第1429期:Brain training

Our brain is probably the most important organ in our body.我们的大脑可能是我们身体中最重要的器官。 It's an incredibly complex thing that helps us think, speak, feel and move. 这是一件非常复杂的事情，可以帮助我们思考、说话、感受和行动。It's no wonder we need to look after it and just like the rest of our body, we need to keep it exercised to keep it healthy.难怪我们需要照顾它，就像我们身体的其他部分一样，我们需要保持锻炼以保持健康。Our brain is made up of 86 billion neurons – or nerve cells – but as we get older some of these slowly die off.我们的大脑由 860 亿个神经元或神经细胞组成，但随着年龄的增长，其中一些会慢慢死亡。 In extreme cases, nerve cells in different areas of the brain become damaged and eventually die causing a condition called dementia where a person is unable to perform certain mental functions.在极端情况下，大脑不同区域的神经细胞会受损并最终死亡，从而导致人们无法执行某些心理功能的痴呆症。It's a good idea to train our brain by learning ways to increase our memory or intelligence.通过学习增加记忆力或智力的方法来训练我们的大脑是个好主意。 I like to stretch my brain by doing a crossword or a Sudoku puzzle.我喜欢通过填字游戏或数独游戏来扩展我的大脑。There's also evidence that learning a second language can boost your brainpower. 还有证据表明，学习第二语言可以提高你的脑力。Dr Catherine Loveday, who's a neuropsychologist, thinks being bilingual is a protective factor for the brain because it "involves a lot of switchings and that seems to exercise the sort of executive parts of our brain. 神经心理学家凯瑟琳·洛夫戴博士认为，双语是大脑的保护因素，因为它“涉及很多转换，而且似乎锻炼了我们大脑的执行部分。Those parts of the brain are kind of stronger and fitter when it comes to resisting some kind of damage from a stroke."在抵抗中风造成的某种伤害时，大脑的这些部分更加强壮和健康。”But if you're not bilingual there are other ways to stretch your brain: If you're right handed, doing tasks like brushing your teeth with your left hand will improve your brain – 但如果你不会双语，还有其他方法可以伸展你的大脑：如果你是右撇子，用左手做刷牙之类的任务会改善你的大脑——or something I find very challenging, memorising a list of words, such as a shopping list.或者我觉得非常具有挑战性的东西，记住一个单词列表，比如购物清单。The main aim of trying these skills is to stimulate the brain.尝试这些技能的主要目的是刺激大脑。This is something Dr. Loveday describes as building up our cognitive reserve – that's building up extra abilities to help protect the brain against declining memory or thinking. 这就是洛夫戴博士所说的建立我们的认知储备的东西——这是建立额外的能力来帮助保护大脑免受记忆力或思维衰退的影响。She says "even if people take up languages or take up other things later in life it will give them a degree of protection." 她说：“即使人们在以后的生活中学习语言或学习其他东西，也会给他们一定程度的保护。”As I get older, that has put my mind at rest!随着年龄的增长，这让我放心了！The best bit of research I have read is that eating chocolate may enhance our ability to acquire and utilise knowledge – that's our cognitive performance. 我读过的最好的研究是吃巧克力可以增强我们获取和利用知识的能力——这就是我们的认知能力。It may not be healthy for the rest of my body but at least it might make me a brain box! What do you think?它可能对我身体的其他部分不健康，但至少它可能让我成为一个大脑盒子！你怎么看？词汇表organ 器官neurons 神经元nerve cells 神经细胞dementia 痴呆症、失智症mental functions 脑功能intelligence 智力crossword 填字游戏brainpower 脑力，智力neuropsychologist 神经心理学家bilingual （能使用）两种语言的，双语的executive 执行指令的resisting 抵抗，抵御stroke 中风stimulate 促进（身体某部位）的功能challenging 有挑战性的cognitive reserve 认知储备abilities 能力put my mind at rest 让我放心了enhance 提高，增强utilise 利用，使用cognitive performance 认知表现，认知能力a brain box 非常聪明的人