研究：交通噪声缩短寿命？

Traffic noise can shorten your life, new research suggests. Having to endure rumbling lorries, honking horns and screeching tyres has been linked to shorter life expectancy and a higher risk of stroke.

一项新研究表明，交通噪音可能会让你的寿命缩短。长期忍受隆隆响的卡车声、哔哔的喇叭声、尖锐的轮胎声，容易缩短寿命，增加中风的风险。

People surrounded by daytime traffic noise louder than 60db were 4 per cent more likely to die than those where noise levels were 55db – roughly the level of a loud conversation.

相较于那些生活在噪音水平为55分贝(大概相当于大声说话)区域的人，被大于60分贝的日间交通噪音包围的人群的死亡率要高出4%。

The extra deaths mostly involved heart or artery disease - which could in turn be linked to raised blood pressure, sleep problems and stress brought on by noise, the scientists claim.

科学家称，额外死亡的原因主要包括心脏或动脉疾病，而这些与噪音导致的血压偏高，睡眠问题和压力有关。

A total of 8.6 million living in London between 2003 and 2010 provided data for the study, reported in the European Heart Journal.

《欧洲心脏杂志》(European Heart Journal)的报告指出，该项研究的数据来源是2003至2010年居住在伦敦的860万人。

Lead scientist Dr Jaana Halonen, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: 'Road traffic noise has previously been associated with sleep problems and increased blood pressure, but our study is the first in the UK to show a link with deaths and strokes.'

伦敦卫生及热带医学学院 (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)的首席科学家亚纳·哈洛宁博士(Jaana Halonen)表示：“道路交通噪音早前被证明与睡眠问题和血压升高有关，但我们的研究是英国第一个将道路交通噪音和死亡、中风联系在一起的。

In London, more than 1.6 million people are exposed to daytime road traffic noise louder than this threshold.

在伦敦，超过160万的人口暴露在日间交通噪音的环境中，且噪音超过临界值。

The study also found that adults living in areas with the noisiest daytime traffic were 5% more likely to be admitted to hospital for stroke than those from quieter neighbourhoods. For the elderly, this increase in risk rose to 9%.

这项研究还发现，比起住在较为安静区域的人，那些生活在日间交通噪音污染最严重区域的成年人因中风而入院的可能性要高出5%。对于老年人来说，这种风险甚至增加至9%。

Between 2003 and 2010, a total of 442,560 adults from the study population died from all causes, of whom 291,139 were elderly.

2003至2010年期间，研究调查对象中有 442,560名成年人因各种原因死亡，其中291,139名为老年人。

The scientists looked levels of road traffic noise between 7am and 11pm, and at night between 11pm and 7am, across a range of different postcodes and correlated their findings with death and hospital admission rates. A number of factors - including individuals' age and sex as well as ethnicity, smoking levels, air pollution and socio-economic deprivation - were taken into account.

科学家研究了多个邮政区域7:00至23:00，以及23:00至次日07:00的道路交通噪音水平，并将其调查结果与死亡率及入院率相互联系起来。个人年龄、性别、种族，吸烟强度、空气污染和社会经济困境等多种因素均考虑在内。

Commenting on the findings, Professor Francesco Cappuccio, chair of Cardiovascular Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Warwick, said: 'The results do not imply a direct cause-effect relationship. However, they are consistent with other evidence to suggest a possible causal link.'

针对研究结果，华威大学(University of Warwick)心血管医学和流行病学主席、教授弗朗西斯科·卡普乔(Francesco Cappuccio)发表评论称：“这些结果并不意味着道路交通噪音和死亡、中风之间存在直接因果关系。不过，研究结果与其他能证明这种因果关系可能存在的证据具有一致性。“

'For instance, it has been well established that nocturnal traffic noise disrupts sleep quantity and quality. If sustained over time, these disturbances, like sleep deprivation, have been associated with a 12% increased risk of all-cause mortality, mainly due to a 15% increase in stroke events and high blood pressure. Public health policies must pay more attention to this emerging evidence.'

“比如，人们普遍认为，夜间交通噪音缩短睡眠时间，降低睡眠质量。长此以往，睡眠不足等问题会导致全死因死亡风险增加12%，而这主要是因为睡眠不足会导致中风、高血压风险增加15%。公共卫生政策必须对这些新结果引起重视。

Dr Tim Chico, consultant cardiologist at the University of Sheffield, said: ‘There may be other factors that link high noise areas with cardiovascular disease, and it is difficult to take all of these into account.

谢菲尔德大学的心脏病顾问专家蒂姆·奇科(Tim Chico)说：“也许有其他因素导致生活在高噪音区域的人有心血管疾病的风险，要把所有因素考虑在内有一定困难。

Nevertheless, given what we know about traffic emissions increasing heart disease, we should remember that travelling by foot or bike is definitely healthier - both for you and for the people around you.’

尽管如此，鉴于我们知道机动车尾气会增加心脏病患病风险，无论是为自己还是身边的人着想，我们都应该记得，步行或骑车出行绝对更为健康。

Vocabulary

artery: 动脉

nocturnal: 夜间发生的

cardiovascular: 心血管的