評論
打印
The origin of language must lie in our genes.
就是語言的源頭必在我們的基因里
It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
這就如同大海撈針
Unpicking the genetic component of language is a huge challenge.
分析語言的基因組成是個巨大的挑戰
From the thousands of genes that make up the human genome,
在構成人類染色體的成千上萬個基因中
it seemed almost impossible to identify a gene
要找到一種對說話背后的眾多功能
that has an influence on the multitude of functions behind speech.
產生影響的基因幾乎是不可能的
But 20 years ago Faraneh Vargha-khadem,
但是二十年前法拉尼·瓦加-卡德
a neuroscientist from University College London,
這位來自倫敦大學院的神經學家
was introduced to a British family that had a very unusual speech defect.
被引薦給有著罕見語言缺陷的某英國家庭
A family who would help solve the mystery of how we speak.
這個家庭可以幫助我們解開人類講話之謎
When they are speaking they give the impression that they are deaf,
他們說話時 讓人感覺他們是聾子
but in fact they are hearing individuals
但實際上他們聽力正常
but they give the impression that they are deaf
只是給人一種聾人的印象
because their speech is not clear
因為他們口齒不清
so people have got difficulty understanding them.
所以人們很難理解他們說的話
