This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。
Years ago, scientists began to learn that certain parts of the brain had certain duties. For example, one part was responsible for breathing; another dealt with the sense of smell.
多年前，科学家就开始了解到，大脑中特定部分有着特定功能。例如，一部分负责呼吸，另一部分处理嗅觉。
Scientists thought our brains could not change. But then they discovered that the brain could sometimes reorganize itself when conditions required.
科学家认为大脑功能不能发生变化，但是，后来他们发现，大脑有时能够根据情况需要进行功能重组。
Josef Rauschecker is a professor of physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University in Washington. He wondered if this ability to change could explain the idea that other senses in blind people improve to balance their lack of vision.
Josef Rauschecker是华盛顿乔治城大学的生理学和生物物理学教授。他想知道这种脑功能重组能力是否可以解释，盲人通过提高其他感官能力来平衡其视觉缺陷这一现象。
JOSEF RAUSCHECKER: "The stories about [the] disproportionate number of blind musicians, for example. Just think of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, so many. Andrea Bocelli, if you prefer classical music."
Josef Rauschecker：“有太多的关于盲人音乐家的故事，例如，雷·查尔斯（Ray Charles ），史提夫·汪达（Stevie Wonder），还有很多。如果你提到古典音乐，还有安德烈·波切利（Andrea Bocelli）。”
The visual cortex is the part of the brain that processes sight. But earlier research by Professor Rauschecker and other scientists found that it can also do other jobs. The research showed that the brains of blind people can use the visual cortex to process sound and touch.
视觉皮层是大脑处理视觉的一部分。但是，Rauschecker教授和其他科学家在早期研究中发现，视觉皮层也能行使其它功能。研究结果显示，盲人的大脑可以利用视觉皮层处理听觉和触觉。
But the visual cortex is divided into separate parts, or modules. Each module normally performs different jobs related to vision.
但是视觉皮层被分为独立的部分或者模块，通常每个模块行使不同的视觉功能。
JOSEF RAUSCHECKER: "Now the question is: Do blind people have that same or similar functional organization, that these modules actually stay put and just get rededicated to touch and hearing? And the answer is yes."
Josef Rauschecker：“现在的问题是：盲人是否具有一些相同或相似的功能机体，这些相同机体组成的模块事实上继续工作，专门处理触觉和听觉？答案是肯定的。”
Professor Rauschecker and researchers from Finland and Belgium found this answer using an fMRI scanner. That means functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Rauschecker教授和来自芬兰与比利时的研究人员使用一台磁共振录影扫描机（fMRI scanner）证实了这个结果。
The machine recorded brain activity as twelve blind people and twelve sighted people performed tasks involving sound and touch. For example, they would try to decide which direction sounds were coming from, or which finger was feeling gentle vibrations.
该仪器记录了12个盲人和12个视力正常人在处理听觉和触觉任务时的大脑活动。例如，他们会试图辨别声音的来源方向，或者哪根手指感觉到轻微触动。
Professor Rauschecker says large parts of the visual cortex became active during the sound and touch tests, but only in the blind people.
Rauschecker教授称，在听觉和触觉测试中，视觉皮层的大部分变得活跃，但仅限于盲人。
He says this study and earlier research has led to an experimental device designed to help the blind. It can process images taken by a camera into sensations that could be used by a blind person wearing it.
他称，该研究和此前的研究促成了辅助盲人的实验性装置的诞生。该装置能够把摄像机拍摄的图像处理成能被佩戴这种装置的盲人利用的其它知觉。
JOSEF RAUSCHECKER: "So what we're hoping to do is build this device that would transform basically visual information into auditory information and then tap this amazing reservoir of the blind brain to process sounds and tactile information."
Josef Rauschecker：“所以我们现在希望做的就是，建造这个装置，将视觉信息转换为听觉信息的，然后利用盲人惊人的大脑处理这些听觉和触觉信息。”
The study is in the journal Neuron.
该项研究发表在Neuron期刊上。