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LisaGenova_2017-_你可以做些甚么事，来预防老年痴呆症？_
How many people here would like to live to be at least 80 years old? 在场有多少人 希望能活到 80 岁以上？
Yeah. 是的。
I think we all have this hopeful expectation of living into old age. 我想我们都有这个期望, 期望能活得很久。
expectation:n.预料;预期;期待;希望;指望;
Let's project out into the future, to your future "you's," 让我们穿越到未来, 想像一下未来的你们,
and let's imagine that we're all 85. 想像我们现在全都已变成 85 岁。
Now, everyone look at two people. 现在,每个人分别看向两个人,
One of you probably has 你们之中其中一个
Alzheimer's disease . 可能就有阿兹海默症。
disease:n.病,[医]疾病;弊病;vt.传染;使…有病;
(Laughter) （笑声）
Alright, alright. 好了,好了。
And maybe you're thinking, "Well, it won't be me." 也许你们在想 「好吧,那不会是我。」
Then, OK. You are a caregiver . 那么,没关系,你会是那个照顾他的人。
caregiver:n.照料者,护理者;
(Laughter) （笑声）
so in some way, this terrifying disease is likely to affect us all. 所以就某方面而言, 这个可怕的疾病 可能会影响我们每一个人。
terrifying:adj.令人恐惧的;骇人的;极大的;v.使害怕,使恐怖;(terrify的现在分词)
Part of the fear around Alzheimer's stems from the sense that there's nothing we can do about it. 对于阿兹海默症的恐惧 部分源于我们对这疾病的无能为力。
stems:n.花草的茎或梗; v.阻止; (stem的第三人称单数和复数)
Despite decades of research, we still have no disease-modifying treatment and no cure. 尽管已有数十年的研究, 我们仍未找到改善它的治疗方式, 也没办法彻底治愈它。
Despite:prep.尽管,不管;n.轻视;憎恨;侮辱; treatment:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论;
So if we're lucky enough to live long enough, 所以假如我们有幸活得很久,
Alzheimer's appears to be our brain's destiny . 罹患阿兹海默症似乎就是 我们大脑的宿命。
destiny:n.命运,定数,天命;
But maybe it doesn't have to be. 但也并非得如此。
What if I told you we could change these statistics , literally change our brain's destiny, without relying on a cure or advancements in medicine? 假如我说我们能改变这些数据, 彻底改变我们大脑的宿命, 而不需要依靠任何 药物的治疗或改善呢？
What if:如果…怎么办? statistics:n.统计数字;统计资料;统计学;(statistic的复数) literally:adv.按字面:字面上:确实地: relying:v.依赖;信任;指望(rely的现在分词); advancements:n.进步;进展(advancement的复数形式);升任;
Let's begin by looking at what we currently understand about the neuroscience of Alzheimer's. 让我们先看看目前 我们对阿兹海默症神经学上的了解。
currently:adv.当前;一般地; neuroscience:n.神经系统科学(指神经病学,神经化学等);
Here's a picture of two neurons connecting. 这是两个神经元连结的图片。
The point of connection, this space circled in red, is called the synapse . 它们的连结点, 也就是红色圈的这个地方 叫作突触。
synapse:n.突触;
The synapse is where neurotransmitters are released . 突触就是神经传导物释放的地方。
neurotransmitters:n.神经传导物质(neurotransmitter的复数形式); released:v.释放;使免除;已发布;(release的过去分词和过去式)
This is where signals are transmitted , where communication happens. 讯号在这里被传递、 产生交流的地方。
transmitted:v.传送;输送;发射;播送;传播;传染;(transmit的过去分词和过去式)
This is where we think, feel, see, hear, desire ... 这里是我们思考、感觉、 看、听、产生欲望......
