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% h# R3 m0 w+ a$ z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 4 M7 s4 W' P. K
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' B+ G7 t' V' R7 S q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。
# F" [+ w9 ]' k, {" J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( m3 _% V' O& r; F
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。 V5 y; S2 c8 ]' ]4 i2 K
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。
2 {& F h) c( q% e% Q" p9 Z4 p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。 8 N8 Y- i+ V' n
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。 " _0 E* Y- q) q: i* ], @
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。, @; t& ~+ g5 N# s9 `) @& V
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& P; H/ b9 K" rChinese 'takes more brainpower'
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. 0 y6 r8 h+ @5 V& t: {6 v b" 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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) D9 @* b& R Q: u( D! X0 n5 [+ L# {This compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. # ~/ Q2 |/ k/ N
6 d0 e6 B% z7 W* ZThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages.
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This, 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. % C F& F+ h- k' G
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Brain scans
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' @7 v# o5 p# J! y" H+ F* M+ O# CDr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers.
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, n, p( C% | c; a1 [8 ~" \' M KThey 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. ; H T! e, y0 H6 k! G. j ~% j& W/ t& n
2 @) W6 Q3 Q! W% DThey expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. 3 S- a: W! d* L3 Q, Q' a" L
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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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% S) D. H6 ?1 z, P"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
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1 b8 A9 i. n& O" V5 d"It overturned some long-held theories."
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0 I, R. }2 y; i8 b& KMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. * q: I2 I k9 h2 u, m& t5 [
3 d3 y4 e; q, l" D8 S' DFor instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said.
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! E6 H+ i* }" e; x5 _5 QThe researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain. 8 F& ]; F& l' I0 Y3 F
0 R6 l/ v ?* HThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. , }1 _5 o. K2 W) x% ?8 I
. ^, g$ `$ h% q- |% L! J1 |! P"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. ( g$ l# R: a) l8 J
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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." % m7 d3 q5 H) [! j& b/ \% f6 m
% Z; `6 o2 ]( j- Q8 R, K2 T( p1 CLearning languages 4 U% t. I: R! J7 _2 J% A# T) i
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. 3 T; B! n8 q( w3 r9 X& L
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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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She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. 0 K3 t& E6 d* n% }$ G8 u' ?
. f* r' w# R) W' l j+ n/ K9 K"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. ( o3 ?0 h2 \8 L. A
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"This is something we can improve on." " z* E ~; q8 Z2 x- v. l
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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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"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online.
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. 3 ~4 K0 Z h' s: E7 A( a; F
2 e4 D" f- S4 ]7 G"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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+ N& p+ P6 y( W" h4 z# j"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
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2 s5 r9 h/ }- u |! |& z4 HThe 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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& Z. l$ _* ~& \$ k2 u1 fStory from BBC NEWS:
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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