Making sense of the brain's mind-boggling complexity isn't easy. What we do know is that it's the organ that makes us human, giving people the capacity for art, language, moral judgments, and rational thought. It's also responsible for each individual's personality, memories, movements, and how we sense the world.

弄清腦令人震驚的復(fù)雜結(jié)構(gòu)不是一件容易的事。我們知道的只是他是使我們成為人類的一個器官，賦予人們藝術(shù)、語言、道德評判與更改思考的能力。它也決定著一個人的品格、記憶、運動和我們的世界觀。

All this comes from a jellylike mass of fat and protein weighing about 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms). It is, nevertheless, one of the body's biggest organs, consisting of some 100 billion nerve cells that not only put together thoughts and highly coordinated physical actions but regulate our unconscious body processes, such as digestion and breathing.

所有這一切都來自于重約3磅（1.4千克）的果凍狀的大量的脂肪和蛋白質(zhì)組成。然而，它并不是人體最大的器官，但卻由約1億個神經(jīng)細(xì)胞組成，它不僅把思想整理到一起、高度調(diào)節(jié)軀體運動，而且還調(diào)節(jié)我們無意識的軀體運動過程，比如：消化和呼吸。

The brain's nerve cells are known as neurons, which make up the organ's so-called "gray matter." The neurons transmit and gather electrochemical signals that are communicated via a network of millions of nerve fibers called dendrites and axons. These are the brain's "white matter."

大腦的神經(jīng)細(xì)胞被稱為神經(jīng)元，它組成器官的所稱的“灰質(zhì)”。神經(jīng)原傳遞和聚集通過上百萬的神經(jīng)纖維和軸突傳導(dǎo)的電化學(xué)信號。它們被稱作大腦的“白質(zhì)”。1

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, accounting for 85 percent of the organ's weight. The distinctive, deeply wrinkled outer surface is the cerebral cortex, which consists of gray matter. Beneath this lies the white matter. It's the cerebrum that makes the human brain—and therefore humans—so formidable. Whereas animals such as elephants, dolphins, and whales have larger brains, humans have the most developed cerebrum. It's packed to capacity inside our skulls, enveloping the rest of the brain, with the deep folds cleverly maximizing the cortex area.

端腦是大腦最大的部分，約為該器官重量的85%。獨特而深深的由溝回組成的表面是大腦皮層，它組成灰質(zhì)。在它的下面是白質(zhì)。正是端腦讓人類的大腦——因此人類——如此強大。然而動物們比如：大象、海豚和鯨魚擁有更大的大腦，而人類有最發(fā)達(dá)的端腦。它緊密的排列在頭蓋骨下，把大腦其余的部分包圍起來，深深的溝回最大化的擴大了灰質(zhì)的范圍。1

The cerebrum has two halves, or hemispheres. It is further divided into four regions, or lobes, in each hemisphere. The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are involved with speech, thought, learning, emotion, and movement. Behind them are the parietal lobes, which process sensory information such as touch, temperature, and pain. At the rear of the brain are the occipital lobes, dealing with vision. Lastly, there are the temporal lobes, near the temples, which are involved with hearing and memory.

大腦有兩半部分或兩個半球組成。每個半球它又進(jìn)一步分化為四個區(qū)域或四個腦葉。額葉在前額的后面，關(guān)系到語言、思想、學(xué)習(xí)、情緒和運動；在它的后面是頂葉，它主要處理感覺信息，比如觸覺、溫度和痛覺；大腦的后部是枕葉，它處理視覺信息；最后面是顳葉，它在太陽穴附近，關(guān)系到聽覺和記憶。

Movement and Balance

運動和平衡

The second largest part of the brain is the cerebellum, which sits beneath the back of the cerebrum. It is responsible for coordinating muscle movement and controlling our balance. Consisting of both grey and white matter, the cerebellum transmits information to the spinal cord and other parts of the brain.

