Were you late to work yesterday because you couldn't remember where you put your car keys? Did you completely forget about a coffee date last week with a friend and only remember when you got a text asking, "where are you?" Can you no longer remember the name of your favorite elementary school teacher? Memory problems impact just about everyone to a certain degree, but science suggests you might be able to improve your memory, as well as reduce the likelihood of Alzheimer's and dementia, by engaging in certain activities, eating specific foods, and using certain mnemonic devices.
有时，你会不会因为忘记把车钥匙放哪而上班迟到？或者是完全忘记和朋友喝咖啡的约定，结果收到朋友问你在哪里的短信才突然想起和朋友有约？抑或是早就不记得小学的时候那位你最喜欢的老师的名字了？记忆问题几乎困扰着每一个人，只是程度不同而已，但是科学家认为，或许你可以通过进行一些特定的活动、食用一些特定的食物或者采用一些特定的记忆方法来提高自己的记忆力，并且降低患阿尔茨海默症和痴呆的风险。
People with near-perfect memories actually exist, and they have something called an "eidetic memory," which means they can recall a remarkable amount of information from their past experiences. Interestingly, many people assume having an eidetic memory means having a "perfect" memory, but even these superhuman memory machines can have some trouble recalling absolutely every detail with crystal clear accuracy. However, that doesn't mean you can't emulate these memory superstars and improve your own memory and protect yourself against age-related diseases and maladies.
确实有人有近乎完美的记性，可以从过去经历中检索出大量信息。只是，即使很多人认为这样的记忆已经很完美，他们有的时候也不能准确清晰地记起一些特定的细节。虽然真正完美的记忆并不存在，但你还是可以拥有近乎完美的记忆力，超越这些记忆达人，去抵抗岁月给你带来的疾病和健忘。
Some scientists believe people with excellent recall and the ability to remember everything use a special mental filing system to keeping things organized in their memories. Mental tricks are also used by magicians to wow audiences with seemingly impossible feats of memory. But do you need to know special tricks or have an eidetic memory to remember everything? If you're worried you've forgotten more in life than you ever knew, don't worry. Science has you covered! Check out these 10 scientific secrets to a perfect memory.
有些科学家认为，那些记忆力超群的人其实是采用了一种特殊的“归档法”来使自己记忆的东西变得有条理。有的时候，魔术师们也会用上一些需要超高记忆能力的心理欺骗术使观众连连惊叹。但是你如果你只是担心自己会忘记日常生活中的一些小事情，其实并不需要用到心理欺骗术这么高端的东西啦！一些科学小方法就可以帮助你实现这个目标。以下就是10个提高记忆能力的方法，你记得住吗？
10. Drawing Words Helps Your Brain Recall Them
10. 把单词画出来！
The "Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology" published a study in early 2016 entitled, "The drawing effect: Evidence for reliable and robust memory benefits in free recall." While the title seems a bit long and complex, the study actually demonstrated a very simple idea. Drawing words in picture form helps people make better and stronger memories. The authors of the study created simple tasks where a participant would first draw a simple word, like a common piece of fruit. Later, the authors of the study would ask the participants to recall the words they drew. Other participants in the study were given different tasks like repeating the given word aloud a certain number of times or actually writing the word down. The researchers found that participants who drew doodles of the words they needed to recall fared much better than other participants.
2016年上半年，《实验心理学》期刊刊登了一项研究，题为“绘画效应：帮你在无障碍回忆的过程中构筑可靠强大的记忆力”。虽然这篇文章的题目看起来有点长、有点复杂，但是它证明的观点其实很简单，即把单词画出来的记忆方式能够建立更为优质牢固的记忆。研究的主持人进行了一个简单任务实验，在实验中，一位参与者要求画出简单的单词，比如常见的水果，接着，他被要求回忆自己画的是些什么单词。另一些参与者被要求重复朗读给出的单词。
Anyone who doesn't feel they can tap into their inner-Picasso to create amazing drawings needn't worry. The study demonstrated that it wasn't the quality of the doodles and drawings that helped participants recall given words. Drawing a simple outline of a banana offered just as much benefit to the memory as a perfectly drawn piece of fruit. Additionally, the study found that participants only needed to spend a few seconds on their drawing to receive a significant boost to their ability to recall the word. The researchers plan to take their research a step further in the future by introducing more complex words and ideas and measuring the memory success of participants asked to recall those intricate thoughts.
