Kate has just returned home with a bag of new books. Her brother Cliff is curious to know what she got.

　　Cliff: Uh-oh. Not more of those romance novels, I hope.

　　Kate: Oh, please. Why don't you take a look?

　　Cliff: What this? "Italian for Beginners"? Since when have you wanted to learn Italian?

　　Kate: It's for Grandpa. He said he's always wanted to learn Italian, and I figured there's no time like the present.

　　Cliff: Don't you think it's a little late? I mean, he's seventy years old.

　　Kate: You never know. Besides, it doesn't really matter if he learns it or not. The important thing is that he uses his mind. It'll help keep him sharp.

　　Cliff: I doubt that. Haven't you heard that brains are already hardwired1 by the time a person is five years old? It's all downhill2 from there.

　　Kate: They used to say that, but now they know better. It turns out your brain can keep on adapting and repairing itself all your life-if you use it, that is.

　　Cliff: Grandpa uses his brain. What about those quiz shows he's always watching?

　　Kate: Give me a break. TV puts your brainsintosneutral.3 You've got to read and learn new stuff. It wouldn't do you any harm, come to think of it.

　　Cliff: Very funny. But let's consider Grandpa the test case. If he can say a sentence in Italian by next week, maybe I'll crack a book4 myself.

　　-by Marsten Jamilian




人脑可以终生不断学习--老骥伏枥
　　Sentence of the Day:
　　　(点击右键"另存为"可下载语音)

　　She's one brick short of a load.

　　她脑子少根筋。

　　凯特刚拿了一袋书回家。弟弟克里夫很好奇她买了什么。

　　克里夫:喔哦，希望这次别再是言情小说了。

　　凯特:噢，拜托，你为什么不拿一本去看看？

　　克里夫:这是什么？《意大利语初级本》？你什么时候开始想学意大利语的？

　　凯特:那是给爷爷的。他总是嚷着要学意大利语，我想没有比现在更好的时机了。

　　克里夫:你不觉得有点晚了吗？我的意思是，他已经70岁了。

　　凯特:你不会懂的。何况，他能不能学会真的不重要，重要的是他动脑子了。那样可以帮助他保持头脑清醒。

　　克里夫:我不信。你没听说人脑在五岁时就定型了吗？从此以后就每况愈下。

　　凯特:那是过去的说法，而现在人们了解得更多了。现在经证实人脑可以终生不断学习适应及自行修复──换句话说，就是只要你使用它。

　　克里夫:爷爷用脑了啊。不然他常看的那些电视猜谜算什么？

　　凯特:拜托你让我休息一下好不好。电视只会让你脑子空空。你真的应该读点书充实一下了。那不会害你的，好好考虑考虑吧。

　　克里夫:真有趣。我们还是拿爷爷试验一下吧。如果下个星期他可以说一句意大利语，或许我就会自觉读书了。