第1643期:Why we forget

How is your memory? Remembering things is an important function of our brain – if we can’t recall how to do something, we can’t survive. If you think about it, there is so much we have to remember – from where we left our car keys to how we walk. Maybe it’s no surprise that sometimes we are forgetful.

你的记忆力如何？记住事情是我们大脑的一项重要功能——如果我们不记得如何做某事，我们就无法生存。如果你仔细想想，我们必须记住的东西太多了——从我们把车钥匙放在哪里，到我们走路的方式。也许我们有时健忘也就不足为奇了。

Memory allows the brain to store and retrieve information when required. Our short-term memory can hold a small amount of information for a short time, while our long-term memory can hold an unlimited amount of information for a long time. Our memory is amazing, but why do we still forget things?

记忆允许大脑在需要时存储和检索信息。我们的短期记忆可以在短时间内保存少量信息，而我们的长期记忆可以长时间保存无限量的信息。我们的记忆力是惊人的，但为什么我们还是会忘记事情呢？

It’s possible we don’t always store information in our memory effectively, maybe because we are in a rush or we consider it irrelevant at the time. When we do store information, we often make connections with other things, which helps us recall it later. If you don’t have these connections, then it can be easier to forget. Writing for the BBC’s Science Focus magazine, Luis Villazon says “It is also possible that memories decay over time. As they have not been revisited, their biological ‘trace’ becomes weak.” It’s true that if you don’t perform a task for a long period of time, it can be difficult to recall how to do it. This could be because, just like in a computer, our memory is full, or that our short-term memory is easier to access.

有可能我们并不总是有效地将信息存储在我们的记忆中，可能是因为我们很匆忙，或者我们当时认为它无关紧要。当我们确实存储信息时，我们经常与其他事物建立联系，这有助于我们以后回忆它。如果您没有这些联系，则可能更容易忘记。为 BBC 的 Science Focus 杂志撰稿的 Luis Villazon 说：“记忆也有可能随着时间的推移而衰退。由于它们没有被重新访问，它们的生物‘痕迹’变得微弱。”确实，如果您长时间不执行某项任务，则可能很难回忆起如何执行该任务。这可能是因为，就像在计算机中一样，我们的记忆已满，或者我们的短期记忆更容易访问。

But sometimes even our short-term memory can let us down. Have you ever gone into a room to fetch something only to forget what you wanted when you got there? This is called ‘The Doorway Effect’. Writing for the BBC Future website, psychologist Tom Stafford explains that this “occurs because we change both the physical and mental environments, moving to a different room and thinking about different things.” Put simply, we are metaphorically trying to spin too many plates at the same time.

、但有时即使是我们的短期记忆也会让我们失望。你有没有进过一个房间去取东西，到了那里却忘记了你想要什么？这被称为“门口效应”。心理学家汤姆斯塔福德为 BBC Future 网站撰文解释说，“这是因为我们改变了身体和心理环境，搬到不同的房间并思考不同的事情。”简而言之，我们隐喻地试图同时旋转太多的盘子。

So, if you have a mind like a sieve, it could be because you have too much on your mind. But we do need to keep our memory sharp by continually using it, especially as beyond our 50s our brains tend to shrink in volume and our memory begins to decline. That’s when we’re at more risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

所以，如果你的头脑像筛子一样，那可能是因为你的想法太多了。但是我们确实需要通过不断地使用它来保持我们的记忆力，特别是在我们 50 多岁之后，我们的大脑往往会缩小体积并且我们的记忆力开始下降。那时我们患阿尔茨海默病的风险更大。

However, as Luis Villazon says, “Forgetting is not always a bad thing! It would waste cognitive resources if we remembered every detail of the world around us.” That’s something worth remembering!

然而，正如 Luis Villazon 所说，“忘记并不总是一件坏事！如果我们记住周围世界的每一个细节，就会浪费认知资源。”这是值得记住的事情！

词汇表

recall 回想起
forgetful 健忘的
store 储存
retrieve 找回
short-term 短期的
long-term 长期的
effectively 有效地
irrelevant 无关紧要的
decay 减弱，衰退
revisit 重新回想
The Doorway Effect “门口效应”（指瞬间忘事的现象）
physical 物质的
mental 精神的，心理的
spin too many plates 兼顾太多事情
a mind like a sieve “记忆像滤网”，容易忘事，健忘
on your mind 脑子里想着
sharp 敏锐的，机敏的
Alzheimer’s disease 阿尔茨海默病
cognitive resources 认知资源