BBC News (Health)

Author: Philippa Roxby (25/Oct./2023)

Tai chi may slow Parkinson's symptoms for years, study finds

Experts say the findings back up previous studies on the benefits of exercise for those with Parkinson's. Tai chi may help slow down the symptoms of Parkinson's disease for several years, a Chinese study suggests. Those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications and
better quality of life than those who didn't, the researchers say. Parkinson's is a progressive brain disease which leads to tremors and slow movement, and there is no cure.

Phrases and Vocabulary

1. back up (v. phr.) 支持; 支撐
2. slow down (v. phr.) 減緩/慢下來
3. martial art (n. phr.) 武術
4. Complication (n.) 併發症
5. a progressive brain disease 一種漸進式的腦部疾病
6. lead to (v. phr.) 引起/導致
7. tremor (n.) 癲癇

Grammar point

段落中斜體部分運用了常見的形容詞子句(adjective clause)。簡單來說，形容詞子句就如同一般形容詞的存在，但屬於後置(位)修飾，也就是從後面修飾前面的"對象"。以形容詞子句來說，形容詞子句形容了前面的人、事或物，"限制"了所談到的對象。形容詞子句通常會以關係代名詞(relative pronoun)開頭，例如who, which, that, whom, etc.，造句者須依照所修飾/"受限制"的人或物在形容詞子句中的位子來決定使用哪一個關係代名詞。以新聞中的句子為例：

"Those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications and better quality of life than those who didn't".

受修飾對象: those

形容詞子句：who practised the martial art twice a week

關係代名詞：who

為什麼：Those practised the martial art twice week. Those 在這個形容詞子句裡扮演主詞的角色，所以我們用who來連接前後部分。(who: 人當主詞, which: 事物當主詞/受詞, whom: 人當受詞)

上述例句甚至可以還原成原來的兩句來看：

(1) Those had fewer complications and better quality of life.

(2) Those practised the martial art twice a week.

Possible Translation

研究發現打太極拳或許能緩和帕金森式症狀幾年

專家說研究結果支持了先前的研究，它們主要探討運動對帕金森氏症患者的好處。一份中國的研究顯示，打太極拳或許能幫助緩和帕金森氏病症好幾年。研究者說比起不打太極拳的人，一周練習兩次的人併發症較少，而且生活品質也較好。帕金森氏症目前無藥可醫，它是一種漸進式的腦部疾病，會引發癲癇以及造成動作遲緩。