and remember. 和记忆的地方。
And the synapse is where Alzheimer's happens. 而突触也是阿兹海默症 发病的地方,
Let's zoom in on the synapse and look at a cartoon representation of what's going on. 让我们放大来看突触, 看看这个现象的卡通示意图。
representation:n.表现;代表;描述;陈述
During the business of communicating information, in addition to releasing neurotransmitters like glutamate into the synapse, neurons also release a small peptide called amyloid beta . 在传讯的过程中, 除了释放神经传导物,如:麸胺酸,到突触中。 神经元也会释放一种小分子蛋白质,叫作 β-类淀粉蛋白。
in addition to:除…之外; releasing:n.释放;松释动作;脱扣释放;v.释放;排放;(release的现在分词); glutamate:n.[生化]谷氨酸盐;[生化]谷氨酸酯; peptide:n.[生化]缩氨酸; amyloid:n.淀粉体;淀粉质食物;adj.含淀粉的;淀粉质的; beta:n.贝它(希腊字母表的第二个字母);
Normally , amyloid beta is cleared away metabolized by microglia , the janitor cells of our brains. 通常,β-类淀粉蛋白会被微胶细胞代谢清除, 微胶细胞就像我们大脑的清洁工。
Normally:adv.正常地;通常地,一般地; metabolized:vt.使新陈代谢;使变形;vi.新陈代谢; microglia:n.[组织]小神经胶质;小神经胶质细胞;格子细胞; janitor:n.看门人;守卫;门警;
While the molecular causes of Alzheimer's are still debated , most neuroscientists believe that the disease begins when amyloid beta begins to accumulate . 尽管分子层面引发阿兹海默症的原因仍争论不休, 但大多数的神经学家相信 此疾病发作的起源,就是在 β-类淀粉蛋白开始累积的时候。
molecular:adj.[化学]分子的;由分子组成的; debated:v.讨论,辩论;思考;盘算;(debate的过去分词和过去式) neuroscientists:n.神经系统科学家; accumulate:vi.累积;积聚;vt.积攒;
Too much is released,or not enough is cleared away, and the synapse begins to pile up with amyloid beta. 当他们被释放太多,或被清除掉的不够多, β-类淀粉蛋白就开始堆积在突触。
pile:n.桩;堆;摞;桩柱;v.堆放;摞起;叠放;放置;
And when this happens, it binds to itself, forming sticky aggregates called amyloid plaques . 当此状况发生,它就会凝结, 形成黏性凝聚物, 叫作淀粉样蛋白斑。
binds:v.约束;捆绑;系;装订;n.窘境;(binds是bind的第三人称单数) sticky:adj.粘的;粘性的; aggregates:n.总量; v.聚集; plaques:n.斑块;瓷片;奖章;饰板(plaque的复数);
How many people here are 40 years old or older? 现场有多少人的年纪 是 40 岁或以上？
You're afraid to admit it now. 现在大家都害怕承认了？
This initial step into the disease, this presence of amyloid plaques accumulating , can already be found in your brains. 这就是疾病的最初阶段, 淀粉样蛋白斑累积的现象 可能已存在你们的大脑中,
initial:adj.最初的; n.(名字的)首字母; v.用姓名的首字母作标记(或签名)于; presence:n.存在;出席;参加;风度;仪态; accumulating:n.[数]累加;v.积累(accumulate的ing形式);
The only way we could be sure of this would be through a PET scan, because at this point, you are blissfully unaware . 我们唯一可以确认的方法 是透过「正子扫描」, 因为现在你对此毫无知觉, 你尚未有任何记忆、
blissfully:adv.幸福地;充满喜悦地; unaware:adj.不知道的,无意的;未察觉到的;adv.意外地;不知不觉地;
You're not showing any impairments in memory, language, or cognition ... 语言或认知方面衰退的现象......
