Tens of thousands of young children are suffering from tooth decay caused by drinking fruit juice and squash, a recent study has revealed.
As many as one in eight children have suffered tooth decay by the age of three — although in some parts of England, the rates are as high as a third.
Senior dentists say the problem is often caused by well-meaning parents giving toddlers sugar-laden drinks in bottles.
Some middle-class parents would buy expensive organic juices in the belief they are healthier, but dentists have warned they can contain as much sugar as a glass of coke.
最近一项研究显示,数以万计的儿童长蛀牙是由平时喝果汁和果汁饮料导致的。
在3岁儿童中,每8个人中就有1个患有蛀牙;在英国的某些地区,甚至每3个孩子中就有1个患有蛀牙。
一些资深牙医称,这个问题常常是由好心的父母造成的——他们为孩子购买瓶装的含糖饮料。
有些中产阶级家境不错的父母会给孩子买较贵的有机果汁,认为它们更健康,但牙医们已发出警告,称有机果汁与可乐的含糖量相当。
【注解】
文中的tooth decay就是“蛀牙”的意思,其中tooth是“牙齿”的意思,其复数形式为teeth,常用的相关词组还有:false tooth(假牙)、brush teeth(刷牙)和baby teeth(乳牙)等。形容词dental意为“牙齿的”,“牙医”的英文是dentist,“牙痛”的英文是toothache。
此外,文中的well-meaning用作形容词,解释为“好心的、善意的”,相当于well-intended。