研究发现帮助他人或有助保持大脑年轻

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. Which of the following best captures the central claim of the article as developed across its sections?

A. Volunteering organizations should encourage older adults to participate more frequently to reduce dementia rates.

B. Helping others appears to be associated with slower cognitive decline, though the mechanism is likely indirect rather than causal.

C. Informal helping is more effective than formal volunteering in preventing age-related cognitive deterioration.

D. Cognitive aging can be largely reversed through moderate social engagement in later life.

无注释原文：

Helping Others May Be an Easy Way to Keep Your Brain Young, Study Finds

From: Science Alert

Our bodies age at different rates, sometimes closely correlated to the years we've spent alive, and sometimes less so. A new study links another factor to the speed at which our brains age: how much we help others.

Regularly volunteering can reduce the rate of cognitive aging by around 15–20 percent, according to research by a team from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and the University of Massachusetts Boston in the US.

The findings are based on approximately two decades of telephone survey data from 31,303 people aged over 50. Scores on cognitive brain tests were mapped against helping behavior – whether volunteering with an organization or simply giving friends, relatives, and neighbors a hand as needed.

"What stood out to me was that the cognitive benefits of helping others weren't just short-term boosts but cumulative over time with sustained engagement, and these benefits were evident for both formal volunteering and informal helping," says Sae Hwang Han, a social scientist at UT Austin.

"And in addition to that, moderate engagement of just two to four hours was consistently linked to robust benefits."

The observational nature of the study means that direct cause-and-effect isn't shown here.

Still, there does appear to be a substantial link – perhaps driven by the mental stimulation and social interaction that comes with giving support and assistance to others. Prior studies have shown that loneliness can be bad for our brains and that physical activity can keep the mind sharp.

Notably, the researchers examined both informal helping and structured volunteering, and they tracked changes over time. The slowing in cognitive decline appears cumulative; being a helpful person continues to pay off year after year.

"Informal helping is sometimes assumed to offer fewer health benefits due to its lack of social recognition," says Han.

"It was a pleasant surprise to find that it provides cognitive benefits comparable to formal volunteering."

Around two to four hours per week spent helping others seems to be the sweet spot for optimizing its cognitive benefits. It's possible that beyond that point, the mental and physical efforts of being a helper start to take their toll.

With cases of dementia on the rise, scientists are on the lookout for modifiable risk factors – those that we can do something about, like changing our diet or exercise routine. Lending a hand to others could help maintain social connections in later life.

The researchers also found that when helping behaviors stopped, this was associated with lower cognitive scores and faster cognitive decline. There's a strong case here for ensuring that older adults have opportunities to give back to others and their community.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Helping Others May Be an Easy Way to Keep Your Brain Young, Study Finds

From: Science Alert

Our bodies age at different rates, sometimes closely correlated to the years we've spent alive, and sometimes less so. A new study links another factor to the speed at which our brains age: how much we help others.

我们的身体以不同的速度衰老，有时与实际年龄高度相关，有时则并非如此。一项新研究将另一个因素与大脑衰老速度联系起来：我们帮助他人的程度。

Regularly volunteering can reduce the rate of cognitive aging by around 15–20 percent, according to research by a team from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and the University of Massachusetts Boston in the US.

美国得克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校（University of Texas at Austin）和马萨诸塞大学波士顿分校（University of Massachusetts Boston）的研究团队发现，定期做志愿服务能使认知衰老速度降低约15%至20%。

cognitive /ˈkɒɡ.nə.tɪv/ 表示“认知的；感知的；认识的”，英文解释为“Cognitive means relating to the mental process involved in knowing, learning, and understanding things.”举个🌰：As children grow older, their cognitive processes become sharper. 随着孩子们长大，他们的认知过程也变得越来越敏锐了。

The findings are based on approximately two decades of telephone survey data from 31,303 people aged over 50. Scores on cognitive brain tests were mapped against helping behavior – whether volunteering with an organization or simply giving friends, relatives, and neighbors a hand as needed.