impairments:损害;损伤; cognition:n.认识;知识;认识能力;
yet. 但……只是尚未。
We think it takes at least 15 to 20 years of amyloid plaque accumulation before it reaches a tipping point , then triggering a molecular cascade that causes the clinical symptoms of the disease. 我们认为淀粉样蛋白斑的累积至少需要 15 到 20 年, 才能到达临界点, 随后引发分子的连锁反应, 而造成了阿兹海默症的临床症状。
accumulation:n.积聚,累积;堆积物; tipping point:n.(个案积累终成大趋势的)引爆点; triggering:n.[电子]触发;起动;v.引起(trigger的ing形式);扣…的扳机; cascade:n.小瀑布,瀑布状物;串联;vi.像瀑布般大量倾泻下来;vi.像瀑布般悬挂着; clinical:adj.临床的;诊所的; symptoms:n.症状;征候;征兆;(symptom的复数)
Prior to the tipping point, your lapses in memory might include things like, "Why did I come in this room?" 在到达临界点之前, 你的记忆衰退可能会像这样: 「我为甚么要走进这个房间来？」
Prior:adj.先前的; n.(小隐修院)院长; v.居先; lapses:n.失效;流逝;过失;vi.失效;流逝;背离,失检;陷入;
or "Oh ... what's his name?" 或「喔......他叫甚么名字？」
or "Where did I put my keys?" 或「我把钥匙放在了哪里？」
Now, before you all start freaking out again, because I know half of you did at least one of those in the last 24 hours — these are all normal kinds of forgetting. 现在,在你们惊慌失措之前, 我知道你们中的半数, 在过去 24 小时之内至少曾经经历过 上述的其中一件事情,这些都是正常的遗忘症状。
freaking:adj.该死的,他妈的;v.(使)强烈反应,畏惧;(freak的现在分词)
In fact, I would argue that these examples might not even involve your memory, because you didn't pay attention to where you put your keys in the first place . 事实上,上述这些例子 可能根本与你的记忆无关, 因为你第一时间, 并不会去注意到 你把钥匙放到哪里。
involve:v.包含;需要;牵涉;牵连;影响;(使)参加; pay attention to:注意 in the first place:首先;起初;
After the tipping point, the glitches in memory, language and cognition are different. 一旦临界点发生之后, 你的记忆、语言和认知上的偏差 就会变得不同了。
glitches:n.小故障(glitch的复数形式);小毛病;
Instead of eventually finding your keys in your coat pocket or on the table by the door, you find them in the refrigerator, or you find them and you think, "What are these for?" 你最后才知道钥匙 并非在你的外套口袋里, 也并非门旁的桌子上, 而是你把它放在冰箱里了, 或者,你找到它后,你却在想: 「这东西是用来做甚么用的？」
eventually:adv.最后,终于;
So what happens when amyloid plaques accumulate to this tipping point? 当淀粉样蛋白斑累积到临界点时, 到底会发生甚么事？
Our microglia janitor cells become hyper-activated, releasing chemicals that cause inflammation and cellular damage. 我们的微胶细胞清洁工 会变得极度活跃, 它们会释放出化学物质, 造成发炎和细胞的损坏。
chemicals:n.化学制品;化学品;(chemical的复数) inflammation:n.[病理]炎症;[医]发炎;燃烧;发火; cellular:adj.细胞的;多孔的;由细胞组成的;n.移动电话;单元;
We think they might actually start clearing away the synapses themselves. 我们认为它们正在清除的 就是突触本身。
synapses:n.(神经元的)突触(synapse的复数;synapsis的复数)
A crucial neural transport protein called "tau" becomes hyperphosphorylated and twists itself into something called " tangles ," 有一个重要的神经传导蛋白叫做 「tau 蛋白」会被过磷酸化, 并把自己转变成一种叫 「纤维缠结」的东西,
crucial:adj.重要的;决定性的;定局的;决断的; neural:adj.神经的;神经系统的;背的;神经中枢的; transport:n.运输;输送;运送;运输机;v.输送;传播;使产生身临其境的感觉;(旧时)流放; protein:n.蛋白质; twists:n.[力]扭曲,一扭(twist的复数形式);v.[力]扭曲,拧(twist的三单形式); tangles:n.缠结; v.使缠结;
which choke off the neurons from the inside. 从内部堵塞神经元。
choke:n.窒息; v.阻塞; (尤指感情激动而)说不出话来;
By mid-stage Alzheimer's, we have massive inflammation and tangles and all-out war at the synapse and cell death. 到了中期的阿兹海默症, 我们的突触会发生 大量的发炎并纠缠在一起, 然后细胞就会死亡。
