Diagnosing a zombie: Brain and body (Part one) - Tim Verstynen & Bradley Voytek

僵尸诊断报告:大脑与身体 - Tim Verstynen & Bradley Voytek

Transcriber: Tom Carter Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: Minji Seo 校对人员: Sherry Chen

（殭尸声） 博士 1：它到底为什么会变成这个样子呢？

Doctor 1: So, how did it get to be this way?

Doctor 2: Well, it’s my professional opinion that the large gaping bite mark

博士 2：根据我专业的判断： 这应该和它肩膀上那个被咬到的伤口有关

on its shoulder might have something to do with it.

D1: Thanks. I mean, what causes its behavioral abnormalities?

博士 1：真是谢谢啊！ 我问的是，到底是什么造成了它的行为异常呢？

D2: Well, we know all behaviors are rooted in the brain,

博士 2：嗯，我们都知道行为由大脑控制，

so I’d expect that something’s gone terribly wrong, probably in there.

所以我猜测它应该是脑袋坏了

D1: Thanks again, Doctor Obvious.

博士1：真是多谢你指出这个显而易见的事实啊

Let me be more specific.

让我问得在具体一些吧！

What changes in the brain would have to occur

到底是怎么样的脑部病变 会造成这种行为的改变？

in order to cause this kind of behavior?

博士2：嗯...嗯...让我们看看......

D2: Hmm. Well, let's see.

The first thing I notice is how it moves.

首先我注意到它的行动方式

Stiff legged, with long, lumbering steps, very slow and awkward.

僵硬的脚、延长而沉重的步伐， 非常的缓慢和怪异

Almost like what you’d see in Parkinson’s disease.

这就像你会在帕金森氏症上所看到的病征。 （帕金森氏症：一种因为制造多巴胺脑细胞坏死所造成的神经退化性疾病，好发于50岁以上的人）

Maybe something’s wrong with his basal ganglia?

或许是它的基底核出了问题？

Those are a collection of deep brain regions that regulate movement,

基底核位于大脑深处， 由释放一种叫多巴胺的

through a neurochemical called dopamine.

神经传导物质来控制行动 （译注：神经传导物质用于神经元间的讯号传导）

Although most people think of dopamine as the “happy” chemical of the brain,

虽然多巴胺常被想象成脑中的‘快乐因子’， （译注：因为多巴胺也负责传递愉快、兴奋等情绪的讯息）

the dopamine-containing neurons in the basal ganglia

但在帕金森氏症中，基底核内负责释放多巴胺的神经元坏死 （多巴胺在脑中作为神经传导物质，也是肾上腺素的前驱物）

die off in Parkinson’s disease— that’s what causes it.

造成行为的异常

Makes it more and more difficult to initiate actions.

这让他要开始行动时更加困难

D1: What?

博士 1：你的意思是？

Look again at how it moves. Stiff legs, long stance.

你再仔细看看他的行动方式： 僵硬的脚、笔直的站姿，

These aren’t Parkinsonian movements;

这和帕金森氏症病患的行动方式不符： 帕金森氏病患步程短且会拖着脚走

Parkinson’s patients take short, shuffling steps.

And the posture’s all wrong.

而且这站姿也完全不符

This looks to me like what happens when the cerebellum is damaged.

我觉得这看起来像是小脑损伤所造成的状况

The cerebellum’s a little cauliflower shaped area in the back of your head,

小脑就是在你后脑勺内 一小块像是花椰菜的区域，

but don’t let its size fool you.

That little guy contains almost half of the neurons in the entire brain.

但别被外表所蒙骗， 大半脑中的神经元都集中在这小小的区域

Patients who suffer degeneration from this region,

有些在这部份退化的病患 （运动失调症：肌肉失调和不规则颤动）

something called spino-cerebellar ataxia,

—─或称为脊髓小脑运动失调症—─

show a lack of coordination that results in stiff legs, wide stance,

会失去平衡感而造成僵直腿部、 宽松站姿和拖脚行走的状况

and a lumbering walk.

My money's on the cerebellum.

我打赌是小脑有问题

D2: Touché. OK. So we’ve nailed its motor problems.

博士 2：得分。好，我们已经知道它行为上问题

Now what about that whole groaning, lack of talking thing?

那怎么解释它不断的呻吟和无法言语呢？

D1: Hmm.

博士 1：嗯，你知道吗，这听起来像是表达型失语症， 或又称为布洛克失语症，

You know, it sounds kind of like expressive aphasia, or Broca’s aphasia,

which makes producing words difficult.

这种病造成运用文字表达的困难 （表达型失语症是因大脑损伤导说、写能力受损。）

This is caused by damage to the inferior frontal gyrus,

这可能和额叶额下回受损有关， （译注：额叶额下回即布洛克区，该区负责语言表达）

or possibly the anterior insula,

或者也有可能是前脑岛，

both regions behind your temple on the left side of your head.

这两个区域就在左半边脑部、太阳穴的下方

D2: I think you’re only half right.

博士 2：我觉得你只答对了一半 殭尸确实没办法清楚表达

Zombies definitely can’t communicate, that’s for sure.

But they don’t seem to do a good job of understanding things either.

但是它们对于理解事物的能力也很差。 （译注：这是响应博士 1 对于殭尸患有布洛克失语症的假设，布洛克失语症病人仍保有理解语言的能力）

Watch this. Hey, Walker! Your father smelt of elderberries!

看我的！嘿僵尸！你爸臭死了！

See? No reaction.

（大笑）看吧！没有反应

Either it’s not a Monty Python fan, or it can’t understand me.

它要不是蒙蒂蟒蛇的粉丝，就是它听不懂我说的话 （译注：博士 2 喊话原文出自蒙蒂蟒蛇演出的圣杯传奇）

I’d say this is like spot-on fluent Wernicke’s aphasia:

我认为这应该是魏尼克失语症， （其症患者会讲出流利却无意义的文字，并有听、读障碍）

damage to an area at the junction of two of the brain’s lobes,

在大脑顶叶和聂叶两叶的连接处、

temporal and parietal,

typically on the left side of the brain, is the culprit.

尤其是在大脑左侧的伤害就是病因

This area is physically connected to Broca’s area, that you mentioned,

这部份也由一大束 被称为神经纤维束的神经纤维

by a massive bundle of neurofibers called the arcuate fasciculus.

连接到你提及的布洛克区

I hypothesize that this massive bundle of connections

我假设这一大堆神经连接在殭尸中完全损坏了

is completely wiped out in a zombie.

It would be like taking out the superhighway between two cities.

这神经纤维束就像两城市间的高速公路

One city that manufactures a product,

其中一座城市负责生产产品，

and the other that ships it out to the rest of the world.

而另一座城市负责出口到世界各地

Without that highway, the product distribution just shuts down.

如果没有这条“高速公路”，产品就不能出口

D1: So, basically it’s a moot point to reason with a zombie,

博士 1：所以其实我们也就是在跟僵尸对牛弹琴

since they can’t understand you, let alone talk back.

既然它们没办法听懂你说的话，更别提反驳了

D2: I mean, you could try, man,

博士 2：（大笑）我是说你试着进去和它说说看啊， 不过我想我还是待在这里比较安全

but I’m going to stay on this side of the glass.