Plenty of research has shown that learning a second language can boost brainpower, but a new study out Monday suggests that the effects extend to those who begin in middle childhood.
大量研究披露學習第二外語可提升腦力，但週一公布的新研究顯示，兒童期中期開始學習效果更好。
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that people who began learning English around age 10 and were immersed in the language, meaning they heard and used it in daily life, showed improvements in the structure of the brain’s white matter compared to people who grew up speaking only English and did not learn a second language.
全國科學院學報的研究顯示，10歲左右開始學習英文，並沉浸在這種語言中，也就是可以在日常生活中聽和使用這種語言，大腦白質的結構比那些只說英文長大，沒有學習第二外語的人好。
Researchers studied brain scans from 20 people, all around the age of 30, who had lived in Britain for at least 13 months. They had all started learning English as a second language around age 10. Their imaging analyses were compared to 25 people of similar age who spoke only English.
研究人員觀察30歲左右，居住在英國至少13個月的20人的大腦掃描。他們都在大約10歲學習英文為第二外語。他們的影像分析與25名類似年齡但只說英文者相較。
"Everyday handling of more than one language functions as an intensive cognitive stimulation that benefits specific language-related brain structures by preserving their integrity, and therefore it protects them against deterioration in older age," said the study led by Christos Pliatsikas of the University of Kent School of Psychology.
肯特大學心理學院領導的研究說：「每天處理一個語言以上的作用是密集認知刺激，可保存語言相關的大腦特定結構的整合性，對這些結構有益，因此這會保護大腦結構不致在年紀較大時惡化。」
新聞辭典
extend：動詞，延伸，擴大。例句：Rain is expected to extend to all parts of the country by this evening.（今天傍晚之前，預計降雨範圍會擴大到全國各個地區。）
immerse：動詞，沉浸。例句：She got some books out of the library and immersed herself in Jewish history and culture.（她從圖書館借了一些書，然後沉浸在猶太歷史和文化之中。）
deterioration：名詞，惡化。例句：We’ve seen a deterioration in relations between the countries.（我們發現兩國關係趨於惡化。）
宏浩翻譯 引用自 http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=857025&day=2015-02-19
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