地平线系列：我们为何讲话（2009）

and I just think sometimes it's not fair.
我只是觉得有时候世界真不公平
Cases like Steve's
史蒂夫这类案例
offer scientists like Cathy Price
给凯茜·普赖斯这类科学家提供了
a unique window into how the brain and language connect together.
一种研究大脑和语言联♥系♥方法的特殊途径
20 years ago I was told
二十年前 大家都说
that the brain wasn't relevant to our study of language
大脑和人类的语言学习能力并无关联
and the reason for that was that we had so little information.
而理由是这方面的信息我们掌握得太少了
The two types of information that we had were either from
我们只有两种方法来获取信息
autopsies of people who had died after they had had a language difficulty,
要么对生前有语言障碍的人进行尸检
or we were using brain scans
要么利用脑同位素扫描
where the information was so blurred
这些信息都太模糊
that you couldn't really see very much detail about what was happening.
仅凭这些没法真正了解当时的事情始末
So at that point all we knew was that
所以那时 我们所知的仅仅是
the left side of the brain was most important for language
左脑是作用于语言的重要部分
and the front part of the brain is important for speaking
前脑是控制说话能力的重要部分
and the back part of the brain was important for understanding speech
而后脑是理解他人讲话的重要部位
so that was the sort of general level at which it was understood.
当时人们的理解差不多就在这个水平上
As scanning technology has improved,
随着扫描技术的提高
it's become apparent just how complicated the brain functions
大脑对语言作用的复杂性
involved in language really are.
日益凸显
Hello, Steve, can you hear me? That's great.
史蒂夫 能听到我说话吗 很好
To build a complete picture of which parts of the brain
为了构建一幅大脑在我们所有人体内
are involved in language in all of us,
作用于语言的完整图景
Cathy Price matches the exact nature of a speech defect
凯茜·普赖斯将言语缺陷的确切状态
with the exact position of damage in the brain.
与大脑确切的受伤部位进行配对
When I look at Steve's brain here,
我观察史蒂夫大脑这块的时候
I can see that he's lost a very extensive set of regions
注意到他的大脑左半球丢失了一大块区域
in his left hemisphere that are important for speech
那是负责说话功能的重要部位
and he can still produce some speech
他仍能讲一些话
but it will be extremely difficult for him.
只是会异常困难
A fully-fledged ability to communicate with language
发育完全的语言交流能力
relies on many separate processes working together within us.
依赖于我们体内多种单独进程共同合作
We need to use our memory, our senses
需要用上我们的记忆和感官
and have precise motor control over our mouths and tongues.
还有精确地控制自己的嘴和舌头的能力
What I'd like you to do
我要你做的是
is to point to the picture that matches with the words, ok?
根据我说的话 指出相应的图 好吗
So the words are, "The pen is under the paper."
我要说的是 "钢笔在纸下面"
Cathy needs to identify the problems steve has with speaking
凯茜要找出史蒂夫失语问题的所在
before she can link them back to the precise areas in his brain.
进而找到大脑中与之对应的受损部位
This one. That's right.
这个 答对了
When I ask him to point to pictures of particular scenes,
当我要求他指出特定情景的图片时
he could pick out which scene matched the sentence
他能够挑选出附合描述的图片
and that's quite a difficult thing to do if you can't speak
对于没法说话的人 这件事相当困难
because you can't hear the words go round in your head.
因为你听不到自己大脑中的句子
you can't repeat it to yourself.
更没法对自己复述它们
So he did very well on that task.
而他完成得很好
The butcher shoots the nurse.
屠夫枪击护士
It's a bit violent. Yes.
这有点血腥 是的
This one's a nicer one.
这个好一点了
One crucial area of Steve's brain is still functioning.
史蒂夫大脑中的一个关键区域仍在工作
The anterior superior temporal sulcus is involved
前颞上沟控制人们
in understanding the meaning of words,
语言理解的能力
an ability that Steve has not lost.
史蒂夫并未丧失这一能力
But when we asked him to describe the picture,
但当我们让他看图说话时
Then he had a lot more difficulty there.
他就遇到困难了
Can you describe to me what you can see there?
可以把你在这幅图中看到的描述出来吗
What do you see here?
这是什么
A cat. That's right.
猫 对的
What's the cat doing?
这只猫在做什么
Can you see what's here?
能看出这里有什么吗
Yes.
能
Fish.
鱼
That's right.
对了
Yeah, fish. That's right.
是的 是鱼 没错
And can you see what the cat's trying to do to the fish?
能看出来猫想对鱼做什么吗
I don't know.
