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4 s" s% x5 H+ v2 g说汉语者使用大脑更多部分
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0 l0 g, Q' w) |3 w( A说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 7 |* n: f1 H3 V7 g/ f5 v1 T
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, F, u+ D; K5 |( |( ?5 h% r5 w& [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。
4 x4 V5 y8 W3 ^- n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。
, k; x% W3 i- B% A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。
: C8 \: N4 {* z" j g+ p( |) t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。
' U$ u$ E) a- l: S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。 , k; P% h2 Z( g
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。
1 I! }' F, V* g& V, k( p8 v9 p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。1 k. ^; w6 h& {4 B. i
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Chinese 'takes more brainpower'
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
& Z6 G( e, s u/ I2 E9 pResearchers 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. 1 S+ K: p7 a0 y6 Q& j7 w8 Z" w& A
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The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. ' L3 D" P2 D) \
5 ^& ^( L* [# rThis, 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. 1 P [# `: N, h+ B
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Brain scans ( s/ K' x3 c& o2 J( Q# R6 T1 l5 y
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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. 8 w( D( e* B: Y+ [
/ a9 Q8 l8 `( O8 ~, M$ s8 MThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. ) c; N4 Y7 }% `( J9 s0 S0 k. ~
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The researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words.
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: m* T, C# _- p/ R( FThey expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. " n4 P% o4 @$ p6 }$ M
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However, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. " }) \7 Y; A9 r4 V( _
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"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott. ; _# @( f3 Y/ G& W9 j
- D( B) U# j- ^# ^* u4 g% |"It overturned some long-held theories." , K5 n% b& L8 C$ y/ ^
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Mandarin 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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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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The right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. 5 c" d+ W0 l2 y* }) _
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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.
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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. 7 Z8 G. e3 J' e% Q+ ^' C
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." # N1 p: C$ ~! p* U7 E
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8 U3 @. z/ w6 j$ N+ eDr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language.
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# k$ [: x2 j s* K8 d. S. K% r1 CIt could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke.
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$ K9 V5 r; \7 X/ H" m) `( ]She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. & U0 |7 ^& O$ p q+ F& ~
+ ~& o- d2 f$ p2 c1 E4 o+ V& o"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. % S6 a$ p |# j) X+ M
9 P6 W& V7 k/ C1 ~' J- j/ M. ?' o"This is something we can improve on." , H9 s9 J C1 n
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. ! a% u7 u9 v3 }. J% A- F' n
! A# U0 u) |& w! V3 m& f"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. ; L3 {/ B& |" z
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. $ o3 R, M* }. J$ {- b' q3 E$ I" c; U
! x: U1 n/ o" V! j6 C"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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8 k) t6 g9 j) } ^$ D! t"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
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$ R! \, r# [8 JThe findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July. 5 G7 |- _) Y! `2 P6 M [3 y
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Story from BBC NEWS:! i8 F" d( w! M6 \; |; |
; l# y# t+ q7 k& G0 F1 p0 N- v[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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