►女性的前五名稍微有些变化，从高到低分别是：拉脱维亚、荷兰、爱沙尼亚、捷克和塞尔维亚，倒数前五名则是：危地马拉、菲律宾、孟加拉、尼泊尔和东帝汶。

　　值得注意的是，在1896-1996这一百年出生的人中，增幅最大的是韩国女性，从142.17厘米长到了162.32厘米，身高增幅达到了惊人的20厘米。

　　大多数遗传学家认为，改善儿童营养是帮助人类的身高大幅增加最重要的因素。

　　Most geneticists believe that the improvement in childhood nutrition has been the most important factor in allowing humans to increase so dramatically in stature.

　　这一论点的证据有三个方面：

　　The evidence for this argument is threefold:

　　- 1 -

　　首先，自人类出现以来，观察到的身高增长趋势并非连续不断的；事实上，对骨骼标本的检验显示，从石器时代到19世纪早期，人类的身高并没有显著变化。大幅身高增长大约在19世纪中叶开始。

　　First, the observed increase in height has not been continuous since the dawn of man; it began sometime around the middle of the 19thcentury. In fact, examinations of skeletons show no significant differences in height from the stone age through the early 1800s.

　　这些数据与最近的研究一致。研究表明由暂时性营养不良引起的生长缓慢通常可以逆转。然而，儿童时期长期的饮食不足会永久地影响身材和智力等其他特征。

　　Such data are consistent with recent research indicating that slow growth induced by temporary malnourishment can usually be reversed. Chronic underfeeding during childhood, however, permanently affects stature and other traits, including intelligence.

　　- 2 -

　　其次，身高增加的趋势在很大程度上已经趋于平稳。这表明，就算环境因素变得再有利，我们的基因也没法帮助我们突破身高上限。

　　Second, the trend toward increasing height has largely leveled off, suggesting that there is an upper limit to height beyond which our genes are not equipped to take us, regardless of environmental improvements. 

　　- 3 -

　　第三，营养不良与身材矮小有非常强的相关性。例如，虽然阶层差异仍然存在，但是所有阶层（从工厂工人到富人）的身高都随着食品质量的提高，生产和销售变得更加可靠而提高。

　　Third, conditions of poor nutrition are well correlated to smaller stature. For example, the heights of all classes of people, from factory workers to the rich, increased as food quality, production and distribution became more reliable, although class differences still remain.

　　基因决定了6-8成的身高差异

　　塔夫茨大学的分子生物学家在一项研究中表示，有60%-80%的身高差异是基因导致的。

　　有多少个体间的身高差异是受到遗传影响，又有多少差异是受到营养的影响？

　　How much variation (difference between individuals) in height is attributable to genetic effects and how much to nutritional effects?

　　简而言之，有大约60%到80%的个体身高差异是由遗传因素决定的，而20%到40%可以归因于环境影响，主要是营养的影响。

　　The short answer to this question is that about 60 to 80 percent of the difference in height between individuals is determined by genetic factors, whereas 20 to 40 percent can be attributed to environmental effects, mainly nutrition.

　　有网友看了平均身高数据之后表示：

　　"I'm so sorry that I lowered the average. At least I contributed to the average weight of my nation."

　　“抱歉，拖后腿了。但是我给全国平均体重做贡献了呀。”

　　多吃多运动，没准还能长两厘米呢。

　　这里是中国日报双语新闻夜听双语，我是双语君。

　　晚安，听说做会飞的梦可能是长高的预兆哦。

　　imperial /ɪmˈpɪriəl/adj 帝国的；英制的

　　surpass /sərˈpæs/ v 超过；胜过；优于

　　geneticist /dʒəˈnetɪsɪst/ n 遗传学家

　　chronic /ˈkrɒnɪk/ adj 慢性的；长期的；难以治愈的

　　level off （数量变化）停滞；趋于平缓

　　attributable /əˈtrɪbjətəbl/ adj 可归因于；可能由于