Scientists have been studying the effect of explosions on soldiers' brains since World War I. Some military veterans who survived powerful explosions may become violent or experience depression. It may be difficult for the former soldiers to concentrate on what they are doing. Their feelings may change quickly -- from happy to sad or even angry.
一战以来，科学家们一直在研究爆炸对士兵大脑的影响。一些在强烈爆炸中幸存的退伍军人可能会变得暴躁或患上抑郁症。这些退役士兵可能很难专注于自己所做的事情。他们的情感可能会从快乐到悲伤甚至到愤怒急剧变化。
Now, researchers have found that the soldiers' brains suffered physical damage, like people who die in transportation accidents or from a drug overdose.
如今，研究人员发现，这些士兵的大脑受到了和交通事故或吸毒过量死者类似的物理损伤。
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine examined the brains of former soldiers who had died. These veterans had been injured in a battlefield explosion, but it was not what caused their death.
约翰·霍普金斯医学院的研究人员检查了已故退役士兵的大脑。这些老兵都曾经在战场爆炸中受伤，但是这并非他们的死因。
The researchers discovered evidence that nerve fibers in the front of the brain had been damaged. Professor Vassili Koliatsos led the study. He says the discovery explains why the veterans had a condition known as ‘shell shock.'
研究人员发现的证据表明，他们大脑前部的神经纤维受到了损害。Vassili Koliatsos教授领导了这项研究。他说，该发现解释了为何退伍军人患有所谓的“炮弹休克症”。
"And that's very important because this is the site – this is the center of the executive functions of the brain, functions that allow you to put your life together, organize, plan ahead, understand, abstract. And you can imagine that this can make your life difficult."
他说，“这是非常重要的，因为那是大脑行政职能中心，它让你可以生活、组织、未雨绸缪、理解、抽象。你可以想象这些会让你的人生变得艰难。”
Professor Koliatsos says the physical damage was often found near blood vessels inside the skull. He says this suggests that the force of the explosion pushed blood from the chest into the brain. This caused the brain to quickly swell or become enlarged. He says when the brain swells, it pushes against the skull.
Koliatsos教授表示，这些物理损伤通常发生在颅内的血管附近。他说，这表明爆炸力将血液从胸口推到大脑，导致大脑迅速胀大。他说当大脑胀大势必会挤压颅骨。
The professor says that, as a result of the study's findings, doctors may decide to give different medicines to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. And he says the findings may cause military officials to find ways to better-protect a soldier's chest.
这位教授表示，作为这项研究的调查结果，医生们可能会决定给患上创伤后应急障碍症的退伍军人服用不同的药物。他还表示，这一发现可能会促使军方官员找出办法来更好地保护士兵的胸口。
I'm Bob Doughty.
我叫鲍勃·道蒂。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)