單詞與詞組   Words and phrases

    ①predictable  a. 可預(yù)言的

    ②prime　n. 青春，精華

    ③computation  n. 計(jì)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(méi)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(guò)了一些最佳時(shí)期，你仍然會(huì)在將來(lái)經(jīng)歷另外幾個(gè)最佳時(shí)期。某些最佳時(shí)期似乎在生命的后半段才會(huì)到來(lái)。

    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(shí)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(zhǎng)，你更加具有智慧和經(jīng)驗(yàn)。

    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(shí)候你的思維最敏捷；30歲左右，記憶力開(kāi)始衰退，尤其是你的數(shù)學(xué)計(jì)算能力。然而你做其他事情的智商提高了。例如45歲時(shí)你的詞匯量是你剛從大學(xué)畢業(yè)時(shí)的3倍。60歲時(shí)你大腦中儲(chǔ)存的信息幾乎是你21歲時(shí)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(zhǎng)，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(shí)候你的自我感覺(jué)最好？15歲至24歲之間你的身體感覺(jué)最好；40歲至49歲之間你對(duì)自己的職業(yè)感覺(jué)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(lè)的日子尚未到來(lái)；過(guò)了30歲，我們就認(rèn)為最快樂(lè)的時(shí)光已經(jīng)過(guò)去。一項(xiàng)全國(guó)性的健康調(diào)查也揭示了同樣的結(jié)果：30歲過(guò)后，我們變得更加實(shí)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(jué)得幸福便會(huì)隨之而來(lái)。

    When are you most creative? Generally between 30 and 39, but the peak varies with different professions.

    什么時(shí)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(shí)就創(chuàng)作了一部交響曲、4首奏鳴曲；門德?tīng)査?7歲就完成了他的最著名的作品《仲夏夜之夢(mèng)》，但是大部分偉大的音樂(lè)作品都是人們?cè)?3歲至39歲之間創(chuàng)作出來(lái)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(lái)得比較早--大多數(shù)諾貝爾獎(jiǎng)獲得者都是在25歲以后、30多歲時(shí)完成他們最出色的研究--但是創(chuàng)造型的人會(huì)在生命中不斷地完成高質(zhì)量的工作。對(duì)于“狀態(tài)良好的大腦”，不存在上限。