時(shí)差N小時(shí):痛苦的長(zhǎng)高之路 Leg-lengthening surgery

It's no secret that China's economy is growing at arapid pace.

眾所周知，中國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)正在飛速發(fā)展。

But it may surprise you to learn that some Chinesecitizens are growing, too...taller,

但可能會(huì)讓你大吃一驚的是一些中國(guó)人也在長(zhǎng)高,

that is, thanks to the popularity of leg-lengtheningsurgery.

這是由于流行的腿骨延長(zhǎng)手術(shù)所致。

That's right: we're talking about a type of surgerythat can make you at least two to three inches taller.

是的:我們討論的是一種能使你至少長(zhǎng)高兩到三英寸的手術(shù)。

The details are pretty gruesome.

但手術(shù)過程可是毛骨悚然。

First, the doctor breaks the tibia andfibula--the bones of the lower leg.

首先,醫(yī)生折斷小腿骨的脛骨和腓骨。

Then, a device comprised of two metal rings connected by extendable rods--the fixator-isscrewed into both ends of the broken bone through the skin.

然后,一個(gè)由伸縮桿連接兩個(gè)金屬環(huán)組成的固定架裝置通過皮膚擰入骨頭折斷的部分。

About a week later, the stretching begins.

大約一個(gè)星期后開始拉伸作業(yè)。

The surgeon lengthens the fixator in small, two millimeter increments.

外科醫(yī)生會(huì)以2毫米的增量延長(zhǎng)固定器。

This slowly pulls the broken bones apart, allowing new bone to grow and fill in the gap.

這一緩慢的過程使得折斷的骨頭分開,允許新骨頭生長(zhǎng)并填補(bǔ)其中的空白。

If all goes well, the three month bone-lengthening period is followed by another three to sixmonths of bone strengthening.

如果一切順利,為期3個(gè)月的骨延長(zhǎng)期間后緊隨而至的是另一個(gè)3至6個(gè)月的骨增強(qiáng)作業(yè)。

During this phase the patient is confined to a wheelchair and must undergo physical therapythat's typically described on leg lengthening websites as "extremely painful."

在這一階段的病人要以輪椅為伴并且必須接受物理治療,腿骨延長(zhǎng)網(wǎng)站稱這一治療“痛苦之極”。

But, barring complications such as infection where the fixator is attached to the bones andnerve injury, after about a year you can be back up and walking around on newly lengthenedlegs.

但是,要是沒有固定器附著在骨骼的感染等并發(fā)癥和神經(jīng)損傷,大約一年之后你就可以完好如初并且使用加長(zhǎng)腿漫步了。

The surgery was invented in Russia in the early 1950s to help dwarves and other abnormallyshort people who wanted to attain a more normal height.

俄羅斯在20世紀(jì)50年代早期發(fā)明這項(xiàng)手術(shù),目的在于幫助矮小人士和其他異常人士獲得更為正常的身高。

Recently, though, in places like China, leg lengthening surgery has become trendy for peopleconvinced that being taller leads to better jobs and more money.

不過,最近在中國(guó)這樣的國(guó)家,腿骨延長(zhǎng)手術(shù)已成為時(shí)尚,人們相信好的身高能夠帶來更好的工作和更多的收入。