大腦中第二大部位是小腦，位于大腦半球的后方。它負(fù)責(zé)調(diào)節(jié)肌肉運動和控制身體平衡。它由灰質(zhì)和白質(zhì)組成，小腦把信息傳遞到脊髓和大腦的其他部位。

The diencephalon is located in the core of the brain. A complex of structures roughly the size of an apricot, the two major sections are the thalamus and hypothalamus. The thalamus acts as a relay station for incoming nerve impulses from around the body that are then forwarded to the appropriate brain region for processing. The hypothalamus controls hormone secretions from the nearby pituitary gland. These hormones govern growth and instinctual behavior such as eating, drinking, sex, anger, and reproduction. The hypothalamus, for instance, controls when a new mother starts to lactate.

間腦位于大腦的中心位置。一個復(fù)雜的大約有杏仁大小的結(jié)構(gòu)，兩個主要的部分分別是丘腦和下丘腦。丘腦扮演中轉(zhuǎn)站的角色，它把來自周身的神經(jīng)沖動進(jìn)一步傳遞到大腦適當(dāng)?shù)膮^(qū)域進(jìn)行處理加工；下丘腦控制附近腦下垂體分泌激素。這些激素支配身體的生長和一些本能行為，比如：吃飯、飲水、性愛、憤怒和生殖。舉例來說，下丘腦控制著一個新媽媽何時開始分泌乳汁。

The brain stem, at the organ's base, controls reflexes and crucial, basic life functions such as heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. It also regulates when you feel sleepy or awake.

腦干位于器官的底部，它控制反射和重要的、基礎(chǔ)的生命功能，比如心率、呼吸和血壓。它還調(diào)節(jié)你的睡眠和清醒狀態(tài)。 

The brain is extremely sensitive and delicate, and so requires maximum protection. This is provided by the surrounding skull and three tough membranes called meninges. The spaces between these membranes are filled with fluid that cushions the brain and keeps it from being damaged by contact with the inside of the skull.

大腦是十分敏感又易損壞的，所以需要我們給予最大程度的保護。它被包圍著的顱骨和三層堅韌的細(xì)胞膜被稱作腦（脊）膜保護著。在腦（脊）膜之間的空間里充滿了液體可以緩和大腦的沖擊并防止因為接觸到內(nèi)部顱骨而受損害。

以下是一些截圖：

1.指揮中心：大腦是我們主要的控制中心，一個非常復(fù)雜的器官，包含上億個神經(jīng)細(xì)胞可以同時處理來自身體的信息、管理我們內(nèi)部的器官、產(chǎn)生思想和情緒、儲存和回憶、控制運動?？茖W(xué)家們已經(jīng)研究大腦長達(dá)幾個世紀(jì)了，并沒有完全的理解它的復(fù)雜的性。

2.腦干：腦干位于器官的底部，它控制反射和重要的、基礎(chǔ)的生命功能，比如心率、呼吸和血壓。它還調(diào)節(jié)你的睡眠和清醒狀態(tài)。 

3.小腦：大腦中第二大部位是小腦，位于大腦半球的后方。它負(fù)責(zé)調(diào)節(jié)肌肉運動和控制身體平衡。它由灰質(zhì)和白質(zhì)組成，小腦把信息傳遞到脊髓和大腦的其他部位。

4.顱腦，獨特而深深的由溝回組成的表面是大腦皮層，它組成灰質(zhì)，是大腦中最大的部分。是思想、語言、記憶、感覺信息和運動的處理中心。顱腦被分化為四個區(qū)域或腦葉，每個腦葉管理特定的任務(wù)。

5.額葉：位于前額的后面，關(guān)系到語言、思想、學(xué)習(xí)、情緒和運動，記憶的一些方面也是在這里處理的。

6.枕葉：大腦的后部是枕葉，它處理視覺信息。

7.頂葉：位于大腦側(cè)面的上部，它主要處理感覺信息，比如觸覺、溫度和痛覺

8.顳葉：位于側(cè)邊的稍下一點位置，在太陽穴附近，關(guān)系到聽覺和記憶。也有有助于視覺的部分。

10.大腦右半球：一般負(fù)責(zé)創(chuàng)造性的、藝術(shù)性的和無意識的想法。它還控制著我們身體左側(cè)的大部分功能。