The Ossicles and Their Function

The Ossicles

听小骨

The three tiniest bones in the body form the coupling between the vibration of the eardrum and the forces exerted on the oval window of the inner ear. Formally named the malleus, incus, and stapes, they are commonly referred to in English as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup.

人体中最小的三块骨头构成了耳鼓膜振动与内耳椭圆窗所受力之间的耦合。正式名称为锤骨、砧骨和镫骨，通常在英语中被称为锤子、砧子和镫骨。

With a long enough lever, you can lift a big rock with a small applied force on the other end of the lever. The amplification of force can be changed by shifting the pivot point.

使用足够长的杠杆，你可以在杠杆的另一端用一个小的力抬起一块大石头。通过移动支点，可以改变力的放大效果。

The ossicles can be thought of as a compound lever which achieves a multiplication of force. This lever action is thought to achieve an amplification by a factor of about three under optimum conditions, but can be adjusted by muscle action to actually attenuate the sound signal for protection against loud sounds.

听小骨可以被视为一种复合杠杆，能够实现力的放大。这种杠杆作用被认为在最佳条件下可放大约三倍，但可通过肌肉作用调整，以实际减弱声音信号，从而保护听觉系统免受强声的伤害。

A physiology book describes the ossicles as small enough to fit collectively on a U.S. dime. The image to the right actually makes the ossicles a bit too large - they may be half that large in some persons.

一本生理学书籍描述听小骨足够小，可以集体放在一枚美国一角硬币上。右边的图片实际上让听小骨显得稍大一些——在某些人身上，它们可能只有这种大小的一半。

Ossicle Vibration

听小骨振动

The vibration of the eardrum is transmitted to the oval window of the inner ear by means of the ossicles, which achieve an amplification by lever action. The lever is adjustable under muscle action and may actually attenuate loud sounds for protection of the ear.

耳鼓的振动通过听小骨传至内耳的卵圆窗，这是通过杠杆作用实现的放大。杠杆在肌肉作用下可调节，实际上可能用于减弱强声以保护耳朵。