结果发现，被要求画出单词的参与者能够更准确地记起这些单词。而且画本身的质量并不会对记忆效果有什么影响，帮助记忆的仅仅是“画画”这个动作。对于香蕉，画一个大概的轮廓和详细的画出每个细节，产生的作用是一样的。参与者们即使只是花上几秒来画画，也能在记忆结果上有显著提高。研究人员还计划进一步地引进更复杂的单词甚至观点表述来观察参与者记忆表述的准确度。
9. Putting Yourself in Someone Else's Shoes Improves Memory
9. 设身处地也能提高记忆力
A study published in the journal "Clinical Psychological Science" in 2012 showcased the power of self-imagination, which showed the technique could help people with impaired memories, as well as individuals with no memory problems. As with other studies of human memory, the scientists asked participants to remember a list of words related to certain personality traits. The participants were then asked to use a specific strategy to help them recall the words. For example, some participants were asked to remember one personality trait by thinking of a second word that rhymed with the trait. Other participants were asked to remember the definition of the trait while others were asked to engage in "self-referential processing" where they would think about the trait in a personal, self-reflective way.
《临床心理学》在2012年刊登的一篇研究文章中凸显了设身处地的作用。不管当事人有没有记忆方面的问题，这个方法都能够提高他们的提高记忆能力。和其他针对人类记忆的研究一样，科学家们要求参与者们记忆一个关于人格特点的单词表。参与者被要求使用特定的、能够帮助他们回忆的方法。比如有些参与者用谐音记忆，有些联想这个特征的定义，有一些则用“设身处地法”，把自己想象成那么一个人。
The study participants asked to imagine acting out the trait, which is a method of self-imagining, were most successful in remembering the personality traits when questioned about them later. In fact, study participants who engaged in self-imagining were three times as likely to successfully remember a personality trait than participants who didn't use any type of memory device or method. The scientists in charge of the study believe that self-imagining could help individuals in rehabilitation programs, as well as anyone with a memory impairment. However, it's likely that the technique could help just about everyone, even if he or she wasn't currently in a rehabilitation program or diagnosed with memory problems. For example, if you wanted to remember where a friend bought a pair of shoes, you might imagine yourself walking into that store to buy the shoes.
结果那些要求进行设身处地和角色扮演的人在随后的提问环节表现最好。准确地说，这些运用设身处地法进行记忆的人记单词的效率是使用其他记忆方式的人的三倍。虽然主持这项实验的科学家们研究的是设身处地法对患有记忆力损伤的人恢复记忆的影响，但无论人们有没有记忆损伤，皆可能受益于此。如果你想记住朋友在哪买了一双鞋子，不妨就试着想象走进店里买鞋的是自己。
8. Experienced Better Cognitive Performance With Bare Feet
8. 赤脚能够提高记忆力
A fascinating study from researchers at the University of North Florida reveals that running barefoot may actually improve your memory more than running with shoes. While most memory studies seem to take place in a laboratory or room where everyone sits at a table, this experiment definitely introduced an interesting idea to the search for a better memory. The experiment focused on something called "working memory," which is the human ability to process information and recall details throughout life. The scientists published the results of their study in "Perceptual and Motor Skills," and found that running barefoot resulted in a not-insignificant memory boost when compared with memory performance after running with shoes. The researchers found that tossing your shoes off and running for about 16 minutes at a comfortable pace could result in a 16% improvement in working memory performance.
北弗罗里达大学的一个有趣的实验证明光脚跑步比穿鞋跑步更能提高记忆力。和那些在实验室和室内坐在桌子边进行的试验不同，在这个实验中，研究人员们引入了一些有趣的观点来探索提高记忆力的奥秘。实验的研究对象为“工作记忆”，即人们加工信息和回顾生活细节的能力。科学家们发现，光脚跑步比起穿鞋跑步来说，可以对记忆力产生轻微的提高。在试验中，年龄为18-44周岁的参与者们被要求跑两轮，一次穿鞋，一次不穿鞋。
Participants in the study were between the ages of 18 and 44 and were asked to run twice – with and without shoes. After completing their quick runs, researchers found that the heart rate and overall run speed of each participant had no effect on memory, but the presence of shoes or bare feet did. The researchers have hypothesized that the need to engage the mind while running barefoot to avoid pebbles or other impediments could have a positive impact on a person's ability to remember things. If you're an adventurous person, you might try taking a barefoot jog around the block before your next test or before you need to remember something important.
