Foreign Accent Syndrome|外国口音症候群

Foreign Accent Syndrome

by Brian Foden

How would you feel if you woke up from surgery and had a French accent?

　　In 2009, an American woman awoke from dental surgery with a very unusual condition. Karen Butler had mysteriously picked up what appeared to be a foreign language. What wasn't so clear was exactly what type of accent the 56-year-old woman was speaking with. Some people thought that her pronunciation sounded Irish, while _(1)_ said it had an Eastern European sound to it. In 2010, a British woman named Sarah Colwill _(2)_ a migraine so severe that she had to be taken to a hospital. When she woke up later, people in the hospital thought she was speaking with a Chinese accent. Both of these bizarre _(3)_ are examples of an extremely rare condition known as Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). Estimates vary from 70 to 100 cases of FAS that _(4)_ in the past 70 years.

　　FAS is usually caused by either some type of head injury _(5)_ a stroke. Those suffering from the problem aren't really speaking in a particular foreign accent. Scientists have discovered they experienced injury to _(6)_ parts of their brains. This has led to the conclusion that the sections in these people's brains that control their speech function are no longer operating _(7)_, which accounts for their inability to speak in the way they once did. Although Foreign Accent Syndrome is not life threatening and is often temporary, those afflicted with the problem usually experience distress over losing their original way of speaking.

1. (A) other (B) the other (C) others (D) the others

2. (A) suffered (B) exported (C) informed (D) permitted

3. (A) religions (B) incidents (C) commands (D) followers

4. (A) report (B) reported (C) have reported (D) have been reported

5. (A) and (B) or (C) nor (D) but

6. (A) specific (B) doubtful (C) accidental (D) courteous

7. (A) negatively (B) domestically (C) normally (D) aggressively

 

外国口音症候群

如果你从手术中醒来，突然有了一口法国口音，你会有什么感觉？

　　2009 年，一名美国妇女从牙科手术中醒来之后，发生了一个非常不寻常的状况。凯伦．巴特勒很神奇地学会了一种听起来象是外国话的语言。但人们搞不清楚究竟这位五十六岁的女士说的是什么口音。有人认为她的发音听起来像爱尔兰语，而有些人则认为它有东欧的语调。2010 年，一名英国妇女莎拉．科威尔患了严重的偏头痛，痛到她必须送医院。不久当她醒来，医院的人还以为她讲的是中国口音。这两起离奇的事件都是相当罕见的外国口音综合症（FAS）的例子。据估计，过去七十年中已经有七十到一百个 FAS 的例子被报导出来。

　　FAS 通常是由某种头部损伤或是中风所引起。那些受这些问题所苦的患者并不是真的用某种特别的外国口音在说话。科学家发现，他们是伤到大脑的某些特定部位。结论是这些人大脑中控制言语功能的区域无法再正常运作，这也解释了为什么他们不能像以前那样说话。虽然外国口音综合症并不会危及生命，而且往往是暂时的，但是受到这个问题折磨的患者通常都会因为失去他们原有的说话方式而感到很痛苦。

 

答案： 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. D 5. B

6. A 7. C