高齐云

Except studying， homework and after-school activities， going to school may make kids feel like they have the weight1 of the world on their shoulders2. And sometimes， they really do. After parents put a lunch， school things and textbooks—which are more than 1.5 kg each—into childrens schoolbags， it could be too much and dangerous for them to carry. At least 14，000 children get hurt in this way every year in America.

除了學习、功课和课余活动之外，去上学可能会让孩子感到自己把全世界的重担都压在肩上了。有时，他们确实是这样。父母往孩子的书包里放进午餐、学习用品和教科书（每本重1.5公斤以上）后，书包可能装了太多东西了，孩子背着有危险。美国每年至少有14，000名儿童因此受伤。

Some experts say that the weight of a schoolbag should be less than 10% to 15% of a childs body weight， but that isnt always the case. Too often， children dont wear their bags in the right way， and they will get more hurt. “Carrying schoolbags in a wrong way may hurt muscles3 and joints4 and can lead to back， neck， and shoulder pain， as well as posture5 problems.”

有些专家说，书包的重量应小于孩子体重的10%至15%，但实际情况并非如此。孩子们经常没有正确地背好书包，他们会因此受到更大的伤害。“以错误的方式背书包可能会损伤肌肉和关节，并可能导致背部、颈部和肩膀的疼痛，以及姿势问题。”

Its easy to find out that the bag is too heavy for a child. If kids say when putting on or taking off the schoolbag， they have red marks on their shoulders from the straps6， or if they say that their shoulders， arms or fingers “cant move”， those bags might just be too heavy.

发现书包对孩子来说太重了是很容易的。如果孩子们说在背上或放下书包时，肩膀上有背带压出来的红印子，或者说他们的肩膀、手臂或手指都“无法动弹”，这就说明这些书包可能太沉了。

But dont worry. The problem is not hard to deal with and it is possible7 for kids to carry schoolbags comfortably8. First things first： Go shopping at a sporting goods store because employees9 know how to fit10 schoolbags. Though kids might say no， some experts say it is important to use straps. Shoulders are not used to carry things on. By using the strap， the weight can be carried on the hip bones， rather than on the shoulders.

不过不用担心。这个问题不难解决，孩子们可以舒适地背着书包了。先做重要的事：去体育用品商店购物，因为那儿的员工知道如何挑选合适的书包。尽管孩子们可能会拒绝，但专家说使用背带很重要。肩膀不是用来挂东西的，通过使用背带，书包的重量可以由髋骨承担，而不是肩膀。

（英语原文选自：teenkidsnews.com）

【Notes】

1. weight [     ] n. 重量  2. shoulder [          ] n. 肩膀，肩部

3. muscle [      ] n. 肌肉  4. joint [] n. 关节

5. posture [          ] n. 姿势 6. strap [       ] n. 带子，背带

7. possible [         ] adj. 可能的;合理的;合适的 8. comfortably [            ] adv. 舒服地;安乐地

9. employee [          ] n. 雇员;从业员工

10. fit [   ] v. 使……适应;使……合身;与……相符

▲Discussion议一议：

1. Have you noticed the weight of your schoolbag？ 你注意过自己书包的重量吗？

2. Do you want to talk with your parents or teachers about your heavy schoolbag？ 你想和父母或老师谈谈书包过重的问题吗？