Neil: Watashi-wa Ni-ru.

尼爾：和日如。

Sophie: What did you say?

蘇菲，你說什麼？你說什麼？

Neil: Watashi-wa Ni-ru. "I'm Neil." It's Japanese, Sophie.

Watashi-wa Ni-ru."我'是Neil."是日語，Sophie。

Sophie: Very good, Neil! So your Japanese language lessons are going well, then?

蘇菲，很好，尼爾！很好，尼爾！那麼你的日語課進展順利嗎？

Neil: They are indeed. And did you know, Sophie,

的確如此。你知道嗎，蘇菲。

that scientists believe learning a second language can boost brainpower?

科學家認為學習第二語言可以提高腦力？

Bilingualism – or speaking two languages equally well – is a form of brain training.

雙語--或者說同樣講好兩種語言--是一種大腦訓練的形式。

Sophie: Brain training is where you're learning ways to increase your memory or intelligence.

蘇菲腦力訓練是你'學習的方法 增加你的記憶力或智力。

That's great Neil, but you're not exactly... bilingual... are you?

那很好，尼爾，但你並不完全是... 雙語，是嗎？

Neil: Uh... not yet. No.

呃...還沒有

Sophie: Well, brain training is the subject of today's show.

蘇菲好了，大腦訓練是今天的主題'的節目。

And ways to train your brain might be doing a crossword puzzle, playing chess, or studying a new language!

而訓練大腦的方法可能是做填字遊戲，下棋，或者學習一門新的語言!

Now I have a question for you, Neil.

現在我有個問題要問你，尼爾。

Neil: I hope my brain is up to the challenge.

尼爾：我希望我的大腦能夠接受挑戰。

Sophie: I'm sure it is. Can you tell me:

蘇菲 Sophie. - I'm sure it is:I'm sure it is.你能告訴我嗎。

How many neurons – or nerve cells – are there in the typical human brain?

典型的人類大腦中有多少神經元或神經細胞？

Is it ... a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion or c) 860 billion

是......a)86億 b)860億還是c)8600億？

Neil: Hmm. I'm going to say a) 8.6 billion.

尼爾：嗯。我'要說a)86億。

Sophie: Well, we'll find out later on in the show whether you got the answer right or not.

蘇菲。 好吧，我們將在稍後的節目中發現你是否得到了正確的答案。好了，我們'會發現在稍後的節目中，你是否得到了正確的答案。

But now let's listen to neuropsychologist Dr Catherine Loveday

但現在讓我們來聽聽神經心理學家凱瑟琳-洛夫戴博士的意見。

talking about why being bilingual may protect your brain from damage if you have a stroke.

談到為什麼雙語可以保護你的大腦免受損害，如果你有一箇中風。

Dr Catherine Loveday: I think the theory behind why bilingualism might be a protective factor is that

凱瑟琳-拉維代博士。我認為，為什麼雙語可能是一個保護性因素的理論是：

(it) involves a lot of switchings – a lot of attentional changes – lots of switching.

(它)涉及到很多的切換--很多的注意力變化--很多的切換。

And that seems to exercise the sort of executive parts of our brain.

而這似乎可以鍛鍊我們大腦的那種執行部分。

Those parts of the brain are kind of stronger and fitter when it comes to resisting

大腦的那些部位在抵抗力方面算是比較強壯和健壯的了

some kind of damage from the stroke.

中風造成的某種傷害。

Neil: A stroke is a serious illness that occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off.

尼爾：中風是一種嚴重的疾病，當腦部某個區域的血流被切斷時就會發生。

And executive functions are the mental skills involved in doing things like problem solving and planning.

而執行功能是指做問題解決和計劃等事情的心理技能。

Sophie: So when a bilingual speaker switches – or changes – from one language to another

蘇菲或者說從一種語言轉換到另一種語言的時候

this exercises the executive parts of their brain, making it stronger and fitter.

這可以鍛鍊他們大腦的執行部分，使其更強壯、更健康。

And because the brain is stronger, it's able to resist – or prevent – damage caused by a stroke.

而且因為大腦更強大，它'能夠抵抗--或防止--中風造成的損害。

Neil: But many of us aren't bilingual are we?

尼爾：但我們很多人都不是'雙語的，是嗎？

So our brains aren't going to be protected against strokes.

所以我們的大腦不會被保護起來，防止中風。

Sophie: Don't worry, Neil. There are other things you can do to exercise your brain.

蘇菲別擔心，尼爾。你還可以做其他事情來鍛鍊你的大腦。

If you're right handed, doing tasks like brushing your teeth with your left hand

如果你是右手，用左手做刷牙這樣的工作。

will stimulate your brain

會刺激你的大腦

or getting dressed in the dark with your eyes shut.

或在黑暗中閉著眼睛穿衣服。

Or simply memorizing a list of words, for example your shopping list.

或者只是簡單地記住一個單詞列表，比如你的購物清單。

Neil: Doing things with the wrong hand sounds hard.

尼爾：用錯誤的手做事情，聽起來很難。

But the shopping list thing sounds easier...

但購物清單的事情聽起來更容易... ...

