研究人员在一名瘫痪的男子大脑中植入了信号传导装置，这名男子现在仅通过思维控制就能行走，他说这项医学突破改变了他的生活。

People who have a spinal injury are often unable to walk because the signals from the brain can't get to the leg muscles when the nerves in between have been damaged.

脊柱受伤的人通常无法行走，因为当大脑和腿部肌肉之间的神经受损时，来自大脑的信号无法传递到腿部肌肉。

But a Swiss team has short-circuited the injured area by placing two implants on a 40-year-old Dutch patient's brain, which transmit his thoughts to a third implant in his lower back.

但一支瑞士的研究小组在一位来自荷兰的四十岁患者大脑中放置了两个植入物，植入物可以将他的思想传递给他腰部的第三个植入物，从而避开受损区域。

Gert-Jan Oskam can use the system for only an hour or so a day because it's tiring, and the equipment is bulky. Research is still at an experimental stage, but a leading UK spinal charity called the development "very encouraging".

这位叫格特·扬·奥斯卡姆的患者每天只能使用该系统一个小时左右，因为用久了会很累，而且设备本身也很笨重。这项研究仍处于实验性阶段，但英国一家领先的脊柱慈善机构称这一进展 “非常鼓舞人心”。

词汇表

signals 信号
short-circuited 避开了
implants 植入物
transmit 传递，传达
bulky 占地方的，笨重的
experimental 实验性的

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. Why are people with spinal injuries often unable to walk?

2. How has the Swiss team short-circuited the injured area?

3. Why can the patient only use the system for an hour or so a day?

4. What has a leading UK spinal charity said about the development?

答案

1. Why are people with spinal injuries often unable to walk?

People with spinal injuries are often unable to walk because the signals from the brain can't get to the leg muscles when the nerves in between have been damaged.

2. How has the Swiss team short-circuited the injured area?

A Swiss team has placed two implants on the patient's brain which transmit his thoughts to a third implant in his lower back.

3. Why can the patient only use the system for an hour or so a day?

Gert-Jan Oskam can use the system for only an hour or so a day because it's  tiring, and the equipment is bulky.

4. What has a leading UK spinal charity said about the development?

A leading UK spinal charity called the development "very encouraging".