massive:adj.大量的;巨大的,厚重的;魁伟的; all-out:adj.全部的;竭尽全力的;毫无保留的;
So if you were a scientist trying to cure this disease, at what point would you ideally want to intervene ? 假如你是科学家, 试着要治疗这个疾病, 最佳的介入时机是甚么时候呢？
ideally:adv.理想地;观念上地; intervene:vi.干涉;调停;插入;
Many scientists are betting big on the simplest solution : keep amyloid plaques from reaching that tipping point, which means that drug discovery is largely focused on developing a compound that will prevent, eliminate , or reduce amyloid plaque accumulation. 许多科学家赌在 最简单的解决方案上: 避免淀粉样蛋白斑累积到临界点, 也就是说,大部分的 药物治疗主要是研究化合物 利用它们来预防、消除或减少 淀粉样蛋白斑的累积。
betting:n.打赌;赌钱;v.下赌注(于);用…打赌;敢说;(bet的现在分词) solution:n.解决方案;溶液;溶解;解答; largely:adv.主要地;大部分;大量地; compound:v.合成; adj.混合; n.大院; eliminate:v.消除;排除;
So the cure for Alzheimer's will likely be a preventative medicine. 所以他们研发的药物, 都只是一些预防老年痴呆的药物。
preventative:n.预防法;预防物;adj.预防性的;防止的;
We're going to have to take this pill before we reach that tipping point, before the cascade is triggered , before we start leaving our keys in the refrigerator. 我们会在达到临界点之前、 在分子连锁反应产生之前、 在我们开始把钥匙 遗忘在冰箱里之前服用这些药物。
pill:n.[医]药丸;药品; triggered:v.发动;引起;触发;开动;起动;(trigger的过去分词和过去式)
We think this is why, to date, these kinds of drugs have failed in clinical trials — not because the science wasn't sound, but because the people in these trials were already symptomatic . 我们认为这是目前为止 这些药物在临床实验中 失败的原因…… 并不是科学不够可靠, 而是因为实验对象都已经有症状了。
symptomatic:adj.有症状的;症候的;
It was too late. 已经太迟了。
Think of amyloid plaques as a lit match. 试想淀粉样蛋白斑是一根已经点燃的火柴棒。
At the tipping point, the match sets fire to the forest. 到了临界点时,火柴棒点燃了森林。
Once the forest is ablaze , it doesn't do any good to blow out the match. 一旦森林着火, 把火柴棒吹熄已于事无补。
ablaze:adj.着火的;闪耀的;激昂的;adv.着火;闪耀;
You have to blow out the match before the forest catches fire. 你必须在森林着火之前就吹熄火柴。
Even before scientists sort this out , this information is actually really good news for us, because it turns out that the way we live can influence the accumulation of amyloid plaques. 即使科学家尚未找到解决方法, 但这个消息确实振奋人心, 因为它证明了我们生活的方式 会影响淀粉样蛋白的累积。
sort this out:调查清楚; influence:n.影响;势力;感化;有影响的人或事;v.影响;改变;
And so there are things we can do to keep us from reaching that tipping point. 我们可以做一些事情, 来避免自己达到临界点。
Let's picture your risk of Alzheimer's as a see-saw scale . 让我们把罹患老年痴呆的风险 比作是跷跷板。
see-saw:n.跷跷板;vi.玩跷跷板;adj.摇摆不定的; scale:n.规模;比例;鳞;刻度;天平;数值范围;v.衡量;攀登;剥落;生水垢;
We're going to pile risk factors on one arm, and when that arm hits the floor, you are symptomatic and diagnosed with Alzheimer's. 我们把造成风险的因素 放在跷跷板的其中一边, 当这一边碰到地面, 那么症状就会出现, 然后被诊断为阿兹海默症。
factors:n.因素(factor的复数); v.做代理商; diagnosed:v.诊断(疾病);判断(问题的原因);(diagnose的过去分词和过去式)
Let's imagine you're 50 years old. 假设你已经 50 岁。
You're not a spring chicken anymore, so you've accumulated some amyloid plaques with age. 你已不再年轻, 随着年纪增长,你已经 累积了一些淀粉状蛋白班。
spring chicken:n.童子鸡;年轻人(年轻幼稚的女子); accumulated:v.积累;积聚;(数量)逐渐增加;(accumulate的过去式和过去分词)
