第1666期:The dangers of loud noise

Many of us love live music – listening to the singer belting out classics we love to sing along to. But while it can be lots of fun nodding our heads to the tunes booming out, it can also harm our hearing. Studies suggest that one in ten adults have had their hearing damaged by loud noises or music. So why is loud music damaging, and what can we do to prevent it from harming our ears?

我们中的许多人都喜欢现场音乐——聆听歌手高唱我们喜欢跟着唱的经典歌曲。但是，尽管随着轰鸣的曲调点头会很有趣，但它也会损害我们的听力。研究表明，十分之一的成年人的听力因嘈杂的噪音或音乐而受损。那么为什么嘈杂的音乐会损害我们的耳朵，我们可以做些什么来防止它伤害我们的耳朵呢？

Inside our ears, there are lots of tiny hair-like cells located in the cochlea. These cells are referred to as hair cells because very small bundles of stereocilia, which look like hairs under a microscope, sit on top of each cell. These groupings of stereocilia can be damaged when exposed to prolonged loud noises. Once damaged, these cells cannot respond to sound, and therefore we are left with noise-induced hearing loss – which can be permanent. It can also leave us with a constant ringing sound in our ears, which is known as tinnitus. So, what sounds are too loud?

在我们的耳朵内部，耳蜗中有许多微小的毛发状细胞。这些细胞被称为毛细胞，因为非常小的静纤毛束位于每个细胞的顶部，在显微镜下看起来像毛发。当长时间暴露在嘈杂的噪音中时，这些静纤毛群可能会受损。一旦受损，这些细胞就无法对声音做出反应，因此我们会因噪声引起的听力损失而留下永久性的听力损失。它还会使我们的耳朵持续发出嗡嗡声，这就是所谓的耳鸣。那么，什么声音太大了？

Sound is measured in decibels. The maximum safe level of sound humans are thought to be able to withstand without potential damage is 80db. The bangs or booms of a firework display can reach 120db, the whirring mechanical sound of a food processor can be around 85db, and live music can be around 110db. If these sounds continue for a long period of time, it puts our unprotected ears at risk.

声音以分贝来衡量。人类被认为能够承受而不会造成潜在损害的最大安全声音水平是 80 分贝。烟花表演的爆炸声或轰鸣声可达 120 分贝，食品加工机的呼呼机械声可达 85 分贝左右，现场音乐可达 110 分贝左右。如果这些声音持续很长时间，就会使我们未受保护的耳朵处于危险之中。

So what can we do to protect our ears? Firstly, when listening to music, especially while using your headphones or earphones, make sure you keep it at a sensible volume. Also, don’t get too close to speakers that are blaring out music. And, if you go to live concerts, why not take some earbuds with you? Finally, if you get a ringing sensation in your ears, it might be wise to speak to your doctor as soon as possible. Your hearing is important, but there are some steps you can take to be as safe as possible.

那么我们可以做些什么来保护我们的耳朵呢？首先，在听音乐时，尤其是在使用头戴式耳机或入耳式耳机时，请确保将音量保持在合理的范围内。另外，不要离播放音乐的扬声器太近。而且，如果您去看现场音乐会，为什么不带上耳塞呢？最后，如果您感到耳鸣，最好尽快去看医生。您的听力很重要，但您可以采取一些措施来尽可能保证安全。

词汇表

listen 倾听，听
belt out 高歌
nod one’s head 点头
tune 曲子，旋律
boom out 发出低响，大声播放
noise 噪音
hair cell 毛细胞
noise-induced 因噪声引起的
hearing loss 听力损失
ringing 嗡嗡声
tinnitus 耳鸣
decibel 分贝
bang 巨响
boom 低沉的响声
whirr （机器）嗡嗡作响
mechanical 机械的
headphones （头戴式）耳机
earphones 耳机
volume 音量
blare out 高声播放
earbuds 耳塞