头脑训练 Brain training

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Sophie…
大家好，欢迎收听六分钟英语。我是苏菲。
Watashi-wa Ni-ru.
我是尼尔（日语）。
What did you say?
你说什么？
Watashi-wa Ni-ru. ’I’m Neil.’ It’s Japanese, Sophie.
我说的是“我是尼尔”。这是日语，苏菲。
Very good, Neil!So your Japanese language lessons are going well, then?
不错嘛！看来你的日语课程很有效果啊？
They are indeed.And did you know, Sophie, that scientists believe learning a second language can boost brainpower?Bilingualism – or speaking two languages equally well – is a form of brain training.
确实。你知道吗，苏菲，科学家认为学习第二语言有利于智力增长。双语，即会说两种语言，是头脑训练的一种方式。
Brain training is where you’re learning ways to increase your memory or intelligence. That’s great Neil – but you’re not exactly… bilingual… are you?
头脑训练是学习提高记忆力或智力的方式。这不错哎，但是尼尔，你还没达到双语的程度吧？
Not yet. No.
还没有。
Well, brain training is the subject of today’s show. And ways to train your brain might be doing a crossword puzzle, playing chess, or studying a new language! Now I have a question for you, Neil.
头脑训练就是今天节目的主题。训练大脑的方法有做纵横字谜、下棋或学习一门新的语言！现在有一个问题要问你，尼尔。
I hope my brain is up to the challenge.
希望我的大脑能胜任这个挑战。
I’m sure it is. Can you tell me: How many neurons – or nerve cells – are there in the typical human brain?Is it …a) 8.6 billionb) 86 billionOr c) 860 billion
相信你可以的。你能告诉我，人的大脑中有多少神经元或者说神经细胞吗？a) 86亿个b) 860亿个还是c) 8600亿个
Hmm. I’m going to say a) 8.6 billion.
恩，我选a) 86亿个。
Well, we’ll find out later on in the show whether you got the answer right or not. But now let’s listen to neuropsychologist Dr Catherine Lovedaytalking about why being bilingual may protect your brain from damage if you have a stroke.
好的，节目的最后我们再看你回答的是否正确。现在我们来听听神经心理学家Catherine Loveday的谈话，他会告诉我们为什么学会两种语言有助于在中风时保护大脑。
I think the theory behind why bilingualism might be a protective factor is that[it] involves a lot of switchings – a lot of attentional changes – lots of switching. And that seems to exercise the sort of executive parts of our brain.Those parts of the brain are kind of stronger and fitterwhen it comes to resisting some kind of damage from the stroke.
我认为之所以具备双语能力有一定的保护作用，是因为使用双语时，大脑会进行许多转换，进行许多有意识的转换变化。这似乎对大脑中的控制部分起到了锻炼效果。这部分大脑更加强健，就可以抵抗中风对大脑的损伤。
A stroke is a serious illness that occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off. And executive functions are the mental skills involved in doing things like problem solving and planning.
中风是一种很严重的疾病，由脑供血不足引发。大脑的控制作用是指涉及问题处理或规划的心理技能。
So when a bilingual speaker switches – or changes – from one language to another– this exercises the executive parts of their brain, making it stronger and fitter.And because the brain is stronger, it’s able to resist – or prevent – damage caused by a stroke.
具备双语能力的人，他的大脑会进行语言转换，从一种语言转换为另一种语言。这会锻炼他们大脑中的控制部分，使之更加强健。因为大脑更加强健，所以可以抵抗中风对大脑的损伤。
But many of us aren’t bilingual are we? So our brains aren’t going to be protected against strokes.
但大多数人并不具备双语能力，不是吗？所以我们的大脑不能很好的抵抗中风。
Don’t worry, Neil. There are other things you can do to exercise your brain. If you’re right handed, doing tasks like brushing your teeth with your left hand will stimulate your brain– or getting dressed in the dark with your eyes shut. Or simply memorizing a list of words, for example your shopping list.
不用担心，尼尔。还有其他方法可以锻炼大脑。如果你是右撇子，就试着用左手做事，例如用左手刷牙，这样也会刺激大脑，还可以试着闭着眼睛穿衣服。或者简单地记一系列单词，如你的购物清单。
Doing things with the wrong hand sounds hard. But the shopping list thing sounds easier… OK. Let’s see… pizza, doughnuts, crisps, bottle of coke, chocolate cake…
用左手做事情听起来好难。记购物清单听起来容易些。的，我们试试，披萨、甜甜圈、薯片、可口可乐、巧克力蛋糕……
That’s not a very healthy list, Neil! A good diet is also important in keeping your brain fit and healthy.
