(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
Brain imaging was once thought to be too costly and difficult for widespread use in the developing world. But the technology soon may be available in poor countries. Brain imaging creates pictures of brain activity. It uses infrared light -- similar to the light produced by a television remote control. Brain imaging can identify the first signs of cognitive delays, mental problems, in newborns and young children. Such children could be suffering from malnutrition–a poor diet.
The technology has a long name -- functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or f-N-I-R-S. It involves placing an extremely small, soft helmet around a baby's head. Infrared light is sent through the bone protecting the brain. It helps to show whether babies are developing normally for their age.
F-N-I-R-S is considered safer than other imaging methods, including MRI or PET scan. And it also can be easily moved. The brain scanner equipment can be loaded into a vehicle. Health workers can drive it from village to village.
Clare Elwell is a professor of medical physics at University College London. She helped develop the relatively low-cost, non-invasive imaging technology. She says the device measures oxygen in the blood to learn how babies' brains are developing.
"And as you use different areas of your brain, you direct oxygen to those different brain areas. And so if we look at the change in the distribution of the oxygen in your brain, we can work out how active your brain is and what your brain is actually processing."
Clare Elwell led a study of the testing method in rural Gambia. The babies involved were between four and eight months old. They were examined three times over 15 months. Researchers noted the babies' reactions to different images and sounds.
"So if we present the babies with visual or auditory stimuli, then we expect certain brain areas to light up, essentially. We expect the oxygen to be diverted to certain brain regions."
She says that shows if those brain areas are fully developed or mature. And, she says, it shows if they are performing normally.
The babies looked at pictures of objects and people. Human speech and non-human sounds such as running water and bells tested the babies' hearing. And their brain recognition was compared to those of British children.
Clare Elwell says poor nutrition and childhood diseases threaten the African children. She says the goal is to identify babies needing to be better fed or treated for health problems that can harm brain development.
And that's the Technology Report from VOA Learning English. I'm Jonathan Evans.
VOA慢速文本来自51VOA，译文由可可原创，未经许可请勿转载。
词汇学习
1.costly adj. 昂贵的；代价高的
Waste of time is the most extravagant and costly of all expenses.
浪费时间是一切花费中最奢侈豪华的费用。
2.widespread adj. 分布广的；普遍的
One of the most striking and salutary thing in American life is the widespread study of law.
美国人生活中最显著而又有益的事情莫过于对法律的广泛研究了。
3.cognitive adj. 认知的；认识的
As children grow older, their cognitive processes become sharper.
孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
4.extremely adv. 极端地；非常
He was a stern critic but an extremely kindly man.
他是个苛刻的批评家，但却是个非常善良的人。
5.distribution n. 分配，分布
He admitted there had been distribution problems.
他承认曾出现过配给问题。
6.divert v. 转向；转移
The trucks were forced to divert to another road.
卡车被迫改道而行。
7.fully adv. 充分地
She was fully aware of my thoughts...
她完全清楚我的想法。
内容解析
1.Such children could be suffering from malnutrition–a poor diet.
suffer from受（某种病痛）折磨
Refugees settling in Britain suffer from a number of problems.
在英国定居的难民面临很多问题。
2.And so if we look at the change in the distribution of the oxygen in your brain, we can work out how active your brain is and what your brain is actually processing.
work out算出；制定出；解决
It took me some time to work out what was causing this.
我花了一些时间才弄清此事的起因。
参考翻译
美国之音慢速英语节目，这里是科技报道。
脑成像技术曾被认为成本太高昂，在发展中国家的广泛应用难以实现。但是贫困国家很快就可以使用这种技术。脑成像技术将大脑活动生成图像。它使用的是红外光，类似于电视机遥控器产生的光线。脑成像可以鉴别新生儿和婴幼儿认知延迟和精神问题的最初迹象。这样的孩子可能营养不良。
该技术有一个很长的名字，功能性近红外光谱仪，简称FNIRS。环绕婴儿头部放置一个非常小的柔软的头盔，发射出红外光，穿过保护大脑的头骨，帮助显示婴儿的发育水平是否与年龄相符。
FNIRS被认为比MRI（核磁共振成像）或PET扫描(正电子发射计算机断层扫描)等其他成像方法更为安全，并且可以方便地移动。这种脑部扫描设备可以装入车辆。医疗工作者可以开车随处走动。
Clare Elwell是伦敦大学学院的一位医用物理学教授。她帮助开发了这种相对成本较低，非侵入性的成像技术。她说，该设备通过测量血液中氧气的水平来了解婴儿的大脑发育状况。
“当你使用大脑的不同部位时，氧气就会供应到不同的部位。所以如果检查大脑中氧气分配的变化，我们就可以得知大脑的活跃程度以及大脑实际在处理什么工作。”
Clare Elwell在冈比亚农村地区领导了一项研究，对该方法进行测试。试验对象包括4个月至8个月的婴儿。他们在15个月时间内接受了三次检查。研究人员着重指出了婴儿对不同图像和声音的反应。
“如果我们对婴儿进行视觉或听觉刺激，那么我们认为特定的大脑部位就会被点亮。我们认为氧气会被运动到大脑的特定区域，”
她说这能显示出这些脑区发育是否完全或成熟。她还表示，研究结果还能显示出大脑功能是否正常。
这些婴儿们观看物体或人的图像。人类语言或流水、铃声等非人类声音可以检测婴儿的听力。他们的大脑认知与英国儿童的认知进行了对比。
Clare Elwell表示，营养不良和儿童疾病威胁着非洲儿童。她表示，我们的目标是识别出哪些儿童需要更好的喂养，或哪些儿童需要治疗可能损伤大脑发育的健康问题。
以上就是今天的美国之音慢速英语科技报道。我是Jonathan Evans。