OK. Let's see... pizza, doughnuts, crisps, bottle of coke, chocolate cake...

好吧，讓我想想...讓我們看看... 披薩，甜甜圈，薯片，一瓶可樂，巧克力蛋糕... ...

Sophie: That's not a very healthy list, Neil!

蘇菲這不是一個非常健康的名單，尼爾！

A good diet is also important in keeping your brain fit and healthy.

良好的飲食習慣對保持大腦健康也很重要。

Neil: Maybe I should cut down on the chocolate cake then?

也許我應該減少巧克力蛋糕的用量？

Sophie: Actually, that's one thing you could leave on the list.

蘇菲其實，這是一件事 你可以留在名單上。

According to research, chocolate may enhance – or improve – cognitive performance,

根據研究，巧克力可能會增強--或改善--認知能力。

and that is your ability to acquire and utilize knowledge.

而這就是你獲取和利用知識的能力。

Now let's listen to Dr Loveday talking about building up our cognitive reserve.

現在讓我們來聽聽洛夫戴博士說說如何建立我們的認知儲備。

This is the idea of building up extra abilities

這就是積累額外能力的想法

to help protect the brain against declining memory or thinking.

以幫助保護大腦免受記憶力或思維力下降的影響。

Dr Catherine Loveday: Continually just stimulating the brain – things like learning a language,

凱瑟琳-洛夫戴博士。就像學習一門語言一樣。

learning music,

學習音樂；

just educating yourself, seems to continue to build up that cognitive reserve.

只是教育自己，似乎還能繼續建立起這種認知儲備。

So even if people take up languages or take up other things later in life it will give

所以，即使人們在以後的生活中學習語言或從事其他事情，也會給人們帶來

them a degree of protection.

對他們進行一定程度的保護。

Neil: Stimulate means to make something become more active.

尼爾：刺激的意思是讓某物變得更加活躍。

Hmm. Not sure I'm continually stimulating my brain. What do you think, Sophie?

嗯。不確定我是否在不斷地刺激我的大腦。你覺得呢，蘇菲？

Sophie: With all our stimulating discussions, Neil,

蘇菲我們所有的討論都很刺激，尼爾。

I'm sure we're both building up our cognitive reserve.

我'肯定我們都在建立自己的認知儲備。

And there are your Japanese lessons too.

還有你的日語課。

Neil: Well, so I am doing well as far as my cognitive reserve goes.

尼爾：嗯，所以就我的認知儲備而言，我做得很好。

Sophie you've put my mind at rest.

蘇菲你讓我放心了。

Sophie: And if you put someone's mind at rest you stop them worrying.

蘇菲如果你把一個人的心在休息 你停止他們擔心。

Well, don't get too relaxed Neil – your brain needs constant stimulation, remember?

好了，別太放鬆了尼爾--你的大腦需要不斷的刺激，記得嗎？

Neil: Hmm. I think I might just lie down after the show with a box of chocolates and today's crossword...

嗯，我想我可能會在節目結束後躺下，拿著一盒巧克力和今天的填字遊戲...我想我可能會在節目結束後躺下，拿著一盒巧克力和今天的填字遊戲... ...

or maybe I'll memorize another shopping list... this time in Japanese.

或者，也許我會記住另一個購物清單......這次用日語。

Sophie: OK. I think it's time to hear the answer to today's quiz question.

蘇菲好了，我想是時候聽聽今天的測驗題的答案了。我想是時候聽聽今天的測驗題的答案了'。

I asked: How many neurons are there in the typical human brain?

我問：一般人的大腦有多少個神經元？

Is it ... a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion or c) 860 billion?

是......a)86億b)860億還是c)8600億？

Neil: And I said a) 8.6 billion.

尼爾：我說的是a）86億。

Sophie: I thought you were feeling clever today, Neil.

蘇菲我還以為你今天很聰明呢 內爾

I'm afraid that's the wrong answer. It's b) 86 billion.

我'恐怕是錯誤的答案。是'b)860億。

But do you know how scientists calculated that number?

但你知道科學家是如何計算出這個數字的嗎？

Neil: Uh... did they have a guess, Sophie?

呃......他們猜到了嗎，蘇菲？

Sophie: No, not exactly. Apparently, the easiest way is to count how many neurons there are

蘇菲不，不完全是。顯然，最簡單的方法是數一數有多少神經元。

in one part of the brain and then multiply that for the rest of the brain's volume.

在大腦的一個部分，然後乘以大腦的其餘部分'的體積。

Neil: Well, that's a lot of brain cells. OK, can we hear the words we learned today?

尼爾：嗯，那是很多腦細胞。好了，我們能聽到今天學到的單詞嗎？

Sophie: They are:

蘇菲他們是。

bilingualism

雙語

brain training

腦力訓練

neurons

神經元

stroke

撫摸

executive functions

執行職能

switches

開關

resist

抵抗

enhance

增強

cognitive reserve

認知力

stimulate

刺激

put someone's mind at rest

安心

Neil: Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Don't forget to join us again soon!

尼爾：好了，今天的'6分鐘英語到此結束。不要忘記很快再加入我們的行列!

Both: Bye.

都：再見。