Slow walking and ageing

Getting old might not be something that's yet to cross your mind. But ageing is inevitably going to get the better of us one day, so it's something I'm sure we'd all like control. It would be great to have a long, healthy and happy life, and that's why scientists are constantly seeking out evidence that will show us what we need to do to achieve longevity.
变老可能还不是你要考虑的事情。但总有一天，衰老会不可避免地战胜我们，所以我相信我们都希望控制衰老。拥有长寿、健康和幸福的生活是件很棒的事情，这就是为什么科学家们一直在寻找证据，向我们展示我们需要做些什么才能长寿。

We all know that regular exercise is good for us. In recent years we've been told to aim to walk 10,000 steps a day to remain healthy, although other advice to do three brisk 10-minute walks a day is thought to be even more effective. But the latest piece of research might put a spring in your step if you're someone who walks at a fast pace. That's because, according to scientists, the speed at which people walk in their 40s is a sign of how much their brains, as well as their bodies, are ageing.
我们都知道经常锻炼对我们有好处。最近几年，我们被告知每天要走10,000步来保持健康，尽管其他建议每天三次10分钟的快步走被认为更有效。但是，如果你是一个走路速度很快的人，那么最新的一项研究可能会让你的脚步轻快起来。这是因为，根据科学家的说法，40多岁的人走路的速度是他们的大脑和身体老化程度的一个标志。

The BBC's Philippa Roxby writes that tests on 1,000 people from New Zealand born in the 1970s found that slower walkers tended to show signs of "accelerated ageing". Their lungs, teeth and immune systems were in worse shape than those who walked faster. And to add insult to injury, the study found not only did slower walkers' bodies age more quickly, their faces looked older and they had smaller brains. Professor Terrie E Moffitt, lead author of the study, told the BBC: "[it] found that a slow walk is a problem sign decades before old age."
英国广播公司的菲利帕 · 罗克斯比写道，对1000名上世纪70年代出生的新西兰人进行的测试发现，步行较慢的人往往表现出“加速衰老”的迹象。他们的肺、牙齿和免疫系统比那些走得快的人更糟糕。雪上加霜的是，研究发现，走路慢的人不仅身体衰老得更快，他们的脸看起来也更老，而且他们的大脑也更小。这项研究的主要作者特里 · E · 莫菲特教授告诉英国广播公司: “(研究)发现，在老年之前几十年，慢走是一个出现问题的征兆。”

This might be seen as a wake-up call for people with a slower gait who might feel it's time to work out and get fitter. But it might be too late; researchers writing in JAMA Network Open say they were able to predict the walking speed of 45-year-olds using the results of intelligence, language and motor skills tests from when they were aged three. They also suggest that even in early life, there are signs showing which people will go on to have a healthier life.
这可能会被视为对步伐较慢的人的警钟，他们可能会觉得是时候锻炼身体了。但可能为时已晚；研究人员在《美国医学会杂志网络开放版》上撰文称，他们能够使用3岁时的智力、语言和运动技能测试结果来预测45岁人群的步行速度。他们还表明，即使在生命的早期，也有迹象表明哪些人会继续过上更健康的生活。

So, what's the point of knowing that a slower walking pace might mean a smaller brain? Well, researchers say measuring walking speed at a younger age, and understanding what this might mean, could be a way of testing treatments to slow human ageing. This might help us make lifestyle changes while we're still young and healthy. Any steps we can take to prolong a good mental and physical state is a no brainer!
那么，知道步行速度较慢可能意味着较小的大脑有什么意义呢？研究人员表示，在年轻时测量行走速度，并了解这可能意味着什么，可能是测试减缓人类衰老的治疗方法的一种方式。这可能有助于我们在年轻健康的时候改变生活方式。我们可以采取任何措施来延长良好的精神和身体状态，这是显而易见的！

词汇表
to cross one's mind （念头）闪现，想起
ageing 衰老
to get the better of sb 击败
longevity 长寿
brisk 轻快的
effective 有效的
a spring in your step 步伐轻快
fast pace 快节奏，快步伐
a slower walker 走路速度慢的人
accelerated ageing 加速老化
immune system 免疫系统
lung 肺部
in worse shape 情况更糟糕
to add insult to injury 往伤口撒盐
a wake-up call 警示
gait 步伐，步态
work out 锻炼身体
treatment 治疗方法
make lifestyle changes 改变生活习惯
a no brainer 容易理解的事情

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