，我們能夠解決世界上90%的各種屈光不正的問題。”

Thanks to the World Bank, Rwandans will pay only about $1.50 for the adjustable glasses. But that amount is still about three days' wages in their country.

感謝世界銀行，盧旺達(dá)人調(diào)整眼鏡只需要支付1.5美元。但是即便這樣，這筆錢也是他們?nèi)斓墓べY。

Vision for a Nation has trained about 1,200 nurses to help people learn how to use the glasses. If all goes well in Rwanda, the group plans to provide a similar service in other countries.

國家視覺已經(jīng)訓(xùn)練了1200名護(hù)士來幫助盧旺達(dá)人們了解如何使用眼睛。如果一切在盧旺達(dá)進(jìn)展順利的話，這個(gè)團(tuán)體組織計(jì)劃給其它國家也提供類似的服務(wù)。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

我是喬納森·伊凡斯。

VOA's George Putic researched and prepared this story. Jonathan Evans wrote it for Learning English. The editor was George Grow.

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Words in This Story

adjust – v. to change something in a minor way so that it works better

affordable – adj. something that can be paid for or done without problems or being seriously harmed

magnification – n. the larger appearance of an object when it is seen through a microscope, telescope, etc.

ophthalmologist – n. a doctor who studies and treats problems and diseases of the eye

wage – n. money received for work done