2006年VOA标准英语-Human Spirit Stays Alive on Canvas in Alzheimer

By Amanda Cassandra
New York
01 November 2006
 
Experts in the medical and art communities recently gathered in New York to commemorate¹ the 100th anniversary of the identification of Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain disorder² that gradually destroys a person's memory, and discuss the role of art in Alzheimer's disease. The lecture complemented³ the art exhibit "Portraits and Promises in Alzheimer's Disease." 

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The dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease was once considered a normal part of aging. It is now recognized as a progressive degenerative condition.

The disease, first identified by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906, is a type of dementia that affects the brain. It causes memory loss, and eventually leaves its victim unable to communicate and perform normal daily functions. The U.S. National Institute of Health estimates four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's.

President of the New York Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, Lou-Ellen Barkan, says the threat posed by Alzheimer's disease is growing as the large baby-boom generation approaches age 65, when the chances of developing the disease increase.

"It will be the greatest health care crisis this country has ever known if nothing is done," Barkan said.

The lecturers discussed the work of William Utermohlen, an artist who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The exhibit was developed as an innovative⁴ way to increase community awareness⁵ of the impact of Alzheimer's on the diagnosed individual, caregivers and loved ones.

Utermohlen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1995. For the next five years, until 2000, he made portraits of himself in oil paints and pencil that gallery owner Chris Boicos says give a visual documentation of how and when certain abilities were lost.

"From the portraits that he painted, we can learn a lot about how someone suffering from the disease thinks about it, sees themselves inside, which is extraordinary as most Alzheimer's patients can't really express themselves verbally," he said.

In his series of self-portraits, Utermohlen gradually disappears on the canvas as his condition advances.

Eventually, the paintings take on a primitive⁶ style. They show few definitive⁷ facial lines and features, less color and vibrancy⁸ characteristic of his earlier works.

Boicos says Utermohlen's self portraits should be shown widely because they offer an alternative to the medical assessment⁹ of the disease.

"I think it is important that the pictures be exhibited and be exhibited in as many places as possible because they offer the public at large a more direct, perhaps more psychological and emotional apprehension¹⁰ of the disease and they can actually see someone who is ill retain his whole emotional capability," he said. "It's an apprehension of the disease that is not simply scientific or medical or dry or neutral. It is very much a human experience and I think this is really what the portraits best convey."

Many patients in the late stages of Alzheimer's lose the ability to communicate verbally, a function primarily controlled by the left side of the brain.

Dr. Bruce Miller¹¹ studies artistic¹² creativity in people afflicted¹³ with brain diseases. He says as Alzheimer's attacks the brain's verbal functions, even patients who had no previous inclination¹⁴ toward art began to express themselves visually.

"Sometimes these patients are compelled to draw," he said. "A woman from Malaysia came into my office and she said sit down. And I sat down and she just started drawing. This is one of the extraordinary things about some of these patients is this compulsion, this need to draw that comes on in the setting of this focal degeneration of the left anterior¹⁵ temporal lobe¹⁶."

Miller says Utermohlen's work illustrates¹⁷ what he sees in many of his patients with dementia.

"I think you see in this story what you see with many people with Alzheimer's disease, which is that despite the illness, there's still life, genius, creativity and people express what they can with what's left," he said.

Lou-Ellen Barkan of the Alzheimer's Association says, while there is not yet a cure for Alzheimer's, the artwork offers hope.

"We know that one aspect of the human spirit is the capacity for self reflection and these paintings make it clear that even as Alzheimer's disease progresses, there is no immediate¹⁸ loss of self, that there are ways to stay connected to the world and to those we love. Life is not over with an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis¹⁹, but getting that diagnosis is absolutely critical if people want to stay actively²⁰ involved in the world," Barkan said.

Some doctors and advocates believe art may allow patients to emerge from the silence of the disease and find a way to communicate visually. Those pictures may be worth a thousand words, providing much needed insight for medical professionals, family and caregivers trying to understand how the disease attacks the brain, and how patients view themselves.

1 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

2 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

3 complemented   

有补助物的，有余格的

参考例句：

• The excellent menu is complemented by a good wine list. 佳肴佐以美酒，可称完美无缺。
• In vitro analysis must be complemented by studies of the virus replication cycle in plants. 体外的分析必须辅之以植物体内病毒复制周期的研究。

4 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

7 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

8 vibrancy   

n.活跃；震动

参考例句：

• I like the vibrancy of her character.我喜欢她的活泼性格。
• Tom felt himself being drawn towards her vibrant personality. 汤姆感觉自己被她充满朝气的个性所吸引。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

11 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

12 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

13 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

14 inclination   

n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好

参考例句：

• She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
• I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

15 anterior   

adj.较早的；在前的

参考例句：

• We've already finished the work anterior to the schedule.我们已经提前完成了工作。
• The anterior part of a fish contains the head and gills.鱼的前部包括头和鳃。

16 lobe   

n.耳垂，（肺，肝等的）叶

参考例句：

• Tiny electrical sensors are placed on your scalp and on each ear lobe.小电器传感器放置在您的头皮和对每个耳垂。
• The frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for controlling movement.大脑前叶的功能是控制行动。

17 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

18 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

19 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

20 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。