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　　Engaging in a hobby like reading a book, making a patchwork quilt or even playing computer games can delay the onset of dementia, a US study suggests.

　　美國一項研究表明：從事一些業余愛好，如讀書、縫制百衲被，甚至是玩電腦游戲，都能減緩癡呆癥發病。

　　Watching TV however does not count--and indeed spending significant periods of time in front of the box may speed up memory loss, researchers found.

　　但是研究者們發現，看電視起不到這一作用——在電視機前消磨大量時間反而可能加速失憶。

　　Nearly 200 people aged 70 to 89 with mild memory problems were compared with a group who had no impairment.

　　研究者們將近200名70歲至89歲、有輕微失憶問題的老人和一組沒有此癥狀的老人進行了對比。

　　The researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota asked the volunteers about their daily activities within the past year and how mentally active they had been between the age of 50 to 65.

　　明尼蘇達州梅奧醫療中心的研究者們詢問了參與調查的志愿者過去一年的日常活動，以及他們50歲至65歲期間頭腦的活躍狀況。

　　Those who had during middle age been busy reading, playing games or engaging in craft hobbies like patchworking or knitting were found to have a 40% reduced risk of memory impairment.

　　那些中年時忙于讀書、玩游戲或是忙于拼布、編織等手工愛好的人，其記憶力衰退的可能性降低了40%。

　　In later life, those same activities reduced the risk by between 30 and 50%.

　　隨著年齡的增長，堅持同樣的活動能降低30%至50%的失憶可能性。