不知道
What was happening was the cat
图中的故事是
was putting his paw into the fish bowl to try and get the fish,
猫把爪子伸进鱼缸 试图捞鱼
and what Steve picked out on was the objects,
而史蒂夫可以识别鱼和猫这两个动物
the cat and the fish, but not the action.
却没办法描述它们的行为
Book, the books.
书 那摞书
And likewise with the books,
对"书"的描述也是如此
the books were falling off the shelf
那摞书正从书架落下
and they were about to hit the head of the sleeping man
就要砸在那个熟睡的人头上了
and what he said was "Books".
而他只说出了"那摞书"
The head.
头
Yes?
是吗
And then all of a sudden, you know, he had a little breakthrough.
然后突然之间 他就有了点突破
Bouncing on the head.
砸到头上
Yes, excellent. That's very good, thank you very much.
太棒了 你说得很好 非常感谢
Matching the problem Steve has in recalling words
把史蒂夫记忆词句的问题
with his detailed scan has helped identify parts of the brain
与详细脑扫描对比来看 有助于确定
involved in language in all of us.
大脑中控制人类语言能力的部位
This frontal area of our brain is associated with word retrieval.
如图所示的大脑前区关系到词汇提取能力
Everything that he said and described
他所说的和描述的一切
indicated that he understood what he was seeing
都是他对自己所见的理解
but he just couldn't get the words out to describe it in a way
但他没法用一般人的交流方式
that you'd need to if you had to talk to somebody else.
用我们的语言来描述
By dividing the process of speech into such precise tasks,
如今像凯茜这样的科学家通过把说话过程
scientists like Cathy are now piecing together
分为一系列精细程序的方法
the first functional map of our language brain.
描绘出了首张大脑语言功能图
From an area that is crucial
从控制我们听力
in allowing us to hear and monitor the sound of our own voice
和监管我们自己发声的关键部位
to an area that is critical for analysing the very structure of speech.
到分♥析♥话语结构的关键部位
There are all sorts of different components
我们把各种不同的组成部位
that we're putting together to make this model
放在一起建造了这个模型
So it is like doing a jigsaw puzzle
这就像玩七巧板
where you have lots of different pieces and as you work on it,
工作进行时 在你面前有很多不同的板
you find new pieces but you also find,
你会发现几块新板 同时还发现
"Ah I've got a little cluster of pieces here that now fit together
我发现这几块正好可以拼在一起
"into something very, very meaningful."
变成非常非常有意义的东西
It's very much work in progress
还有很多工作仍在进行中
but we are building the clearest picture ever
但我们正在构建的是
of the areas of the brain that are involved in talking.
迄今最为清晰的大脑语言功能区域图
But how does it all begin?
但这一切是如何开始的呢
Hi, baby!
你好 宝宝
When does a new brain switch on to language?
一个新生大脑何时开始处理语言呢
Hi, baby!
你好 宝宝
Part of our research has to do with helping to understand
我们的部分研究得有助于人们理解
the roots of, of language reception
语言接受的根源
and how it is that babies begin to understand speech sounds.
和婴儿开始认识说话声音的过程
Professor William Fifer works with new born babies
为了了解新生儿何时开始
to investigateat at what point they start to
对自己周遭的声音作出反应
respond to the speech they hear around them.
威廉·菲弗教授开始研究他们
Early experiments used an adapted pacifier
早期实验使用改良的奶嘴
to measure how the baby's sucking responses changed
来检测播放不同的声音时
when it was played different voices,
婴儿吸吮反应的改变
But this technique relied on the baby being awake.
但这种技术需要婴儿一直醒着
He now measures new born brain activity using an array of electrodes
他现在用电极针来监测新生大脑的活动
and he can do that even when they're sleeping.
这种方法在婴儿熟睡时也可使用
So does this cute little baby have a name yet?
这可爱小宝贝有名字了吗
Liliana. Liliana. All right.
莉莉亚娜 莉莉亚娜 好的
And what we're talking about today
我们今天探讨的
is how quickly she's picking up information about language already.
是她从语言中获取信息的速度有多快
So, as you know, she's been listening in the womb
如你们所知 她子♥宫♥中就一直在听了
and we think that she's particularly prepared
我们觉得她已经完全准备好
to want to listen to certain things, especially mom's voice.
听些特别的东西了 特别是妈妈的声音
Sorry, dad, but you'll come soon.
对不起 爸爸要等一下
That's ok, don't worry.
没事的 别担心
She'll stop listening to both of us soon enough, we know.
她很快就会不再听我们俩的话了