该研究基于31,303名50岁以上人群近20年的电话调查数据，将认知测试成绩与助人行为进行对比，包括参与各种组织的志愿活动，以及在日常生活中帮助亲友和邻里。

"What stood out to me was that the cognitive benefits of helping others weren't just short-term boosts but cumulative over time with sustained engagement, and these benefits were evident for both formal volunteering and informal helping," says Sae Hwang Han, a social scientist at UT Austin.

得州大学奥斯汀分校社会科学家韩世皇（Sae Hwang Han）表示：“让我印象最深的是，帮助他人的认知益处并非短期效应，而是随着长期持续参与不断累积，而且无论是正式志愿服务还是非正式帮助，都能体现出这种效果。”

boost /buːst/ 可以作名词也可以作动词，表示“改善；提高；增强；推动”，英文解释为“to improve or increase something”举个🌰：The theatre managed to boost its audiences by cutting ticket prices. 剧院设法通过降低票价来增加观众数量。

📍“佩洛西有病还是先治病吧”文中提到be boosted，get boosted用来指打了加强针（疫苗），也有说booster shot/booster dose.

cumulative /ˈkjuː.mjə.lə.tɪv/ 表示“累积的；渐增的”，英文解释为“If a series of events have a cumulative effect, each event makes the effect greater.”举个🌰：It is simple pleasures, such as a walk on a sunny day, which have a cumulative effect on our mood. 诸如在晴朗的日子散步这样简朴的乐趣对我们的情绪有累积性益处。

📍词根/词缀：cumulative由动词cumulate和后缀-ive构成，动词cumulate表示累积、积聚，-ive是一个形容词后缀。词源：来自拉丁语cūmulātus，意为堆积、积累。常用搭配：cumulative effect（累积效应）、cumulative data（累积数据）。

sustained /səˈsteɪnd/ 1）表示“持续的，持久的”，英文解释为“continuing for a long time”举个🌰：His speech was greeted by sustained applause. 他的演讲博得了经久不息的掌声。

2）表示“坚定的，坚持不懈的”（determined），2020年政府工作报告Part 10中提到：持续打造市场化、法治化、国际化营商环境 make sustained efforts to create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment.

"And in addition to that, moderate engagement of just two to four hours was consistently linked to robust benefits."

“此外，每周仅投入两到四小时的适度参与，也始终与显著的益处相关。”

moderate /ˈmɒd.ər.ət/ 1）表示“中等的；不过分的，适度的”，英文解释为“neither small nor large in size, amount, degree, or strength”举个🌰：The cabin is of moderate size - just right for a small family. 这间小屋中等大小——正适合一个小家庭。

2）表示“（尤指政见）温和的，不激烈的，不偏激的”，英文解释为“Moderate opinions, especially political ones, are not extreme and are therefore acceptable to a large number of people.”

robust /rəʊˈbʌst/ 表示“（人或动物）强壮的，茁壮的；（东西或系统）坚固的，耐用的，结实的；强劲的；富有活力的；强健的；强壮的”，英文解释为“(of a person or animal) strong and healthy, or (of an object or system) strong and unlikely to break or fail”举个🌰：He looks robust and healthy enough. 他看起来非常强壮健康。

📍这个词来自拉丁语“robustus”，意味着“强壮的”。用来形容结构“坚固”的或系统“强健”的。想象新软件更加“强健”，出现问题更少。近义词：sturdy（结实的），同根词：robustness（强健），常用短语：robust system（强健的系统）

📍在计算机科学、控制科学与工程等领域有个词叫“鲁棒性”，就是从robustness音译而来，可以用于反映一个系统在面临着内部结构或外部环境的改变时也能够维持其功能稳定运行的能力。

The observational nature of the study means that direct cause-and-effect isn't shown here.

由于该研究属于观察性研究，尚不能直接证明因果关系。

observational /ˌɒb.zəˈveɪ.ʃən.əl/ 表示“观察的，观测的”，英文解释为“involving watching someone or something carefully and closely, in order to learn something”举个🌰：Observational research uses data collected during routine clinical care. 观察性研究采用在日常临床护理中收集的数据。

Still, there does appear to be a substantial link – perhaps driven by the mental stimulation and social interaction that comes with giving support and assistance to others. Prior studies have shown that loneliness can be bad for our brains and that physical activity can keep the mind sharp.