经对比，科学家们发现，快跑之后心率变化和整体的跑步速度对记忆结果没有影响，但是穿不穿鞋却有影响。具体地说，脱下鞋慢跑16分钟就能够让“流水记忆”能力提高16%。这一研究结果后被发表在了《知觉与运动技能》一书上。科学家们推断 ，可能是因为不穿鞋跑步的时候，人们需要时刻担心石头或者其他障碍物，这个过程对记忆能力的提高产生了正面的影响。如果你是一个冒险主义者，也许在下次考试或者需要记忆什么重要事项之前可以试着在小区光着脚慢跑试试。
7. Pumping Iron Could Enhance Long-Term Memory
7. 举重训练可以帮助提高长期记忆力
The theory that exercise boosts your intelligence might have some basis in fact according to a study conducted at Georgia Tech. Even if you don't like lifting weights, and the inside of a gym makes you want to run for the nearest doughnut shop, it might take just 20 minutes to enhance your memory, according to the 2014 study. Researchers asked participants to work out for 20 minutes in an intense manner and found that just 20 minutes of activity could help improve "episodic memory" by as much as 10% in young adults.
根据乔治亚工学院2014年的一项研究，运动确实可以开发智力，即使你不喜欢举重训练或者不喜欢健身馆的环境，想改用吃坚果的方式提高记忆力，通过锻炼提高记忆力其实只需要20分钟。在这项实验中，研究人员要求参与者进行20分钟的高强度训练，他们发现，仅仅20分钟就可以让年轻人的“事件记忆”能力（也叫长期记忆力）提高10%。
Episodic memory is also known as long-term memory, and the researchers approached the study of exercise in a different manner than previous studies. Other studies examined the impact of aerobic exercise conducted over many months, but this study simply asked participants to lift weights a single time. During the test, half of the participants were asked to use a weight machine before recalling a series of images they were shown at the start of the test. The other half of the participants were also asked to recall the images but without having engaged in any strenuous activity before the recall session. In demonstrating the memory improvement for the participants who engaged in just a single session of weight lifting, the researchers were able to show that improving one's memory through exercise didn't take hours of dedication in the gym. The next time you have the opportunity to lift weights or someone tries to convince you to join the gym you might just want to take him or her up on the offer.
在实验中，参与者们被要求回忆一些他们在实验开始的时候看到的图片，其中，一半参与者在回忆之前进行了举重训练，另一半参与者没有进行这样的高强度活动。他们发现，参与了举重训练的人在记忆能力上有所提高。这项研究实现了运动研究上的独辟蹊径，其他研究的研究对象多是对有氧运动本身，研究时间跨度长达数，但是这项研究的研究对象却是人类记忆，在研究时也仅仅是要求参与者们花一点时间举重而已。研究人员证明了其实提升记忆力并不需要数个小时的锻炼。下次再有谁让你去举重或者去健身馆锻炼的话，你大概会想感谢他一番的吧？
6. Cutting Down on Saturated Fats Could Preserve Your Memory
6. 减少饱和脂肪摄入可以帮助保持记忆力
A study cited in an article from Harvard University suggests your diet could have a significant impact on your memory as you age. Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital published a study within the "Annals of Neurology" that suggested women who ate high levels of saturated fat in foods like red meat and butter didn't perform as well on memory tests than women who regularly consumed less saturated fat. Researchers haven't yet discovered the connection between saturated fat and memory, but they hypothesize it could have something to do with a person's genes. Scientists and doctors have long recommended that patients work to control their cholesterol levels as they age to protect the memory during the aging process.
哈佛大学的一项研究证明，随着年龄增长，饮食可能会对你的记忆力有重要的影响。妇女医院的科学家们在《神经病学记事》发表的研究报告指出，食用含有大量饱和脂肪酸的食物（如红肉和黄油）的女性比正常饮食的女性记性更差。虽然研究人员暂时没有发现记忆力和饱和脂肪之间的确切联系，但是他们猜测饱和脂肪酸也许对基因有那么些影响。
The Harvard article suggests that protecting the brain with a heart-healthy diet could be the key to warding off dementia and keeping your memory intact well into your golden years. Some studies have suggested certain foods have a positive impact on memory, but no study thus far has revealed the existence of a miracle food. The idea that a heart-healthy diet could also prove beneficial to the brain and memory has become popular with doctors studying Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Some of the risk factors associated with heart disease are similar to those associated with dementia and Alzheimer's. Foods recommended for a heart-healthy diet include fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain bread, as well as beans, nuts, and olive oil. If you can't use every one of these 10 scientific secrets to a perfect memory, a healthy diet might help you avoid losing it!
这篇文章指出，食用有益于心脏的食物是防止痴呆、保护记忆力的关键。一些心脏病的并发症和阿尔茨海默症以及痴呆症的并发症十分相似，因此研究阿尔茨海默症和痴呆症的教授们认为，有益于心脏的食物大概也有益于大脑和记忆。水果、蔬菜、全麦面包、豆子、坚果和橄榄油都有对心脏有益。如果这10个方法你不能都采用的话，一个健康的饮食至少能让你不要丢失记性。
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