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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 ; m" [8 w3 b6 V' p+ h) f) [9 Y* [
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/ y4 g& W k$ K$ _% O$ C" 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。 : s+ E( \* w# ~: ?! a0 `
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。 , U4 Y" P1 [4 i7 [
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。
8 s) z) B) e! i6 O4 T9 A5 }( W" G( E/ C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。 " n8 R$ u: S! P. l& D; l1 q2 y
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。 2 b1 x2 d8 Q" u9 V1 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。 : [/ h& [7 F# O- u% e
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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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. ' H7 x: f+ A$ P' @+ ^1 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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1 x K0 Z" ?3 m! w8 C2 P y! y7 hThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain.
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The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. / ]9 F7 {, u( a7 ~& y" A
9 j8 b* F6 x9 @" p: R6 r( }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. " ~ ^. _0 Q" z, b% {1 t: _
/ r3 T, ]# J1 a: W: X' W( ?* fBrain scans
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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. , c1 a9 n; u3 L( _0 H! p9 @
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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.
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9 J( t1 p; r5 W! A w0 JThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. / C2 \ P; I, f( H4 m, w0 r7 @
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They expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. 2 M8 }3 }5 y) K9 u- H, Z2 b
! @# B Y+ F% GHowever, 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. . [+ } s$ B) X) y4 W4 T
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"It overturned some long-held theories." ) J F, z- ]. t& k
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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. ' c F7 S+ I' ~" ^) F4 c
* c+ _1 ]6 o" w4 g; m8 GFor 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. + A/ h9 o' } ~ a2 Q7 i
' B) U& @& j: T8 m' FThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. 1 L- B; D' U- s: l
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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 m \, j6 R9 C& y3 C
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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. 9 \* Y$ I8 q8 ]4 h
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." ( [1 j( {3 H0 J* Z# F3 ]& d# P! \: t& y
+ @6 ~" G$ I+ y) K M5 ^. hLearning languages
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. & A" P/ a9 v7 A
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It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke. 5 s6 d# [1 }, M) Q' Y* [6 ^
4 P* A6 Q2 h& J1 g* d& h0 EShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills.
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0 Z. `5 q% T) H- A"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. ) F/ ~& X( M, |% I, q: N
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"This is something we can improve on."
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8 W8 U* Y) q# r/ \4 u d2 GDr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study.
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' H$ Y6 I, ^4 h8 t) L8 `, G' X"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. ) U) T. M+ r/ K$ E1 ~) k
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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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& \& A; ~% Q( e; @# x" ~"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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$ r, d9 ?# w! |* C$ d"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. 1 n" s0 s \5 r1 M _
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Story from BBC NEWS:
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& L3 h, c% ?# p% x/ T# K# v[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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