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9 [- {) \1 A3 Y; N9 i说汉语者使用大脑更多部分
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说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 9 z+ c2 A; N$ d( W- R1 |6 o
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英国的研究人员发现,说汉语普通话的人可能比说英语的人用更多大脑。研究表明,说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边。
' E, R) Z6 w' f说英语者只使用大脑一边。研究人员说,这项研究能够促进了解大脑处理语言的过程。
; e' d7 Q& ]. q7 r另外,这项研究还可以帮助研究人员找到更好的办法,帮助人们在中风或者脑部受到类似损害后重新学习,掌握语言技能。 + Q' s$ R: N5 \* _
在这项研究中,操汉语普通话和操英语的两组人接受脑部扫描。研究人员发现,人们讲英语时,靠近左太阳穴的左颞叶开始活跃。 9 {& ]4 b& M0 U* e# t+ u
他们发现,大脑这个区域的功能是把发音联系起来,形成单个词汇。
% ?- F: B0 z1 d4 e! k研究发现,人们说汉语时,左颞叶和右颞叶一起活跃。研究人员说,说不同语言时,人的大脑在以不同方式破译语言。这就推翻了长期以来的看法。 $ H8 L" f o; y5 _2 U5 y' [
汉语普通话十分难学。不同于操英语者,说汉语者使用音调区分不同词的不同意思。比如"马"音,用不同音调发音,可以是马,妈等不同的意思。
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Chinese 'takes more brainpower'
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1 f2 P9 f1 ^$ k! C; i1 v) lSpeaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. + [. A9 M5 Q. e7 c
Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language.
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+ r/ [; M8 d! q1 b# }" xThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain.
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* T- W R& B" @The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. ( C- G6 R) @* h2 |* l8 K
& C" Q H! r1 T8 W6 P$ B; @4 vThis, in turn, could one day help scientists to develop better ways of helping people to re-learn languages after a stroke or similar damage to the brain.
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Brain scans - @& w. f: \/ f
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Dr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers. . E* d' Q* A) O) i: H6 R$ ?
" K! a1 b7 t! }# K$ }8 f: j: zThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English.
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The researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. 3 S! q! I" d8 f0 K S4 B1 t* [, c
6 j* o) `" @5 ^4 `( E! CThey expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers.
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However, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin.
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' W8 Q0 y" P% p+ s6 e6 X( Y"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott. 6 q( d$ o- ?3 p! h
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"It overturned some long-held theories." , c" s4 P" @( S- ^) k* b
4 r* g* ~+ n6 Y3 n4 U- xMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. - {. w$ P2 @' c+ O6 L0 k
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For instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said.
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9 r+ J4 h# T9 R4 x, vThe researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain.
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t @/ B, a# n8 b0 B8 o/ W$ ~9 [The right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. 7 ~1 Q; T; d3 t0 m9 V' Z, z8 ~: Z% q2 ]
! Y( F1 ~* v0 `1 j& P( b"We think that Mandarin speakers interpret intonation and melody in the right temporal lobe to give the correct meaning to the spoken words," said Dr Scott.
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9 g* v2 a& i2 j+ o3 n$ F" O"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech. 5 |0 X6 c& G! a# x6 P4 ~/ ^: v" d) _
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
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Learning languages 2 h: N; ?# F: K% a! \% H
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language.
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$ c( \: b. t1 K# qIt could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke.
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She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills.
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; K F2 W+ `% L8 S) p5 N"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. 2 ]1 d9 C% Y4 O% f9 w+ v e, R" M3 z
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"This is something we can improve on."
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4 D6 L) \0 k, yDr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study.
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"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. ' J7 V" y' s3 O9 A# d- S
+ Q2 C5 p8 x1 l+ `: b3 X9 o7 g"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language.
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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( i% O* ]8 C! z% `/ F"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
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The findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July. ' D1 t3 t9 T/ L9 `
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Story from BBC NEWS:
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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