CET-6 Listening Practice: Can Older Brains Still Change?

Good morning, and welcome back to our weekly programme about health and everyday science.

早上好，欢迎回到我们每周一期的健康与生活科学节目。

My guest today is Frank, a retired engineer who learned to juggle at the age of sixty-six.

今天的嘉宾是 Frank，一位退休工程师，他在66岁时学会了抛球杂耍。

Thanks for having me, and I'm delighted to be here this morning.

谢谢邀请，今天早上能来这里我很高兴。

Frank, I'll be honest with you before we start.

Frank，开始之前，我先跟您说句实话。

I doubt that an older brain can really change very much.

我怀疑老年人的大脑真的还能有多大改变。

Oh, my grandchildren said exactly the same thing when I bought my first set of balls!

哦，我买第一套杂耍球的时候，我的孙子孙女们也是这么说的！

For years, I assumed that memory loss and slower thinking were simply an inevitable part of ageing.

多年来，我一直以为记忆力减退、思维变慢只是衰老中不可避免的一部分。

Then a friend sent me a study that completely changed my mind.

后来一位朋友发给我一项研究，彻底改变了我的看法。

What kind of study are we talking about?

您说的是什么样的研究？

In two thousand and eight, researchers in Germany taught a group of adults around sixty to juggle.

2008年，德国的研究人员教一群60岁左右的成年人学抛球杂耍。

The participants practised for three months, and their brains were scanned before and after the training.

参与者练习了3个月，训练前后都做了脑部扫描。

The scans revealed an increase in grey matter in an area that processes movement!

扫描结果显示，大脑中负责处理运动的区域灰质增加了！

Really? That sounds remarkable, but I'm not convinced the effect lasts.

真的吗？听起来很了不起，不过我不太相信这种效果能持续。

To be fair, you've raised an important point.

说句公道话，您提出了一个很重要的问题。

The change was smaller than in younger people who did the same training.

这种变化比做同样训练的年轻人要小。

And when the participants stopped practising, the extra grey matter decreased again.

而且参与者一停止练习，多出来的灰质又减少了。

So the benefits are real, but only if you keep practising?

所以好处是真实存在的，但前提是要一直练下去？

Exactly, the brain seems to follow a simple rule of use it or lose it.

没错，大脑似乎遵循一个简单的规律：用进废退。

Okay, that's a good point, and I have to admit you've changed my mind.

好吧，您说得有道理，我得承认您改变了我的看法。

But surely a crossword every morning does the same job?

不过，每天早上做一个填字游戏，效果应该也一样吧？

I'd rather people try something genuinely difficult than stay inside their comfort zone.

我宁愿大家去尝试真正有难度的事，也不要一直待在舒适区里。

Puzzles you already know how to solve don't really challenge the brain anymore.

那些你早就会解的谜题，对大脑已经算不上真正的挑战了。

So what would you recommend to listeners who want to keep their minds sharp?

那么，对于想保持头脑敏锐的听众，您有什么建议？

Pick up a new skill this month, whether it's a language, an instrument or juggling!

这个月就学一项新技能吧，不管是外语、乐器还是抛球杂耍！

Expect to feel clumsy at first, and practise a little every single day.

刚开始难免会觉得笨手笨脚，每天都练一点就好。

Struggling at first simply means that your brain is busy adapting.

一开始觉得吃力，只说明你的大脑正在努力适应。

Frank, thank you so much for this encouraging conversation.

Frank，非常感谢这次鼓舞人心的谈话。

My pleasure, and I expect to see you juggling next week!

不客气，下周我可等着看您玩抛球杂耍啊！