Your scale is tipped a little bit. 你的跷跷板已稍微倾斜。
tipped:v.倾斜;倒出;倾倒;轻触;轻碰;(tip的过去分词和过去式)
Now let's look at your DNA. 现在我们来看看你的 DNA。
We've all inherited our genes from our moms and our dads. 我们从父母那里继承了基因。
inherited:v.继承(金钱、财产等);接替(责任等);继任;(inherit的过去式和过去分词) genes:n.基因;(gene的复数)
Some of these genes will increase our risk and some will decrease it. 有些基因会增加风险而有些会减少。
decrease:v.降低;减少;缩小;减弱;n.减少;减小量;所减少的总量;减缩位置;
If you're like Alice in "Still Alice," 如果你们像电影《我想念我自己》中的女主角爱莉丝一样,
you've inherited a rare genetic mutation that cranks out amyloid beta, and this alone will tip your scale arm to the ground. 遗传了罕见的基因突变,不正常地大量增生 β-类淀粉蛋白, 这会让你的跷跷板一端坠落到地面,
genetic:adj.基因的;遗传学的; mutation:n.[遗]突变;变化;元音变化; cranks:n.[机]曲柄(crank的复数);
But for most of us, the genes we inherit will only tip the arm a bit. 但对大多数人来说,我们遗传到的基因 只会让跷跷板稍微倾斜。
For example, APOE4 is a gene variant that increases amyloid, but you can inherit a copy of APOE4 from mom and dad and still never get Alzheimer's, which means that for most of us, our DNA alone does not determine whether we get Alzheimer's. 举例来说,APOE4 是一个 会增生淀粉样蛋白斑的变种基因, 但你可能从父母那里遗传了 APOE4, 却不会得到阿兹海默症, 也就是说对大多数人来说, 光凭我们的 DNA 并不能决定 我们是否会得阿兹海默症。
variant:adj.不同的;多样的;n.变体;转化; determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排;
So what does? 那么甚么能决定呢？
We can't do anything about getting older or the genes we've inherited. 我们对于衰老无能为力, 也无法决定我们遗传的基因。
So far, we haven't changed our brain's destiny. 目前为止,我们仍无法改变 大脑的宿命。
What about sleep? 那么睡觉呢？
In slow-wave deep sleep, our glial cells rinse cerebral spinal fluid throughout our brains, clearing away metabolic waste that accumulated in our synapses while we were awake. 在慢波深眠中,我们的神经胶细胞 会在我们的大脑中,冲洗脑脊液。 当我们清醒的时候, 它会清除掉累积在突触的 代谢废物。
glial:adj.神经胶质的; rinse:v.漱;冲洗掉;漂净;n.冲洗;漂洗;[轻]染发剂;染发; cerebral:adj.大脑的,脑的; spinal:adj.脊髓的;脊柱的;针的;脊骨的;尖刺的;n.脊椎麻醉; fluid:adj.流动的;流畅的;不固定的;n.流体;液体; throughout:adv.自始至终,到处;全部;prep.贯穿,遍及; metabolic:adj.变化的;新陈代谢的;
Deep sleep is like a power cleanse for the brain. 深度睡眠就好像大脑的强效净化。
cleanse:v.清洁(皮肤);清洗(伤口);使免除(罪过);使净化;
But what happens if you shortchange yourself on sleep? 假如你稍微改变 睡眠方式会发生甚么事？
shortchange:vt.欺骗;(找钱时故意)少找零钱;
Many scientists believe that poor sleep hygiene might actually be a predictor of Alzheimer's. 许多科学家相信, 糟糕的睡眠状况 可能会导致阿兹海默症。
hygiene:n.卫生;卫生学;保健法; predictor:n.[气象]预报器;预言者;
A single night of sleep deprivation leads to an increase in amyloid beta. 仅仅一个晚上的睡眠不足就会导致 β-类淀粉蛋白的增生。
deprivation:n.剥夺;损失;免职;匮乏;贫困;
And amyloid accumulation has been shown to disrupt sleep, which in turn causes more amyloid to accumulate. 而淀粉样蛋白斑的累积 已被证实会干扰睡眠, 结果导致更多淀粉样蛋白斑的累积。
disrupt:vt.破坏;使瓦解;使分裂;使中断;使陷于混乱;adj.分裂的,中断的;分散的;
And so now we have this positive feedback loop that's going to accelerate the tipping of that scale. 成为一个恶性循环, 加剧了跷跷板的倾斜。
positive:adj.积极的;[数]正的,[医][化学]阳性的;确定的;n.正数;[摄]正片; feedback:n.反馈;反馈意见;回授;[电子]反馈; loop:n.循环;回路;环路;圈;v.使成环;使绕成圈;成环形移动; accelerate:v.加快;加速;n.接受速成教育的学生;
What else? 还有甚么？