尽管如此，两者之间仍存在显著关联，这可能源于助人过程中带来的心理刺激和社交互动。此前研究已表明，孤独不利于大脑健康，而体育活动有助于保持思维敏捷。

substantial /səbˈstæn.ʃəl/ 1）表示“大的；可观的；价值巨大的；重大的”，英文解释为“large in size, value, or importance”举个🌰：The findings show a substantial difference between the opinions of men and women. 这些发现表明男性和女性之间存在着重大的意见分歧。

2）表示“基本上的；大体上的”，英文解释为“relating to the main or most important things being considered”举个🌰：The committee was in substantial agreement (= agreed about most of the things discussed). 委员会基本上达成了一致意见。

表示“刺激；激励；兴奋作用”，英文解释为“an action or thing that causes someone or something to become more active or enthusiastic, or to develop or operate”

Notably, the researchers examined both informal helping and structured volunteering, and they tracked changes over time. The slowing in cognitive decline appears cumulative; being a helpful person continues to pay off year after year.

值得注意的是，研究同时分析了非正式帮助和有组织的志愿服务，并对变化进行了长期追踪。认知衰退的减缓呈现出累积效应，持续助人会年复一年地带来回报。

"Informal helping is sometimes assumed to offer fewer health benefits due to its lack of social recognition," says Han.

韩世皇表示：“非正式帮助由于缺乏社会认可，常被认为健康收益较少。”

assume /əˈsjuːm/ 1）表示“假定；假设；认为”，英文解释为“to think or accept that sth is true but without having proof of it”举个🌰：It is generally assumed that stress is caused by too much work. 普遍认为，紧张是工作过重所致。

2）表示“承担，担任；僭取，夺取；呈现，具有”，英文解释为“to take or begin to have responsibility or control, sometimes without the right to do so, or to begin to have a characteristic”举个🌰：The new president assumes office at midnight tonight. 新总统在今晚午夜就职。

"It was a pleasant surprise to find that it provides cognitive benefits comparable to formal volunteering."

“令人惊喜的是，它带来的认知益处与正式志愿服务相当。”

Around two to four hours per week spent helping others seems to be the sweet spot for optimizing its cognitive benefits. It's possible that beyond that point, the mental and physical efforts of being a helper start to take their toll.

每周花二到四小时帮助他人，似乎是获得最佳认知收益的“甜蜜点”。超过这一范围，助人带来的心理和体力消耗可能开始显现。

sweet spot /ˈswiːt ˌspɒt/ 表示“（球拍、球棒等上的）最有效击打点”，英文解释为“the part of a surface that gives the most power for the least effort, for example when hitting a ball”举个🌰：The new tennis rackets are lighter, stronger, and have a bigger sweet spot. 新网球拍更轻、更结实，而且有效击球区更大。

sweet spot在这里是英语习语，直接翻译为“最佳点”、“最理想的范围”或“黄金点”。

take its/a toll 表示“造成损失（或伤亡、破坏）”，英文解释为“If something takes its/a toll, it causes suffering, deaths, or damage.”举个🌰：The problems of the past few months have taken their toll on her health and there are shadows under her eyes. 过去几个月里的问题影响了她的健康，她眼睛出现了黑眼圈。

With cases of dementia on the rise, scientists are on the lookout for modifiable risk factors – those that we can do something about, like changing our diet or exercise routine. Lending a hand to others could help maintain social connections in later life.

随着痴呆症病例不断增加，科学家正寻找可干预的风险因素，例如饮食和运动习惯。帮助他人或许有助于在晚年维持社会联系。

dementia /dɪˈmenʃə/ 表示“（尤指老年性）痴呆”，英文解释为“a medical condition that affects especially old people, causing the memory and other mental abilities to gradually become worse, and leading to confused behaviour”

The researchers also found that when helping behaviors stopped, this was associated with lower cognitive scores and faster cognitive decline. There's a strong case here for ensuring that older adults have opportunities to give back to others and their community.

研究人员还发现，一旦停止助人行为，认知评分往往降低，认知衰退速度加快。这有力表明，应为老年人创造持续回馈他人和社会的机会。

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