1、2000 单词， 10400 英文字符 ,3200 字 文献出处： Hudson S, Thompson D, Olsen H. designing playgrounds to help those supervising children.J. Parks & Recreation, 2003:88-93. 本 科 生 毕 业 设 计 外文翻译 （ 2014 届） 外文题目： Designing playgrounds to help those supervising children 译文题目： 辅助监管儿童 的游乐场设计 题 目： 学生姓名 ： 学 号 ： 专业班级 ： 系 名 ：
2、指导教师： 职称 ： 讲师 2 原文： Designing playgrounds to help those supervising children. Playgrounds have been an integral part of public parks and recreation from the start of the movement in the late 1800s. In fact, the first professional organization of municipal recreation professionals was called the Play
3、ground Association of America. The importance of these early playgrounds is well documented in the writings of the early leaders of the field, including Joseph Lee, Henry Curtis and Luther Gulick. An integral part of these playgrounds was not only the equipment, but also the supervision that was pro
4、vided. Joseph Lee noted the importance of supervision when he observe that Bostons playgrounds werent used to nearly their full capacity owing to a lack of supervision. Without supervision, it seemed to Lee, the bigger boys broke up constructive play. Over the years, public playgrounds have continue
5、d to be a mainstay in parks. However, unlike the early playgrounds, the majority of park and recreation agencies have foregone the expense of providing supervisors for these play spaces. Instead, they rely on adults who may accompany children to these areas to provide supervision. Because most adult
6、s are ill-prepared to provide supervision, its not surprising that the lack of proper supervision is cited as a contributing factor in 40 percent of all playground injuries. The lack of adequate supervision on playgrounds puts public park and recreation departments in a dilemma. On the one hand, the
7、 public pressures agencies to provide playgrounds； on the other hand, providing these play spaces without adequate supervision places children at risk and poses a liability exposure to publicplayground owners in states where government immunity provides limited or no protection. Short of providing s
8、taff members to provide supervision to these sites, is there anything else that public park and recreation agencies can do to help the public supervise children in these play spaces? Yes. One key way that park and recreation agencies can help the public in the supervision process is to consider elem
9、ents of supervision in the planning anddesign of these areas. This article will discuss some essential points of design that help facilitate supervision by caregivers who take children to playgrounds. The design of the playground environment can either promote or hinder the supervision process. As s
10、uch, there are at least four major elements to consider in thedesign of any playground to aid adults in supervision. These elements are location of the playground site, zones for play, age-appropriate design of equipment and open sight lines. Lets take a look at each. Location of the Playground Site
11、 As a result of the location of the playground site, there are many potential hazards to children. For instance, if the playground is located in an area where a road runs adjacent to it, theres a real possibility of a child running into the street. Were aware of a park in the Midwest where a road se
12、parated the playground from the public restroom. As most parents can attest, the second most-visited place in a park, aside from a playground, is probably the public restrooms. This kind ofdesign is literally an accident waiting to happen. In the same light, unfenced parking lots adjacent to playgro
13、und sites also pose a problem, as children are more intent on running to and from to the playground than looking out for moving vehicles. A third moving object that needs to be consider is the bicycle. Bicycle trails are popular entrances to many public parks. Often, these pathways lead right to the
14、playground. Its important that designers lay out a pathway that doesnt interrupt the activities that are occurring on the playground. Pathways that allow cyclists to enter into the playground environment set up a conflict between a moving object and a child. One other note should be made about the b
15、icycle and the playground. Cyclists need to be warned to take their helmets off when getting on playground equipment. Spaces on the equipment arent designed for children with helmets. Allowing children on playground equipment with helmets can lead to a potentially life-threatening head entrapment. F
16、orested areas and streams are also elements in the playground environment that can present supervision hazards. These areas are attractive nuisances for children. If a caregiver isnt paying attention 3 to children, the children can easily wander off and get into serious trouble. Having a definite bo
17、undary outlined by fences or shrubs helps delineate the playground area for both children and supervisors. Utility lines running through the playground area can also pose potential problems. Weve seen playgrounds where, over time, the power lines have sagged to such an extent that theyre within reac
18、h of a child standing on a slide. In addition, support structures for the utility lines may be enticing to children who view them as just another climbing opportunity. A few years ago, parents of private school children found out one day that the business office had made a contractual arrangement wi
19、th a cell phone company to erect a phone tower in the middle of an existing playground. The first that the principal or other school officials knew of this business arrangement was when the trucks showed up at recess to begin the work of erecting the tower. The parents ended up taking the school adm
20、inistration to court over the issue. The business officials saw no problems with the tower, especially if it brought extra money to the school. However, the judge granted the parents a permanent injunction citing that the best interest of the children was to have a safe environment minus the tower.
21、When providing space for children, the guiding principle should be whats in the best interest of the child, not whats cheap, available or leftover. Zones for Play The type of play behavior children might engage in, given the space and equipment that is present, defines play zones. The play site shou
22、ld be divided into zones of different activity types with buffers to prevent user conflicts and accidents. For instance, an architectural firm on the West Coast that was developing a four-field baseball complex contacted the National Program for Playground Safety concerning the placement of playgrou
23、nd equipment. The firm had decided to put theplayground in the center field area of the complex. Their reasoning was that while adults were watching one child play ball, they could also see another child playing on the equipment. Never mind that the children on the playground might be hit by a fly b
24、all, or that the center fielders might run into the playground area chasing a ball. In addition, while the adults might have been able to see the children on the playground, they wouldnt have been close enough to intervene promptly if a child was in trouble or exhibiting behavior that was disruptive
25、 to other children. Within the playground area itself, moving equipment, such as swings and merry-go-rounds, should be located away from other structures. Children exiting equipment dont necessarily watch where theyre going, and can easily move into the paths of other children. In the same light, ro
26、utes between safety zones should be mapped out ahead of time to avoid children disrupting each others play patterns. One design problem that weve seen many times, is placing swings in front of slides. Although the use zones may conform to the standards, one needs to remember that these use zones are
27、 the minimum for safety, not the maximum. For example, we were doing an assessment at a school where this swing-slide configuration was found on, the playground. We had measured the distance between the two structures and found that it met the Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines. Then we w
28、atched as a 5th grader bailed out of a swing and landed two feet to the side of the slide chute. Luckily, no other child was present at the time. Had he landed straight across from the slide, he would have touched down on the exit of the chute. Age Developmental Design Playground equipment needs to
29、be suitable for the developmental abilities of the users. The one-size-fits-all approach to playground equipment can contribute to serious injury on playgrounds. A preschool has a smaller foot and leg length than a school-age child. In addition, young children dont have the decision-making abilities
30、 to know that theyre at risk when they get on equipment thats too large for their size and strength. Despite this fact, the majority of park and recreation departments in the U.S. continue to design playgrounds for ages 2-12. This puts both the agency and children at risk. For example, one of the au
31、thors was involved in a legal case in the Southwest where a mother put her 4-year-old on a track ride. The young girl lost her grip, fell to an inappropriate surface and broke her arm. The park and recreation agency claimed that the mother was at fault for putting her child on equipment that was too large for her. However, there were two problems with this line of defense.