Cardiovascular health. 心血管健康。
Cardiovascular:adj.[解剖]心血管的;
High blood pressure , diabetes , obesity , smoking, high cholesterol , have all been shown to increase our risk of developing Alzheimer's. 高血压、糖尿病、过重、 抽烟、高胆固醇, 全都会增加罹患阿兹海默症的风险。
blood pressure:n.[医]血压; diabetes:n.糖尿病;多尿症; obesity:n.肥大,肥胖; cholesterol:n.[生化]胆固醇;
Some autopsy studies have shown that as many as 80 percent of people with Alzheimer's also had cardiovascular disease. 病理剖析的研究报告显示, 罹患阿兹海默的人群中, 多达 80% 的病患, 同时拥有心血管疾病。
autopsy:n.验尸;[病理][特医]尸体解剖;[病理][特医]尸体剖检;
Aerobic exercise has been shown in many studies to decrease amyloid beta in animal models of the disease. 许多阿兹海默症的 动物模拟实验研究中显示, 有氧运动可以减少β-类淀粉蛋白的数量。
Aerobic:adj.需氧的;增氧健身法的;
So a heart-healthy 所以有益身心健康的
Mediterranean lifestyle and diet can help to counter the tipping of this scale. 地中海式生活饮食方式, 可以幫忙抵抗跷跷板的倾斜。
Mediterranean:n.地中海;adj.地中海的;
So there are many things we can do to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's. 所以我们有很多事可以做, 来预防或延缓老年痴呆症的到来。
onset:n.开始,着手;发作;攻击,进攻;
But let's say you haven't done any of them. 但假设你甚么事都没做。
Let's say you're 65; there's Alzheimer's in your family, so you've likely inherited a gene or two that tips your scale arm a bit; you've been burning the candle at both ends for years; you love bacon; and you don't run unless someone's chasing you. 假设你已 65 岁; 你有阿兹海默症的家族病史, 所以你很可能带有阿兹海默基因, 这会让你的跷跷板倾斜一点点; 你已经蜡烛两头烧了好几年; 你爱吃培根; 你也不去跑步,除非有人在追你。
tips:n.尖端; v.(使)倾斜,翻覆; (tip的第三人称单数和复数)
(Laughter) （笑）
Let's imagine that your amyloid plaques have reached that tipping point. 想像你的淀粉样蛋白斑 已经累积到临界点。
Your scale arm has crashed to the floor. 你的跷跷板已经坠落到地面。
You've tripped the cascade, setting fire to the forest, causing inflammation, tangles, and cell death. 你触发了连锁反应, 引发了森林大火, 你开始出现发炎、 神经缠结和细胞凋亡的情况。
tripped:v.绊;绊倒;将…绊倒;使跌倒;脚步轻快地走;(trip的过去分词和过去式)
You should be symptomatic for Alzheimer's. 你的阿兹海默症已经病发。
You should be having trouble finding words and keys and remembering what I said at the beginning of this talk. 你开始会造词困难、找不到钥匙, 记不得我在演讲刚开始时 到底说了些甚么。
at the beginning of:在…的开始;
But you might not be. 但你也可能不会这样。
There's one more thing you can do to protect yourself from experiencing the symptoms of Alzheimer's, even if you have the full-blown disease pathology ablaze in your brain. 你还可以做一件事来保护自己, 来避免阿兹海默症状出现, 那怕你的大脑已病入膏肓,
full-blown:adj.成熟的;(花)盛开的;(帆等)张满的; pathology:n.病理(学);(比喻)异常状态;
It has to do with neural plasticity and cognitive reserve . 它仍然跟神经可塑性 和认知储备有关。
plasticity:n.塑性,可塑性;适应性;柔软性; cognitive:adj.认知的,认识的; reserve:n.储备,储存; vt.储备; vi.预订;
Remember, the experience of having Alzheimer's is ultimately a result of losing synapses. 记住,老年痴呆症发作的根本原因 就是突触已经被破坏了。
ultimately:adv.最终;最后;归根结底;终究;
The average brain has over a hundred trillion synapses, which is fantastic;we've got a lot to work with. 大脑平均拥有超过百万亿个突触, 这很奇妙;我们要处理这么庞大的数目。
trillion:n.[数]万亿;adj.万亿的;num.[数]万亿;
And this isn't a static number. 而这不是一个不变的数目。
static:adj.静止的; n.[物]静电(干扰);
