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4 Z0 h y, A) \, l" k% n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
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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。 $ } y, A# ~! Q
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。
, L. w) Q0 v$ x: e8 E0 [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。
4 _4 P* U2 j' l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。
# ~/ K, w6 y! L: C* c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。
: D6 ?1 w3 ~6 G# ?% ], j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。
' h' Q9 C/ r% u _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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& O" T; r, C% P+ s% T% m$ j$ y, zChinese 'takes more brainpower'
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6 j5 D; f- p9 ~+ B- C. b$ p4 W ySpeaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
, O' J, d }% e. d7 l) `. P( SResearchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. , G3 d! w9 N Z& [% D5 i4 ?
+ f% B. C" }2 j ZThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain.
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& G! g6 n# y0 h8 N$ RThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages.
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" X# E# O; h( T) AThis, 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. * N, K4 ]' x# i& Q
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Brain scans
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! @9 U4 T" A/ ]% \6 EDr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers. ! O! X* B9 {( \1 N' l
- f" |- h" k! S( o5 S1 R7 }They found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. ' x& s* ^( \" O$ B& c' s- N. e
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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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They 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. ! J( X, r* p$ @
' x& h2 H/ c, t- D+ w, V1 p"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott. 6 P8 x* t1 m/ i. C4 w3 M
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"It overturned some long-held theories." ' b' E' t; v7 U7 v; J' ~& |
, u* E/ }4 N% P4 J! F: C) VMandarin 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. 3 _1 b3 s3 [( x1 _4 N
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The right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones.
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% }8 `1 T' N/ w' r5 W4 P' `& y"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.
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5 Q7 C# j) `" Q4 [: h6 X `"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." - e6 i/ M$ g1 v# C- E: ~
8 ]6 H, g9 x3 q. W/ ~! I: i3 WLearning languages + k+ m6 L2 d2 r
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language.
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It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke. 7 i0 d" J, o U, g( a
' M- U# v' r# n9 G& D8 aShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. {8 p5 z; f+ Y7 ~
2 e9 b- b9 t4 K4 ~( W: m* C0 f"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. & h5 ]+ H' l8 p$ H, A0 y
6 g8 y. P5 D7 n$ B9 O9 I"This is something we can improve on."
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" r: z0 C1 g# E2 [Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study.
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5 r v+ F; j9 E J x: G2 a"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. : A! P+ O( d8 E% M8 s$ B, `. _
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language.
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9 g3 |, ~; k T) a"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said. : N' H% z" G% D. n0 V! R3 x* U# f# m
5 b& V+ S7 d5 Q6 @"This field is really opening up but it is very early days." * D( u7 R. v6 @# B: R& {" r; V& Y
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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. 7 R. o* M0 d8 E% ^
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Story from BBC NEWS:
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. _6 G I' Y1 p' x' k6 k) V[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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