1、2Good balance is mostly in your head摔跤背后的秘密IF Mickey Mouse slips on a banana peel on TV, viewers laugh. But for ordinary people, falling is not amusing. If you trip on a curb or fall off your bike, you can take days to heal. For old people, the result of a fall can be worse. 如果电视里的米老鼠踩到香蕉皮上摔了一跤，会令观众
2、开怀大笑。但是对于普通人，摔跤却并不好玩。如果你走在马路沿上摔倒了，或者从自行车上摔下去，可能要过几天才能恢复过来。对老人来说，摔跤的后果更加严重。Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh, US, wanted to know why some people are more likely to fall than others.美国匹兹堡大学的科学家想知道的是，为什么有些人比其他人更容易摔跤。The researchers found that balance involves more than planting your feet on th
3、e ground and standing tall. Your brain keeps your sense of balance with inputs from your eyes and inner ears and sensations from your feet and legs. If something goes wrong with any of these, youre likely to fall. People tend to fall more often as they grow older because their senses are less acute.
4、研究人员发现，平衡不仅仅是把脚平稳的放在地上站直身体。你的大脑根据眼睛、内耳传输的信息以及脚和腿的感觉，保持身体的平衡感。如果其中任何一部分出了问题，你可能就会摔倒。人们老了之后，感觉变得不灵敏，因此更容易摔跤。State of mind is important too. The research shows that when people know theyre walking on a slippery surface, they shorten their pace and walk with flatter feet. As a result, they fall less oft
5、en. 心理状态也很重要。研究表明，当人们知道自己在光滑的地面行走时，就会放慢脚步，小心翼翼行走。结果，他们反而很少会摔倒。“We actually make people slip and fall,“ researcher Mark Redfern said. People of different ages fall on purpose in his lab. Cameras record their falls and a computer analyzes the data. Scientists then can train people who fall often how t
6、o be on the alert.研究人员马克雷德费恩说：“其实是我们让人们滑倒的。”在他的实验室里，有来自各个年龄段的人们，他们故意摔倒。照相机会拍下他们的摔倒过程，再用计算机进行数据分析。然后，科学家就能告诉那些经常摔倒的人该怎样小心提防。“If they get used to a lifelike but controlled environment, people eventually can learn to handle the real thing,“ Redfern said. 雷德费恩说：“如果人们习惯了这种可控的逼真环境，最终在现实中也会掌控自如。”Falls happen to everyone sometimes. Next time you see someone fall, think 人人偶尔都会摔跤。当你下次看到有人摔倒的时候，想想原因何在，about why and offer a helping hand. This persons painful experience may prevent you from falling at the same place.再去助人一臂之力吧。因为这个人的伤痛经历可能会使你避免在同一个地方再次摔倒。