We gain and lose synapses all the time, through a process called neural plasticity. 我们的突触数目随时都在增减, 透过一个叫做 「神经可塑性」的过程。
process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的;
Every time we learn something new, we are creating and strengthening new neural connections, new synapses. 每当我们学到新东西, 我们就会创造和强化新的神经连结, 和新的突触。
In the Nun Study, 678 nuns , all over the age of 75 when the study began,were followed for more than two decades. 在我们以修女为研究对象 进行的研究当中,实验开始时,678 位全超过 75 岁的修女, 将会被追踪调查超过 20 年。
nuns:n.修女;尼姑;(nun的复数)
They were regularly given physical checkups and cognitive tests, and when they died, their brains were all donated for autopsy. 她们会定期接受 健康檢查和认知测试, 当她们死后,她们的大脑 会捐赠出来做病理解剖。
regularly:adv.经常地;有规律地;定期的 physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查; checkups:n.审查,检查;健康检查; donated:v.捐赠,赠送;献(血);捐献(器官);(donate的过去分词和过去式)
In some of these brains, scientists discovered something surprising. 科学家们在其中一些大脑中 发现了不可思议的东西。
Despite the presence of plaques and tangles and brain shrinkage — what appeared to be unquestionable Alzheimer's — the nuns who had belonged to these brains showed no signs of having the disease while they were alive. 尽管那些大脑中有淀粉样蛋白斑、 神经缠结和大脑收缩的情况, 这很明显的,根本就是 阿兹海默症的典型病状, 但拥有这些大脑的修女, 她们在世时,却没有表现出阿兹海默症的症状。
shrinkage:n.收缩;减低; unquestionable:adj.毫无疑问的;确实的;无可挑剔的;
How can this be? 怎么会这样？
We think it's because these nuns had a high level of cognitive reserve, which is a way of saying that they had more functional synapses. 我们认为那是因为这些修女 拥有高度的认知储备量, 也就是说他们有较多 运作良好的突触。
functional:adj.功能的;
People who have more years of formal education, who have a high degree of literacy , who engage regularly in mentally stimulating activities, all have more cognitive reserve. 接受正规教育较多年的人、 拥有较高学历的人、 和会定期参与 促进精神刺激活动的人, 都会有较多的认知储备量。
formal:adj.适合正式场合的; n.(美)须穿礼服的社交集会; (口)夜礼服; literacy:n.读写能力;精通文学; engage:v.吸引,占用;使参加;雇佣;使订婚;预定; mentally:adv.精神上,智力上;心理上; stimulating:adj.激励人的; v.促进; (stimulate的现在分词)
They have an abundance and a redundancy in neural connections. 他们有充裕的神经连结。
abundance:n.丰度;丰富;大量;富足; redundancy:n.[计][数]冗余(等于redundance);裁员;人浮于事;
So even if they have a disease like Alzheimer's compromising some of their synapses, they've got many extra backup connections, and this buffers them from noticing that anything is amiss . 所以即使他们因为患有像 阿兹海默那样的疾病, 使她们减少了一些突触, 她们还有很多备用的连结, 从而减缓她们的大脑产生混乱。
compromising:adj.有失体面的; v.妥协; (compromise的现在分词) extra:adj.额外的:n.额外的事物:adv.额外:另外: backup:n.后援;增援;(文件等的)备份;adj.后补的;支持性的;伴奏的; buffers:n.DOS命令; amiss:adj.有毛病的,有缺陷的;出差错的;adv.错误地;
Let's imagine a simplified example. 让我们假想一个简单的例子。
simplified:v.简化; (simplify的过去式)
Let's say you only know one thing about a subject. 假设你对一个主题只有一个认知。
Let's say it's about me. 假设那个主题就是我。
You know that Lisa Genova wrote "Still Alice," 你知道丽莎．吉诺瓦写了一本 《我想念我自己》,
and that's the only thing you know about me. 而这是你对我唯一的认知。
You have that single neural connection, that one synapse. 你对我的认知,只有单一个神经连结, 单一个突触。
Now imagine you have Alzheimer's. 现在假设你有阿兹海默症。
