Welcome to the Health & Lifestyle report from VOA Learning English.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康和生活方式表达。
It is not a secret that spending time outdoors is good for our health. The more we learn about the benefits of being in nature, the more sense it makes to get outside.
户外活动有利于身体健康，这并非秘密。我们越了解接触大自然的好处，户外活动就越有意义。
This could be especially important for school children.
这对学校的孩子们来说尤为重要。
New research suggests that kids may learn better when they are surrounded by greener spaces. Green spaces are spaces filled with vegetation – like trees, flowers and other plants.
新的研究表明，孩子们身处绿色空间时他们能学得更好。绿色空间是指到处是像树木和花卉等植物的植被。
But these days, outdoor time is competing for a child's attention with indoor activities. Children may find it difficult to resist computers, television and electronic games.
但是如今，户外活动时间正在同孩子对室内活动的关注竞争。孩子们可能会觉得难以抵抗电脑、电视和电子游戏的诱惑。
So, in many parts of the world children are spending less and less time outdoors. All this indoor activity can hurt a child's physical and mental health.
因此，世界上很多地区的儿童花在户外的时间原来越少。上述所有室内活动都会伤害孩子的身心健康。
But can it affect how well they do in school? Researchers in Barcelona, Spain and in the United States are trying to answer that question.
但是它是否会影响孩子的学习呢？西班牙巴塞罗那和美国的研究人员试图找出答案。
The study of the enviroment on health
健康环境研究
Doctor Payam Dadvand works at the Centre for Research and Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona. He and his team study how the environment affects health. The researchers wrote that, "Approximately one half of the world population lives in cities, and it is projected that by 2030, three of every five persons will live in urban areas worldwide."
Payam Dadvand博士就职于巴塞罗那环境流行病学研究中心。他和他的团队研究了环境对健康的影响。研究人员写道：“世界人口大约有一半居住在城市。据预测到2030年，全球60%人口将会居住在城市地区。”
Dr. Dadvand and his team studied more than 2,600 children from 36 schools in the city. The kids were seven to 10 years old. The researchers used information from satellites to learn how much green space surrounded each school.
Dadvand博士和他的团队对该市36所学校的2600多名儿童进行了研究。这些孩子年龄在7到10岁。研究人员利用卫星信息了解每所学校附近有多少绿地。
Over one year, the children took computerized tests four times. The tests measured memory and attention span.
这些孩子在一年多时间里参加了4次电脑测试。这些测试会衡量记忆力和注意力。
The researchers then created mathematical models to compare the amount of green spaces around the schools with the test scores.
研究人员然后创建了数学模型来比较学校周边绿地数量和测试成绩的关系。
The researchers found that the children with higher contact with green space had better ability to memorize. They were also more attentive. The team believes that good air quality is the main reason for the results. More trees means less air pollution.
研究人员发现，和绿地接触更多的孩子记忆力更好。他们也更加专注。该研究小组认为，良好的空气质量是造成该结果的主要原因。树木越多意味着空气污染越少。
Scientist Jordi Sunyer also worked on the study. Mr. Sunyer says that schools surrounded by greenery had less air pollution in the classrooms. So, it seems it's not just outdoor time that is good for children but outdoor time surrounded by clean air.
科学家佐迪·桑德(Jordi Sunyer)也参与了这项研究。桑德先生表示，被绿树环绕的学校的教室空气污染更少。所以，并非户外活动时间对孩子有利，而是户外活动时间被清新空气包围对孩子有利。
"What these data are telling us is that a way to manage air pollution in the cities is increasing vegetation in the schools."
他说，“这些数据告诉我们，改善城市空气污染的途径之一是增加各个学校的绿化。”
However, some experts question the use of satellite images to determine the amount of green space.
然而一些专家对利用卫星图像确定绿地数量表示质疑。
Satellite images would not show if the green spaces are actually useable, such as playgrounds and parks. Also, satellite images would not show if children actually come into contact with the green spaces.
卫星图像不会显示绿地是否真实可用，像操场和公园。此外，卫星图像也不会显示，孩子们是否确实和绿地接触。
Other experts say this study does not consider other factors that may play a part in a child's learning environment.
还有专家表示，这项研究并未考虑到孩子学习环境中可能起到发挥作用的其它因素。
The Massachusetts study
马萨诸塞州的研究
But the findings of the Barcelona study seem to support a six-year study on elementary schools in the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
但是巴塞罗那这项研究结果似乎支持了美国马萨诸塞州对小学进行的为期6年的研究。
Researchers there studied students at 905 schools from 2006 to 2012. They found that students in schools that had more green spaces scored higher on standardized testing in English and math.
这里的研究人员对2006年到2012年905所学校的学生们进行了研究。他们发现，在拥有更多绿地的学校就读的学生在英语和数学的标准化考试中得分更高。
The researchers in the Massachusetts study used more factors than the Barcelona study -- factors such as race, gender, English as a second language, parent income, student-teacher ratio and school attendance.
参与马萨诸塞州这项研究的研究人员比巴塞罗那研究用到了更多因素，如种族、性别、英语作为第二语言，家长收入，师生比例以及出勤率。
The question of how green spaces affect learning is a new one.
绿地如何影响学习这是一个新的问题。
Lisa Freund is an expert in child psychology for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. She says more studies are needed to learn why vegetation in and around schools improves mental ability.
丽萨·弗罗因德（Lisa Freund）是美国国家儿童保健和人类发育研究所的一位专家。她说，需要进行更多研究来了解为什么学校内部和周边的植被能提高智力。
"There's something about being out in nature that can be very supportive of the human. But do we need the actual greenery around us? Do we just need pictures? We don't know."
“人们很支持接触大自然，但是我们需要身边有实际的绿化还是只需要照片？我们不得而知。”
The Barcelona researchers published their study in the journal Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. The Massachusetts researchers are from several universities in the United States and Taiwan. Their research can be found in PLOS ONE.
巴塞罗那研究者在《美国国家科学院院刊》上发表了他们的研究结果。马萨诸塞州的研究人员来自美国和台湾的几所大学，他们的研究可以在《公共科学图书馆期刊》上找到。
And that's the Health & Lifestyle report from VOA Learning English.
以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语健康和生活方式报道的全部内容。
I'm Anna Matteo.
我是安娜·马特奥（Anna Matteo）。(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！)