这个清单一点都不健康。合理的食谱对保持大脑健康非常重要。
Maybe I should cut down on the chocolate cake then?
那我是不是要划掉巧克力蛋糕这一项？
Actually, that’s one thing you could leave on the list. According to research, chocolate may enhance – or improve – cognitive performance, and that is your ability to acquire and utilize knowledge.Now let’s listen to Dr Loveday talking about building up our cognitive reserve – this is the idea of building up extra abilities to help protect the brain against declining memory or thinking.
事实上，你应该留下这一项。据研究显示，巧克力可以提高认知能力，也就是掌握知识、利用知识的能力。我们听听Loveday教授讲述如何形成记忆储存库，也就是通过学习其他能力保护大脑，防止记忆或思维能力退化。
Continually just stimulating the brain – things like learning a language, learning music,just educating yourself, seems to continue to build up that cognitive reserve.So even if people take up languages or take up other things later in life it will give them a degree of protection.
持续刺激大脑，像学习一门语言、学音乐，只依靠自学，就能逐渐形成记忆储存库。所以即便人们上了年纪后才开始学习语言或学习其他事情，在一定程度上也可以保护大脑。
Stimulate means to make something become more active. Hmm.Not sure I’m continually stimulating my brain.What do you think, Sophie?
刺激是指使某物更加活跃。不知道一直以来我有没有刺激到大脑。你怎么看呢？
With all our stimulating discussions, Neil, I’m sure we’re both building up our cognitive reserve. And there are your Japanese lessons too.
我们进行了这么刺激的讨论，我相信我们一定形成了自己的记忆储存库。你的日语课程也会有帮助的。
Well, so I am doing well as far as my cognitive reserve goes. Sophie you’ve put my mind at rest.
只要我的记忆储存库在增加就好。你这样说我就安心了。
And if you put someone’s mind at rest you stop them worrying. Well, don’t get too relaxed Neil – your brain needs constant stimulation, remember?
让某人安心，就是让某人不要担心。不要太放松了尼尔，你的大脑需要持续的刺激，记得吧？
Hmm. I think I might just lie down after the show with a box of chocolates and today’s crossword…or maybe I’ll memorize another shopping list… this time in Japanese.
恩，节目录完了我要躺下来，吃一盒巧克力，然后做今天的纵横字谜。也许我要再记忆一下购物清单，这次用日语记。
OK. I think it’s time to hear the answer to today’s quiz question.I asked: How many neurons are there in the typical human brain?Is it … a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion or c) 860 billion?
好吧，我觉得是时候公布今天问题的答案了。我问你：人的大脑中有多少神经元？a) 86亿个 ，b) 860亿个，还是c) 8600亿个？
And I said a) 8.6 billion.
我选的是a) 86亿个。
I thought you were feeling clever today, Neil. I’m afraid that’s the wrong answer. It’s b) 86 billion. But do you know how scientists calculated that number?
我记得你今天说自己状态不错啊，尼尔。但很遗憾你答错了。正确答案是b) 860亿个。但你知道科学家们是怎么计算出这一数字的吗？
Did they have a guess, Sophie?
他们也是猜的？
No, not exactly.Apparently, the easiest way is to count how many neurons there are in one part of the brainand then multiply that for the rest of the brain’s volume.
不是。最简单的方法是计算大脑中某一部分的神经元数量，然后乘以大脑其他部分的体积。
Well, that’s a lot of brain cells.OK, can we hear the words we learned today?
好吧，大脑细胞真的很多啊。好了，我们听一下今天学到的单词吧？
They are:
今天听到的单词有：
bilingualism
能用两种语言
brain training
头脑训练
neurons
神经元
stroke
中风
executive functions
管控功能
switches
转换
resist
抵抗
enhance
提高
cognitive reserve
记忆储存库
stimulate
刺激
put someone’s mind at rest
让某人安心
Well, that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English.Don’t forget to join us again soon!
今天的六分钟英语就到这里。别忘了下期再见！
Bye.
再见！