美国有线新闻 CNN 2013-01-15

 Chronic¹ Traumatic Encephalopathy is usually called CTE. It's a brain disease that can lead to dementia, memory lose or depression. Officials say it's sometime seen in people after they suffer multiple hits to the head. The National Institutes of Health says it's a disease that former NFL linebacker Junior Seau had. He played 20 years in the league. Last May, he took his own life. Seau's family donated his brain for research, that's how doctors discovered that he had CTE. Experts say being exposed to repeated head trauma² doesn't necessarily mean that you will get this disease. But a recent study found signs of CTE in the brains of 34 out of 35 former pro-football players. Thousands of former players are suing the NFL. They say the league ignored and then denied the link between football and brain damage. NFL officials have changed several rules and made new policies to focus on head trauma and the possible dangers it might cause. This isn't just an issue at the professional level. It can happen to younger players too.

It was October 28th, 2010, the last game of the senior year, the best game of his career. He ran for two touch downs, 165 yards in just the first two quarters. And then two minutes before half time,  he walked off the field, screamed that his head hurt and he collapsed³.  Nathan dies early the next morning.

Nathan died of second impact syndrome⁴. Early in the month at a home coming game, he got a concussion⁵. Everyone including Nathan's doctor thought it had healed. The Stlis would find meaning in Natian's tragic⁶ death because of this woman.

"I think the last time you were hear we had maybe five brains. And now we are up to, we are in the 90s."

Dr. Ann McKee runs the world`s largest brain bank. It's a joint⁷ project between the Veterans Administration and Boston University. I first met her several years ago when she began finding evidence in the brains of deceased NFL players of unnatual tau-protein deposits. Those are the same kinds of proteins found in Alzheimer's patients. It's called Chronic Traumati Encephalopathy. It's a progressive degenerative disease which leads to dementia and Alzheimer's like symptoms. But the difference is these symptoms are usually found in people in their 80s, not their 40s.

"What we are seeing here, is this definitely caused by blows to the head."

"It's never been seen in any reported case, except in the case repeated blows to the head."

And that`s exactly what the Stiles wanted to know when they donated Nathan`s brain to McKee center. Did repeated blows to the brain cause that kind of damage in young Nathan`s brain? And the answer was yes. Under the microscope...

"That's really obvious, Dr. Mckee."

We saw a tell-tale signs of tau-protein.

"Did this surprise you?"

"Yes, it definitely did. It can start very early."

"That's amazing. 17 years old."

"Yeah, 17."

When the young developing brain is hit during football, no matter how hard, the brain is rocked. It's like an egg inside a shell. It stretches the delicate fibers⁸ pulled, fluids violently sloshed around the brain trying to absorb the blow.

"Youth are at risk for any changes in that fluids balance. And they may not be able to handle it as well."

"Sounds like you're saying they're more at risk than the adults."

"Oh, absolutely."

1 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

2 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

3 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

4 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

5 concussion   

n.脑震荡；震动

参考例句：

• He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。
• She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。