單詞與詞組 Words and phrases
①predictable a. 可預(yù)言的
②prime n. 青春,精華
③computation n. 計算
④possess v. 擁有
⑤trade-off n. 交換,平衡
⑥quotient n. 商,份額
⑦sonata n. 奏鳴曲
The ups and downs of life may seem to have no predictable① plan. But scientists know there are very definite patterns that almost all people share. Even if you've passed some of your "prime"②, you still have other prime years to experience in the future. Certain important primes seem to peak later in life.
人生的起伏似乎沒有可以預(yù)知的模式,但是科學(xué)家現(xiàn)在發(fā)現(xiàn)有一些模式相當(dāng)明確,絕大多數(shù)人都不例外。即使你度過了一些最佳時期,你仍然會在將來經(jīng)歷另外幾個最佳時期。某些最佳時期似乎在生命的后半段才會到來。
When are you smartest? From 18-25, according to I.Q. scores; but you're wiser and more experienced with increasing age.
什么時候你最聰明?根據(jù)智商得分,你從15歲至25歲最聰明。然而,隨著年齡的增長,你更加具有智慧和經(jīng)驗。
You're sharpest in your 20's; around 30, memory begins to decline, particularly your ability to perform mathematical computations③. But your I.Q. for other tasks climbs. Your vocabulary at age 45, for example, is three times as great as when you graduated from college. At 60, your brain possesses④ almost four times as much information as it did at age 21.
20多歲的時候你的思維最敏捷;30歲左右,記憶力開始衰退,尤其是你的數(shù)學(xué)計算能力。然而你做其他事情的智商提高了。例如45歲時你的詞匯量是你剛從大學(xué)畢業(yè)時的3倍。60歲時你大腦中儲存的信息幾乎是你21歲時的4倍。
This trade-off⑤ between sharpness and wisdom has led psychologists to suggest that "maturity quotients"⑥ (M.Q.) be adopted for adults.
敏銳和智慧之間的這種消長,已經(jīng)使得心理學(xué)家們提出了在成年人中采用“成熟商”這一概念。
When are you happiest? You have the best physical sense of yourself from 15 to 24; the best professional sense from 40 to 49.
什么時候你的自我感覺最好?15歲至24歲之間你的身體感覺最好;40歲至49歲之間你對自己的職業(yè)感覺最佳。
Before age 24, we believe that our happiest years are yet to come; over 30,we believe that they're behind us. A National Health Survey agrees: After age 30, we "become more realistic and do not view happiness as a goal in itself. If we maintain our health, achieve professional and emotional goals, then happiness, we feel, will follow".
24歲之前,我們相信自己最快樂的日子尚未到來;過了30歲,我們就認(rèn)為最快樂的時光已經(jīng)過去。一項全國性的健康調(diào)查也揭示了同樣的結(jié)果:30歲過后,我們變得更加實際,不把幸福當(dāng)成生命本身的一種目標(biāo)。我們認(rèn)為,只要我們保持健康,事業(yè)上、情感上稱心如意,那么我們就覺得幸福便會隨之而來。
When are you most creative? Generally between 30 and 39, but the peak varies with different professions.
什么時候你最富創(chuàng)造力?一般在30歲至39歲之間。但是不同的職業(yè),高峰期也不相同。
Mozart wrote a symphony and four sonatas⑦ by age eight, and Mendelssohn composed his best known work A Midsummer Night's Dream, at 17, but most of the great music was written by men between 33 and 39.
莫扎特8歲時就創(chuàng)作了一部交響曲、4首奏鳴曲;門德爾松17歲就完成了他的最著名的作品《仲夏夜之夢》,但是大部分偉大的音樂作品都是人們在33歲至39歲之間創(chuàng)作出來的。
Though the peak in most fields comes early-most Nobel prizewinners did their top research in their late 20's and 30's-creative people continue to produce quality work throughout their lives. For the "well-conditioned mind", there is no upper limit.
雖然大多數(shù)領(lǐng)域的最佳狀態(tài)來得比較早--大多數(shù)諾貝爾獎獲得者都是在25歲以后、30多歲時完成他們最出色的研究--但是創(chuàng)造型的人會在生命中不斷地完成高質(zhì)量的工作。對于“狀態(tài)良好的大腦”,不存在上限。