中英双语新闻——111 You can raise your IQ

 　　Want to be smarter in work, love, and life? Recent scientific advances have shown that one’s intelligence can be improved by “braining training” – and it’s not just a bump of one or two IQ points.

 

　　想在工作，爱情和生活上表现得更加睿智吗？近来的科学发展成果表明，一个人的智力是可以通过脑瓜训练来提升的，而且不仅仅只是提高那么一两分智商值哦！

 

　　IQ, measured by a battery of tests that capture a wide range of cognitive¹ skills, from verbal to analytical² and beyond, has long been thought to be unchanged throughout one’s life.

 

　　IQ，也就是智商，是通过对不同类型的认知技能测试而最终得出的，其中包括语言、分析判断等方面。长久以来，人们认为IQ是终生不变的。

 

　　But according to a recent groundbreaking study published in science magazine Nature, IQ can rise by a staggering 21 points over four years–or fall by 18.

 

　　但最近，科学杂志《自然》刊登了一篇具有开创性意义的研究文章。文章里说，IQ可以在四年内提高21点或者下降18点，着实令人惊奇。

 

　　Cognitive scientist Cathy Price of University College London, UK, and her colleagues found that IQ changes are linked to structural³ changes in the brain.

 

　　来自英国伦敦大学学院的认知科学家凯西?普莱斯和同事们发现智商值变化与大脑结构改变之间存在联系。

 

　　More specifically, the density⁴ and volume of the gray matter changed in the brains of those people with significantly improved IQ points.

 

　　更具体点说就是，那些IQ显著提高的人大脑中灰质的密度和体积都增加了。

 

　　Recent research has also shown that short-term memory, traditionally regarded as only one aspect of one’s IQ, may in fact be the lever that can raise overall intelligence.

 

　　近来有研究表明，我们原本认为只是IQ的一个方面的短期记忆，事实上可能是“撬动”整体智力水平的一个“杠杆”。

 

　　Scientists led by Susanne Jaeggi of the University of Michigan, US, found in 2008 that short-term memory may be the foundation of pure intelligence to a greater extent than anyone suspected.

 

　　来自美国密歇根大学由苏珊娜?耶吉领导的一支科学家团队于2008年发现，短期记忆力对智力的直接促进作用可能超乎任何人的想象。

 

　　They trained adult volunteers on a difficult short-term-memory task: simultaneously⁵ hearing a string of letters and seeing a series of computer screens that had a blue square in different places.

 

　　他们对成年自愿者做了培训，让他们完成一项颇具挑战性的短期记忆任务。一边听研究人员说的一连串字母，一边同时观察一组电脑屏幕上显示的蓝色方框的位置，每个屏幕的蓝框位置各不相同。

 

　　The volunteers then had to identify when the spoken letter or the square’s position matched that of several screens earlier.

 

　　志愿者必须在听到的字母或者蓝框位置与之前屏幕出现的相符时作出判断。

 

　　The more they practiced and honed their short-term memory, the greater the improvement in the purest form of brain power, fluid intelligence–the ability to reason and solve problems independently of existing knowledge. The same results have also been achieved in school-age kids.

 

　　他们短期记忆力的训练强度越大，脑力最直接的表现形式——流体智力的改善越大。流体智力是根据已有知识独立理清问题、解决问题的能力。该实验结果也在学龄儿童身上得到了证实。

 

　　The other brain element you can train in order to raise your IQ is attention. Neuroscientists have shown over and over that attention is the requisite⁶ condition of learning and thus of boosting intelligence.

 

　　另一个提高IQ的办法就是锻炼你的注意力。神经学家一次次证明注意力是学习能力的必要条件，因而也有助于提高智力。

 

　　While improving your brain takes work, the good news is there are some accessible ways to go about it. Aerobic⁷ exercise, for one, is very good for both the brain and muscles.

 

　　虽然提高智力是一项庞大工程，但幸运的是我们还是有路可走的。比如，有氧运动就是既提高脑力又锻炼肌肉的好办法。

 

　　Walking 30 minutes a day five times a week stimulates⁸ production of a molecule⁹ that nurtures¹⁰ the creation of the new neurons and synapses¹¹ that underlie¹² learning.

 

　　每天步行30分钟，一周五次，可以促进一些分子的分泌，这种分子能促进神经元和突触的生成，而学习能力的产生正是源于这些神经元和突触。

 

　　Scientists have also found that exercise increases gray matter in the region of the brain that processes new knowledge and sends it to be stored permanently¹³ in the frontal cortex, helping¹⁴ one become more knowledgeable¹⁵.

 

　　科学家们还发现，锻炼身体可以增加脑部某个区域的灰质，该区域主要负责处理大脑接收的新知识，将其传递给额皮质永久储存，增加人的知识储备。

 

　　A midday nap not only can restore brain power to its fully¹⁶ awake best but can also raise it beyond what it would have been without some shut-eye.

 

　　午睡不仅可以最大程度上将脑力恢复到完全清醒状态，同时还可以使脑力在原没有睡眠的基础上有所提高。

 

　　Too excited to nap during the day? Then drink some coffee. Caffeine can make your mind sharper. Learning a second language can also help.

 

　　白天时过于兴奋而无法入睡？那就喝点咖啡吧。咖啡因是可以让你的思维更加敏捷。另外，学习外语也可以帮助提升脑力。

1 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

2 analytical   

adj.分析的；用分析法的

参考例句：

• I have an analytical approach to every survey.对每项调查我都采用分析方法。
• As a result,analytical data obtained by analysts were often in disagreement.结果各个分析家所得的分析数据常常不一致。

3 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

4 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

5 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

6 requisite   

adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。
• Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。

7 aerobic   

adj.需氧的，增氧健身法的，有氧的

参考例句：

• Aerobic exercise helps to build up stamina.有氧健身操有助于增强耐力。
• Aerobic dance is conductive to the health.有氧舞蹈有助于健康。

8 stimulates   

v.刺激( stimulate的第三人称单数 )；激励；使兴奋；起兴奋作用，起刺激作用，起促进作用

参考例句：

• Exercise stimulates the body. 运动促进身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Alcohol stimulates the action of the heart. 酒刺激心脏的活动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

10 nurtures   

教养，培育( nurture的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Art nurtures the soul and culture cultivates the mind. 艺术滋润心灵，文化陶冶情操。
• Who first loves and nurtures us and takes care of every need. 是谁先爱上我们，哺育我们，对我们无微不至。

11 synapses   

n.（神经元的）突触( synapse的名词复数 )；染色体结合( synapsis的名词复数 )；联会；突触；（神经元的）触处

参考例句：

• Nerve cells communicate with one another at the synapses, where their membranes almost touch. 神经细胞在突触部位彼此沟通，在这里它们的膜几乎接触到一起了。 来自辞典例句
• Glutamatergic synapses are common excitatory chemical connections in mammalian central nervous system. 谷氨酸性突触是哺乳动物神经系统的主要兴奋性突触。 来自互联网

12 underlie   

v.位于...之下，成为...的基础

参考例句：

• Technology improvements underlie these trends.科技进步将成为此发展趋势的基础。
• Many facts underlie my decision.我的决定是以许多事实为依据的。

13 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

16 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。