(单词翻译:单击)
It's two in the morning, and like most people you're fast asleep.
已经是凌晨两点钟了，就像其他人一样你正在睡梦当中。
But then your eyespop open and your three year old is standing there,tugging her ear and saying, “Mommy, my ear hurts.”
但是你突然睁开眼睛，发现你三岁的女儿站在那里，拽着她的耳朵说：“妈妈！我的耳朵痛。”
If you're a parent with a young child, this scenario is probably nothing new.
如果你是一个年幼孩子的家长，你就会知道这样的情景并不新奇。
In fact, the typical toddler averages about four ear aches per year.
实际上，大部分幼童每年平均有四次耳痛。
But when's thelast time you had an ear infection?
但是你最后一次耳朵感染是多久呢？
Clearly, little kids are much more likely to get anear infection than adults.
明显地，小孩比大人更容易患耳朵感染。
What makes kids so susceptible?
究竟是什么让小孩如此脆弱呢？
Most infections happen in the middle ear, a pocket about the size of a small grapelocated just behind the eardrum.
大多数感染发生在中耳。在鼓膜后面有一个小葡萄般大小的囊。
When kids get a cold, the auditory tube–ashaft running from the middle ear to the throat-can become filled with fluid.
当儿童感冒以后，耳咽管就会就会充满液体，耳咽管是从中耳到喉咙的通道。
For grownups this usually isn't a problem, since adult tubes are large enough to letthe fluid drain away.
对于大人来说，这根本不是一个问题，因为大人的耳咽管大得足以让液体流走。
But in children under three, the auditory tube is a lotsmaller and more likely to get clogged up.
但是对于三岁以下的儿童，他们的耳咽管更小更容易被堵塞。
Bacteria love this sort of clogging,and soon they move in and cause infection.
细菌很喜欢这种赌塞，很快他们就会滋生，引起感染。
The ear reacts by making pus, a thickliquid that fights bacteria.
耳朵这时会做出反应产生一种浓稠的杀灭细菌的脓液。
As the pus builds up it pushes on the eardrum, causingpain.
随着脓液的积聚，它会压迫耳膜，引起疼痛。
Fortunately, the cure is pretty straightforward.
幸运的是，治愈很简单。
A good dose of antibiotics andyour child will be good as new in a few days.
只需一剂好的抗生素，你的孩子在几天内就会康复,如同新生一般。
So if what seems like a constant seriesof ear infections is wearing you and your child out,take heart.
因此如果一系列的耳朵感染似乎让你和你的孩子筋疲力尽了，一定要振作起来。
Around when most kids turn three, their auditory tubes become large enough to makeinfection less likely.
当大多数儿童到三岁以后，他们的耳咽管就会变得足够大，感染也会变少了。
