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说汉语者使用大脑更多部分* |, X# i- g$ }7 y0 h
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说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 3 R- L3 I6 y" k0 q9 W: o
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& b( A. Y% r3 q5 C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。
% w3 C( |( B1 K( n4 C; R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。 9 R" ?* k/ }9 Z* S7 F \4 C
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。
* r! [; m+ V8 Q+ 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。 ! N- L7 X2 i: j( ?9 d+ ?
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。
/ o# _* j; P. L/ y' V2 N4 `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。 7 m; @5 I, S! i0 F+ G" v1 ~( t
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。3 u. P. t7 p$ H" Z4 s6 [
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Chinese 'takes more brainpower'
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. 6 F; M3 i i, U
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. 4 K0 I* `0 B7 i) x& Z, |
2 S/ w3 G% t$ ~. ?$ ~The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. ' \8 @ X2 a3 v- ], B' e5 v' K
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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. S7 ]% }; @, {! ]* X3 N! m
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Brain 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. 8 z( o5 c/ B+ b, S, ]
7 ?1 V& f9 m9 [7 X3 `0 m( TThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English.
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6 l$ c5 O+ t5 J8 A: {. B# VThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. , q) S) `2 ]* j8 c% u
, q3 }7 ?8 d! H( s% |7 U' `0 }# xThey 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. 4 o% g7 p; v! Q% G
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"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott. ' [" m/ k! h. G f% {0 B
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"It overturned some long-held theories."
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- ]7 {, Q4 v% P5 J& e! JMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. % r3 S& q- E/ d. M$ G/ D
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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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) q: O- y/ Y3 ?) IThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones.
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/ ?) Q# `! Z9 R. N: ?/ s"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. ' H$ ^3 B" g3 X0 D, z
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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. : K5 l$ k. `- ~$ D# M' S* S
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." , P( h- o B8 {8 G0 P
9 ~1 K& ?4 r6 r" XLearning languages # k: L3 n6 p X# F6 C. p, @3 P
3 A2 D, H& \* m/ b" e9 uDr 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. : N) g+ B# l5 T: N; @
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She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills.
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) U6 D$ R7 v" J0 a. _* h"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said.
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' A B* [' V2 V. t"This is something we can improve on." : S: o6 H7 `( U' R0 V0 q
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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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, A2 w, A, v2 F6 T. z; P! q5 B1 D% T"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. ) p& i6 A" ?. z7 C
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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* Z! p1 J: H I8 s8 I8 t4 s"This field is really opening up but it is very early days." 4 Q- i# ]3 @( R$ S! V6 z. B
r- K" B4 x( P4 @9 AThe findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July. . c# Q7 A: u1 k' q
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Story from BBC NEWS: F4 h9 a# }0 v0 c
, X5 c$ q" b) b% `. O' H[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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