互联网时代与大脑记忆的关系

Merrill argues that our short-term memories can only cope with a few things at a time, which means we need to make our tasks simpler. Multitasking is, therefore, a recipe for inefficiency and error, unless one of the tasks is dead easy. Walking and chewing gum is possible, he argues – though I've just shown that thinking and getting off the train in the right place can be harder.
梅里尔指出，我们的短期记忆一次只能记住很少的几件事情，这意味着，我们必须把任务简单化。因此，多项任务同时进行，必然导致低效率和失误。除非其中某项任务简单至极。梅里尔表示，边走边嚼口香糖是件易事——而我刚刚证明，在想着事情的时候，要在正确的车站下车就困难得多。

Merrill also disapproves of frequent switching between tasks, which befuddles the brain. This may explain why I'm so uNPRoductive at work as I check my e-mail about 16 times a minute.
梅里尔也不赞成在各项任务之间频繁切换，那会让头脑变得糊涂。当我一分钟查看16次邮箱时，工作效率会极其低下，或许就是这个原因。
　　
So, as of now, I am trying to do things differently and am focusing on one task alone: writing a column. I am not going to check messages for an hour, when I will allow myself a look as a treat. Already I can hear my e-mail calling: check me. I don't know how long I can hold out.
为此，到目前为止，我正试着改变做事方式，专心处理一项任务：写一篇专栏文章。一个小时内，我不会查看邮箱，然后我会允许自己看一眼，放松一会儿。我已听见我的邮箱在叫唤：查收一下邮件。我不知道自己能够坚持多久。
　　
Also essential to better organisation, says Merrill, is to give more thought to what we actually need to store in long-term memory.
梅里尔表示，为了做到条理清楚，另一个要点是，多想一想确实需要储存在长期记忆里的事情。

I have come to the shockingly liberating conclusion that most of us need to remember almost nothing to do our jobs competently, because almost all information can almost always be found in one click of the mouse on the internet.
我已得出一个让人备感轻松的结论：要把工作做好，我们多数人都几乎不必记住任何事情。因为几乎所有信息都几乎总是能够在互联网上查到，我们只需点一下鼠标即可。
　　
In fact, it seems that the only point in having things stored inside your head is as a sort of party trick to whisk them out to show off in front of colleagues when there is no computer at hand.
事实上，在头脑里储存信息，唯一的用处就是：当手边没有电脑时，可以在同事们面前卖弄一番，这就像一种聚会上常用的花招。
　　
The only things that are absolutely essential to remember are one's computer login details, pin number and (possibly) names of a few key workmates. The rest of memory can be outsourced to the computer.
绝对必须记住的，只有电脑注册信息和PIN码。一些重要同事的名字，可能也有必要记住。其余的记忆大可托付给电脑。
　　
But there is another thought that cheers me more than any of the above. It is that whatever the disarray inside my own head, things could be worse. The other day my husband paid his parents a visit. On arrival, he opened the fridge to help himself to some wine and inside he found, alongside a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, a neatly folded copy of the Evening Standard.
不过，比起上述这些想法，还有一种想法让我觉得更加可乐。那就是：不管我自己的头脑怎么混乱，现实可能更加一团糟。有一天，我丈夫去看他父母。到了后，他打开冰箱，想倒点酒喝，结果看到冰箱里除了有一瓶长相思以外，还有一份叠得整整齐齐的《伦敦晚报》。