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It's no secret that China's economy is growing at a rapid pace.
眾所周知，中國的經濟正在飛速發展。
But it may surprise you to learn that some Chinese citizens are growing, too...taller,
但可能會讓你大吃一驚的是一些中國人也在長高,
that is, thanks to the popularity of leg-lengthening surgery.
這是由于流行的腿骨延長手術所致。
That's right: we're talking about a type of surgery that can make you at least two to three inches taller.
是的:我們討論的是一種能使你至少長高兩到三英寸的手術。
The details are pretty gruesome.
但手術過程可是毛骨悚然。
First, the doctor breaks the tibia and fibula--the bones of the lower leg.
首先,醫生折斷小腿骨的脛骨和腓骨。
Then, a device comprised of two metal rings connected by extendable rods--the fixator-is screwed into both ends of the broken bone through the skin.
然后,一個由伸縮桿連接兩個金屬環組成的固定架裝置通過皮膚擰入骨頭折斷的部分。
About a week later, the stretching begins.
大約一個星期后開始拉伸作業。
The surgeon lengthens the fixator in small, two millimeter increments.
外科醫生會以2毫米的增量延長固定器。
This slowly pulls the broken bones apart, allowing new bone to grow and fill in the gap.
這一緩慢的過程使得折斷的骨頭分開,允許新骨頭生長并填補其中的空白。
If all goes well, the three month bone-lengthening period is followed by another three to six months of bone strengthening.
如果一切順利,為期3個月的骨延長期間后緊隨而至的是另一個3至6個月的骨增強作業。
During this phase the patient is confined to a wheelchair and must undergo physical therapy that's typically described on leg lengthening websites as "extremely painful."
在這一階段的病人要以輪椅為伴并且必須接受物理治療,腿骨延長網站稱這一治療“痛苦之極”。
But, barring complications such as infection where the fixator is attached to the bones and nerve injury, after about a year you can be back up and walking around on newly lengthened legs.
但是,要是沒有固定器附著在骨骼的感染等并發癥和神經損傷,大約一年之后你就可以完好如初并且使用加長腿漫步了。
The surgery was invented in Russia in the early 1950s to help dwarves and other abnormally short people who wanted to attain a more normal height.
俄羅斯在20世紀50年代早期發明這項手術,目的在于幫助矮小人士和其他異常人士獲得更為正常的身高。
Recently, though, in places like China, leg lengthening surgery has become trendy for people convinced that being taller leads to better jobs and more money.
不過,最近在中國這樣的國家,腿骨延長手術已成為時尚,人們相信好的身高能夠帶來更好的工作和更多的收入。
