Chat attack

presbyopia / 老花眼 / (lǎohuāyǎn)

A: The lens of your glasses are so thick that your prescription must be pretty high.

看你眼镜镜片这么厚,你的近视眼度数应该很高吧？ 

(kànn ǐyǎnjìnɡ jìnɡpiàn zhème hòu, nǐde jìnshìyǎn dùshù yīnɡɡāi hěn ɡāoba?)

B: Yup. I look forward to avoiding presbyopia when I'm old. Don't they say that being nearsighted can cancel out presbyopia? 

是,我就盼着自己老的时候可以避免老花眼,不是说老花眼和近视眼可以互相抵消吗？

(shì, wǒjiù pànzhe zìjǐl ǎode shíhòu kěyǐ bìmiǎn lǎohuāyǎn, bùshìshuō lǎohuāyǎn hé jìnshìyǎn kěyǐ hùxiānɡ dǐxiāoma?)

A: Haha. I thought so too, but afterwards I asked a doctor and found out that this is a misunderstanding. Normal and near-sighted eyes will get presbyopia as you get older. The prescription for near-sighted eyes will change after you get presbyopia, but they won't cancel each other out. 

哈哈,我一开始也这么认为,直到后来问了医生才发现这是个误区。随着年龄的增长,正常眼和近视眼都会得老花眼。近视眼得了老花眼后度数会发生变化,但是两者不可以相互抵消。

(hāha, wǒ yīkāishǐ yě zhème rènwéi, zhídào hòulái wènle yīshēnɡ cáifāxiàn zhèshìɡè wùqū. suízhen iánlínɡde zēnɡchánɡ, zhènɡchánɡyǎn hé jìnshìyǎn dōuhuì dé lǎohuāyǎn。jìnshìyǎn déle lǎohuāyǎn hòu dùshù huì fāshēnɡ biànhuà, dànshì liǎnɡzhě bùkěyǐ xiānɡhù dǐxiāo.)

B: Heavens! So when I'm older, I'll have to wear to sets of glasses?

天啊！那我老的时候岂不是要戴两幅眼镜？

(tiāna. nà wǒlǎode shíhòu qǐbùshì yào dài liǎnɡfú yǎnjìnɡ?)

A: Yup. My mother is like that. It's tough. 

是的,我妈现在就是这样,有点惨。 

(shìde, wǒmā xiànzài jiùshì zhèyànɡ, yǒudiǎncǎn.)

Illustration: Liu Xidan/Global Times