科学家们探究谈话中大脑如何工作

科学家们探究谈话中大脑如何工作

As every portrait painter knows, the slightest change in the shape of eyebrows¹, the curvature of lips or a crease² in the forehead can alter the expression of a person's face-and affect how someone else responds.

每个肖像画家都知道眉毛、嘴唇弯曲度以及前额皱纹的些微变化都会使得脸部表情发生改变，也会影响到其他人的反应。

Yale University neuroscientist Joy Hirsch said scientists would like to understand the neurocircuitry behind this interaction between individuals.

耶鲁大学神经科学家乔伊?赫斯克表示科学家们想要揭开人类个体这样的互动行为背后神经系统的奥秘。

“The visual information and facial expressions are actually coded intimately with the systems of the brain that are coding the language processes. This is something that had not been really appreciated before.”

“视觉信息和面部表情同大脑中掌控语言的系统紧密相关。我们之前都没意识到这点。”

Hirsch and her colleagues at the Yale Brain Function Lab are looking into what actually happens in our brains when we engage in simple conversation.

赫斯克和她的同事们正在耶鲁大学脑功能实验室研究当进行简单对话时大脑会作何反应。

Wearing skull³ caps with sensors⁴ that can register brain activity, researchers explain to each other pictures of simple objects.

佩戴上能记录大脑活动传感器的头盖帽后，研究员们彼此描述一些简单物体的图片。

“The new information here is that visual reports of, say, facial information are an intimate part of the language system as it is being used in an intimate situation.”

“我们得到的新信息是面部信息等的视觉信息是语言系统不可或缺的一部分。”

Facing each other, then separated by a partition, the researchers describe simple pictures appearing on computer screens, such as a basket, a bowl of rice or a lighted cigarette.

在面对面后进行隔开的测试，研究人员描述了显示在电脑屏幕上的简单图像，比如一只篮子，一碗饭，或者一只点燃的香烟。

A small laser in each of the 64 access points in the skull caps shines a light beam that penetrates⁵ about 2.5 centimeters into their brains.

这顶帽子上的64个接入点中每一个都有小型激光器，它们发送的光束可以穿透2.5厘米进入大脑。

The reflected light changes depending on whether the blood vessels⁶ at that point are oxygenated or depleted⁷ of oxygen, showing the level of brain activity.

反射光随着血管因氧合结合还是脱氧合状态改变，显示了大脑活动的水平。

A near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) machine records and displays the patterns of information flow.

一台近红外光谱仪进行记录并且显示了信息流的状态。

“We want to take the physiologic⁸ information that we recorded on the NIRS machine and we want to know where is that information anatomically.”

“我们想要收集记录在近红外光谱仪上的神经信息，而后从解剖学层面上搞清信息来源。”

In similar research, scientists at Princeton University are scanning the brains of people as they tell real-life stories and then playing back those stories to others.

而普林斯顿大学的科学家们也在进行类似的实验，他们对讲述真实故事人及听者的大脑进行扫描。

“What we are asking you is whether the listener's brain becomes similar to the speaker brain doing natural, real-life communication."

“我们探究的是在进行自然、真实的沟通时，听者的大脑活动是否和说话人的类似。”

Scientists say the findings may eventually help them better understand the patterns of neurocircuitry involved in communication and how they are different in people suffering from disorders⁹ such as autism or depression.

科学家们表示这些发现或许最终会帮助他们更好地了解交流过程中的神经系统，以及患有自闭症、抑郁症等患者这个模式会有何不同。

1 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

2 crease   

n.折缝，褶痕，皱褶；v.(使)起皱

参考例句：

• Does artificial silk crease more easily than natural silk?人造丝比天然丝更易起皱吗？
• Please don't crease the blouse when you pack it.包装时请不要将衬衫弄皱了。

3 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

4 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

5 penetrates   

v.穿过( penetrate的第三人称单数 )；刺入；了解；渗透

参考例句：

• This is a telescope that penetrates to the remote parts of the universe. 这是一架能看到宇宙中遥远地方的望远镜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dust is so fine that it easily penetrates all the buildings. 尘土极细，能极轻易地钻入一切建筑物。 来自辞典例句

6 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

8 physiologic   

a.生理学的

参考例句：

• Resections in children do not produce a permanent physiologic handicap. 在儿童中，肝切除不致引起永久性生理障碍。
• Abnormally low or high body temperatute effect a variety of physiologic responses including lowered metabolic rate. 不正常的低或高体温会影响动物体各种不同的生理应答，包括低代谢率。

9 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》