新奇事件簿 边睡觉边记单词大法

A new study shows that we could learn vocabulary while we are sleeping. This is great news for students struggling to learn a new language. It is also good for anyone who is trying to expand their knowledge of words. Researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland have shown that it is possible to learn new information while we are sleeping deeply¹, and then recall² this information when we need it after we wake up. This new information includes foreign language vocabulary. The researchers conducted tests on whether or not a person can remember new words and their translations while they were asleep. They said our sleeping brain is much more aware of the outside world than we thought.

一项新研究表明我们可以在睡觉的时候记单词。这对苦苦挣扎着记单词的学生来说是个很棒的消息。对任何想要拓展词汇的人来说也不错。瑞士伯尔尼大学的研究人员表示深度睡眠时学习新信息是有可能的，并且在睡醒后，需要时可以回想起这些信息。这些新信息就包括外语词汇。针对人类在睡眠期间是否可以记忆单词以及单词的含义，研究人员进行了测试。他们表示我们沉睡的大脑比我们认为的对外部世界更加敏感。

Researcher Marc Zust said, "language areas of the brain and the hippocampus - the brain's essential³ memory hub - were activated⁴" after a person woke up. He said these areas of the brain allow us to remember vocabulary during deep sleep. The researchers said that during deep sleep, our brain cells⁵ are active for a short period of time - about half a second. The cells then enter into a period of inactivity - again, about half a second. The active state is called "up-state" and the inactive state is called "down-state." The "up-state" period is the time when our brain could learn new vocabulary. The researchers say more research is needed to be 100 per cent sure that we can learn vocabulary while asleep.

研究员Marc Züst 称，“大脑的语言区和海马体—大脑的必要记忆中心—在人们醒来后会被激活”。他表示大脑的这些区域让我们可以在深层睡眠期间记忆单词。研究人员表示在深层睡眠期间，我们的脑细胞会出现短暂的活跃—大概约半秒。然后这些细胞会进入间歇期—再次活跃约半秒。这种活跃状态被称为“可用状态”，而不活动状态被称为“不可用状态”。“可用状态”期是我们的大脑可记忆新单词的时期。研究人员称还需要进行更多研究才能100%确定我们可以睡眠期间记忆单词。

1 deeply   

adv.深刻地，在深处，深沉地

参考例句：

• I do feel deeply the strength of the collective.我确实深深地感到了集体的力量。
• We're deeply honoured that you should agree to join us.您能同意加入我们，我们感到很荣幸。

2 recall   

n.回忆，召回，取消；vt.回想起，召回，与...相似，恢复

参考例句：

• As you may recall, he was in the army then.你可能记得当时他正在从军。
• We demand that you recall your army from our border.我们要求你们撤回在我们边境的部队。

3 essential   

adj.必要的，必不可少的；本质的，基本的；n.要素，要点

参考例句：

• The essential thing is that the two of you ought to agree.根本的问题是你们俩应意见一致。
• It is essential for us to know all the facts.对我们来说，了解所有的事实是必要的。

4 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

5 cells   

n.细胞( cell的名词复数 )；小牢房；（修道士或修女住的）小房间；电池

参考例句：

• Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria adhere to the surface of the red cells. 细菌一进入血液里，就附着在红细胞表面上。
• an amorphous mass of cells with no identity at all 不知何物的杂乱一团的细胞