You have plaques and tangles and inflammation and microglia devouring that synapse. 你有淀粉样蛋白斑、神经缠结和发炎的情况, 你的微胶细胞吞噬了突触。
devouring:v.狼吞虎咽地吃光;津津有味地看;吞没;毁灭;(devour的现在分词)
Now when someone asks you, "Hey, who wrote 'Still Alice?'" 现在当有人问你, 「嘿,谁写了《我想念我自己》？」
you can't remember, because that synapse is either failing or gone. 你不记得了, 因为那个突触不是失效就是不见了,
You've forgotten me forever. 你就会永远忘记我。
But what if you had learned more about me? 但假如你对我了解更深呢？
Let's say you learned four things about me. 比如,你了解我四件事情。
Now imagine you have Alzheimer's, and three of those synapses are damaged or destroyed. 现在想像一下,你得了阿兹海默症, 其中三个突触被破坏了。
You still have a way to detour the wreckage . 你仍有一条可以绕过那些 被破坏的突触的路线。
detour:v.使…绕道而行;绕道;迂回;n.绕道;便道; wreckage:n.(失事船或飞机等的)残骸;(船只等的)失事;
You can still remember my name. 你仍能记得我的名字。
So we can be resilient to the presence of Alzheimer's pathology through the recruitment of yet-undamaged pathways . 所以当我们有阿兹海默症的病理状况发生, 藉由使用那些尚未受损的神经通道,
resilient:adj.弹回的,有弹力的; recruitment:n.补充;征募新兵; pathways:n.小路;小径(pathway的复数);
And we create these pathways, this cognitive reserve, by learning new things. 我们仍有可能可以复原, 我们可以藉由学习新事物, 创造出新的通路、增加认知的储备量。
Ideally, we want these new things to be as rich in meaning as possible, recruiting sight and sound and associations and emotion . 理想上,我们希望这些新事物 越有丰富的意义越好, 越能唤起我们的视觉、 听觉、联系和情感越好。
recruiting:v.吸收(新成员);征募(新兵);动员;(recruit的现在分词) associations:n.协会,[遗]关联(association复数);关联分析,协会组织; emotion:n.强烈的感情;激情;情感;
So this really doesn't mean doing crossword puzzles . 我的意思并非要你去做拼字游戏。
crossword:n.纵横字谜;纵横填字游戏; puzzles:智力游戏;谜题(puzzle的第三人称单数和复数)
You don't want to simply retrieve information you've already learned, because this is like traveling down old, familiar streets, cruising neighborhoods you already know. 你不会想只是重拾你 已学习过的记忆, 因为这就好比游览 老旧而熟悉的街头, 那些周边环境你已了然于心。
retrieve:v.取回;索回;检索数据;挽回;找回;n.恢复; familiar:adj.熟悉的;常见的;亲近的;n.常客;密友; cruising:v.乘船游览;慢速行驶,巡行;(cruise的现在分词)
You want to pave new neural roads. 你要铺设新的神经通路。
pave:vt.铺设;安排;作铺设之用;
Building an Alzheimer's-resistant brain means learning to speak Italian, meeting new friends, reading a book, or listening to a great TED Talk. 建造一个能抵御阿兹海默症的大脑,像是去学习义大利语、 去交新朋友、 读一本书, 或聆听超赞的 TED 演讲。
And if, despite all of this, you are someday diagnosed with Alzheimer's, there are three lessons I've learned from my grandmother and the dozens of people I've come to know living with this disease. 假如,尽管做了这些事, 你还是会在某一天 被诊断出阿兹海默症, 我从我祖母 和许多我认识的阿兹海默症患者 那儿学到了三件事。
Diagnosis doesn't mean you're dying tomorrow. 被诊断出阿兹海默症 并不代表你明天就会死掉。
Diagnosis:n.诊断;
Keep living. 继续活下去。
You won't lose your emotional memory. 你不会丧失你的情感记忆。
emotional:adj.情绪的;易激动的;感动人的;
You'll still be able to understand love and joy. 你仍能理解爱与欢乐。
You might not remember what I said five minutes ago, but you'll remember how I made you feel. 你可能不会记得 五分钟前我说了甚么, 但你会记得我让你感受到了甚么。
And you are more than what you can remember. 你本身,比你能记得的 东西更有意义。
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) （掌声）