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说汉语者使用大脑更多部分7 [: S1 s: @* I
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说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 . n% ?. @! ?# i2 X
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. A* L$ o1 J0 ~1 B$ p* s" a' X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。 * |7 t6 p% M" i3 |' [. d W# n) k
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。 # F w# s6 k, h* _* ?8 d
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。 * ~# q1 _6 W0 k( ?+ L+ B
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。
6 T+ `" w5 ]5 g9 a. ~6 |3 V% R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。 9 j: I. k; Q, Z7 B9 V. M* f
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。
8 i7 B; K* ]% K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。/ J7 v" R7 N9 n& m; ]- P
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- R" n" |! p$ h" N" TChinese 'takes more brainpower' 2 u# R7 ^& G* p2 u& M/ O& K
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. 0 f+ O7 R& b6 J4 W1 w8 |2 D2 L
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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This compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain.
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9 y" J% K! L$ K5 }' PThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages.
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- d# s& t. `1 l% X% L: mThis, 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
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. c7 X. f: l; o3 DDr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers. ! A/ b# D+ s% Y( l0 P& X6 i7 O
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They found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. 1 C% y( C& Q2 p% T" e+ u. r0 r2 ^
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6 |% I& M: F$ I0 }% Y1 \. J" v7 xThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words.
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They expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers.
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9 e0 L( Z* [- ~# I5 `0 s" H& p8 JHowever, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin.
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"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
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"It overturned some long-held theories." ) ~2 [: E# d2 d2 W
3 V- @5 G* ]6 C' QMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words.
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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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& G- d/ L& J0 e& [The researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain.
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. M V& x! z" V9 ~( G9 E2 [: z3 {; XThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones.
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"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. 3 M6 O( p; A- m& `: y
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"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech.
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
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+ [! N' p9 `. P! lLearning languages * k1 P+ y) r* u% [1 |
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. & O5 I% q) e4 A# v/ o9 T0 G
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It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke.
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' q$ ]% ^ \! I! dShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills.
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6 p( `7 \+ C- K3 Q% B" w) O/ h; ["There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. & T! g7 F3 C" t" J
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"This is something we can improve on."
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study.
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* O# }! h6 X$ g L8 w- h. }- X! o" m3 _"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online.
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5 E0 v: m# A G- W2 u- i$ \"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. $ N) \( |- y1 _' q# t m
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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+ w6 u( n* C3 K1 B4 i"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.
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Story from BBC NEWS:) |5 m+ ~2 _6 |/ G3 C4 i! U
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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