“Be sure to study hard for that test!”

　　一定要为了考试而刻苦学习啊!

　　How many times have you heard that? But what does it even mean to study hard? Do you have to study until your head hurts? It sounds like it!

　　这句话你听过多少遍了?但它对于刻苦学习有什么作用呢?你得一直学到头疼才罢休吗?听起来的确是这样的!

　　The whole idea of studying harder suggests that you really don’t try very hard as a normal practice, and that is probably not true. So instead of studying harder for better results, you can study smarter, and there is good news: it won’t give you a headache.

　　更加刻苦地学习，它的主要意思是在平时你学习不够刻苦，但这也很可能不对。所以，与其为了取得更好的成绩而更加刻苦地学习，你不如更加聪明地学习，它的好处是：不会使你头疼。

　　How to Study Smarter

　　怎样更加聪明地学习

　　There are a few adjustments you can make to your normal study routine to make the most of your time and effort. These adjustments are based on a few scientific discoveries about learning.

　　为了最大限度地利用好你的时间和努力，你可以对自己的日常学习计划做一些如下的调整。这些建议是基于一些关于学习的科学发现。

　　•We learn over time with repetition.

　　通过重复来一次次地学习

　　•We learn from active experience.

　　通过活动经验来学习

　　•We learn through comparison.

　　通过比较来学习

　　•We learn by testing ourselves.

　　通过自测来学习

　　1.Time and Repetition

　　时间和重复

　　Some studies on brain science have shown that the practice of revisiting informationenhances learning. In other words, it is a good idea to study material more than one time, over a period of days.

　　一些关于脑科学的研究表明，回顾信息的实践可以加强学习效果。也就是说，在一段时期内，多次地学习材料是一个好方法。

　　To study smarter, then, you should start your study session a few days ahead of time and study a few hours, walk away from the material, and study the same material again a few days later.

　　为了更加聪明地学习，你应该提前几天开始着手你的学习单元，学习几个小时，然后暂时放弃，几天后又再次学习。

　　2.Learn Through Experience

　　从经验中学习

　　There are indications that our brains love to make associations or “connections” when we read or observe something new. It seems that the more we enhance the experience as we read, the more we may retain.

　　当我们在阅读或观察新的事物时，我们的大脑会出现建立联系的迹象。似乎我们越是加强阅读经验，能记住的东西也就越多。

　　As you study, you should incorporate active study strategies like drawing images, writing outlines, and repeating (into a mirror) what you’ve learned from memory.

　　当你学习的时候，你可以吸收一些积极的学习模式，例如画图、写大纲、根据记忆(在镜子前)重复。

　　It is also a good idea to study in a variety of places and environments to stimulate more associations. For example, you could study once in a quiet library and again in a very different environment, like a park or your own room.

　　在不同的地方或环境里学习，也是一个促进更多联系的好办法。例如，你可以现在安静的图书馆里学习，然后在另一个截然不同的环境里学习，例如公园或自己的房间。

　　3.Comparing As We Study

　　在学习中比较

　　We understand new things by comparing them to things we already know.

　　我

　　们通过将所学的内容进行比较来理解新事物。

　　To demonstrate this, try to describe a lime to someone who has never encountered one. Your depiction might go something like this:

　　为了演示，你可以向一个从没见过酸橙的人描述酸橙。你的描述可能是这样的：

　　“It’s like a lemon, but it’s green. It tastes and smells like a mix between a lemon and a tomato vine.”

　　它像个柠檬，但却是绿色的。它的味道和气味介于柠檬和西红柿之间。

　　That person would most likely be able to identify a lime easily, because he or she will be able to consult stored knowledge to conjure new information (the imagined taste of a lime).

　　别人就会很容易地理解酸橙是什么，因为他们可以从已有的知识中得出新的信息(想象酸橙的味道)。

　　Any time you study new material, your brain consults stored knowledge to make sense of the new things you’re encountering. For example, if you live in the United States and you are required to learn about communism, you will most likely learn by comparing that system to a system you already know, like capitalism.

　　任何时候，当你学习新的知识，你的大脑会通过查阅已有的知识来理解你所遇到的新的事物。例如，如果你是个美国人，别人要求你学习共产主义的知识，你很可能会通过将共产主义和你已经了解的一种制度进行比较，例如资本主义，从而进行学习。

　　When you study terms to prepare for a test, you should always select two terms at the same time and describe the differences between them.

　　当你为了准备考试而学习术语的时候，你应该同时选出两个术语，描述它们的不同点。

　　4.Learning By Testing

　　从测试中学习

　　Recent studies tell us that learning is enhanced through trial and error. When it comes to studying effectively, it turns out that testing is one of the best ways to prepare for testing!

　　近来的研究成果告诉我们，通过反复的尝试和错误，学习效果能得到加强。要想取得学习效果，测试其实就是备考的最佳方法之一!

　　There is good evidence that the very best way for you to learn is to take a series of practice tests. This means that the process of trying to answer questions, getting questions wrong, discovering why you were wrong, and correcting yourself—is the smartest study strategy of all.

　　有充分的证据表明，学习的最佳方式就是完成一系列的测验。这意味着回答问题、出错、发现错在哪儿以及改正的过程是最聪明的学习模式。

　　Of course, if you want to do this right, you should have someone else prepare a few practice tests for you. This can be easy: just find a partner (or a group) and write questions for each other.

　　当然，如果你想做到这些，就得让别人为你准备测验。这很简单：找一个搭档(或小组)，然后相互出题。

　　In summary, the science says this: if you want to study harder and smarter, you should start early, find a study partner, get active, and test yourself.

　　总的来说，科学研究表明：如果你想更刻苦、更聪明地学习，就要早做准备，找一个学习搭档，积极主动起来，给自己做测验。

（编辑：何莹莹）