IF YOU'RE READING THIS, you speak English. That means that you speak a language that 850 million other people in the world speak. That's a lot: that's about 12% of the total global population. That's more than one out of every ten people on the planet that you could have a conversation with, or a relationship with, or live a complete life with.
如果你读这篇文章，说明你会英语。也就意味着你会讲地球上8亿5千万人都会讲的语言，那是很多很多人：地球大约12%的人。地球上每十个人中超过一个人你都可以和他们聊天、交往，甚至一起生活。

But if you chose to learn another language to say, Mandarin—you would suddenly be able to speak to another billion people. Another 14% of the the world's population. Meaning that you could now have a meaningful, communicative relationship with a quarter of the world's people.
但是如果你选择学习另外一种语言，普通话—你可以和另外14%的世界十亿人口交谈，这意味着你可以和世界上1/4的人口来往交际。

That's basically a superpower. That on its own is incredible. But it turns out, there are a ton of other major benefits to learning a second language.
那基本上算是超能力了。那本身就是难以置信的，但是一旦显现出来，学习第二语言就有其它许多好处。

1. Bilingual people have way better memories.
双语人才有更好的记忆方法。
Children who speak a second language have been found to on the whole have much better working memories than children who are monolingual. The working memory is mostly developed early in life, but it can still be learned and honed later in life, too, meaning that, while you might have a harder time learning a new language now than you would have as a kid, you can still reap the benefits.
整体上会两种语言的小孩子比单一语言的孩子记忆力更好。记忆力从很早就开始发展，但是后天可以学习和改变，这就意味着尽管你可能现在在学习新语言的过程中会比孩提时代学习经历一段更加艰苦的时期，但是你仍然会有所收获。

2. Being bilingual can delay Alzheimer's and dementia.
会双语可以延迟阿尔茨海默病的到来。
Studies have shown that people who are bilingual have better cognitive functioning as they get older, and while bilingualism doesn't necessarily prevent Alzheimer's or dementia, people with either affliction tend to develop them 4.5 years later on average than monolingual people with the affliction.
研究表明双语人随着年龄的增长认知能力会更好，尽管双语并不会一定阻止阿尔茨海默病的到来，双语人发病通常比单语人平均推后4.5年。

So when people say you should do a crossword or a sudoku to keep your brain sharp in old age, consider learning another language instead.
所以当人们说你应该玩填字游戏和数独游戏在老年时保持睿智的头脑，考虑一下学习另外一门语言吧。

3. Bilingual people are generally smarter.
一般双语人都比较聪明。
Researchers have found that learning a second language not only improves the language centers of the brain, but improves other cognitive skills as well. Bilingual brains are better at solving problems more creatively, are better at staying focused, and are better at planning. Bilinguals are also better at paying attention to their environment— which likely comes from monitoring a situation to be able to tell which language is being spoken so one can quickly switch back and forth between language systems.
研究者们发现学习第二语言不仅可以改善大脑语言中心，还可以提高其他的认识能力。双语人的脑袋会更加善于创造性地解决问题和保持注意力集中以及计划。双语人也更善于注意他们的周围环境—这可以监视环境去决定讲哪一门语言，所以个人可以快速切换语言。

4. Being bilingual will improve your relationships.
会双语会改善你的人际交往。
Bilinguals often report feeling like they have two personalities—one in one language, one in another. In part, this is because language learning comes along with an ability to shift between the values of the two cultures that you're living in. And while this might not sound like the best thing, it's actually hugely beneficial, because this ability to shift between two value systems improves your ability to understand others, making you more empathetic.
双语人才通常使人觉得他有两种人格—两种语言一种语言一种。另外这是因为语言学习带来了一种能在两种文化的价值观中自由切换的能力。尽管这听起来并不是最好的事情，目前这很有用，因为自由切换价值观的能力会提高理解其他人的能力，使你更能产生情感共鸣。

If you're able to be more empathetic, and if you're able to better communicate with the people around you, you'll have better relationships.
如果你能够更加产生共鸣，能同你周围的朋友更好的沟通的话，你会有更好的交际。

5. Travel will be more fulfilling.
旅途会更加有意思。
This one doesn't need much explanation: travel is infinitely better when you can understand and communicate with the people around you. Speaking the local language makes travel a much more fulfilling activity.
这并不需要太多的解释：当你能够理解并且和周围的人交流的时候，旅行肯定会更加美好。讲当地语言使得旅行变得更加有意义了许多。

6. Being bilingual helps you professionally.
双语会对你的工作有帮助。
Being able to speak two languages is a really, really good skill to have on your resume. Surveys have found that bilingual people are more valued as employees, and that can translate into being paid more.
会讲双语真的会使你的履历表漂亮好多。调查显示双语对于雇员更有意义，工资会更多。

7. Being bilingual makes you sexier.
双语会使你更加性感。
Not a joke: a 2013 survey found that 79% of adults find being able to speak a second language a more attractive trait than speaking a single language. That said, there's a catch: the effect is greater depending on the perceived sexiness of the language you speak.
这不是开玩笑：2013年的一项调查显示79%的双语成人比单语人更加有吸引力。也就是说，有一种流行：效果必须要根据你所讲的语言的性感力而定。

French, unsurprisingly, is considered the sexiest language, followed by Italian, then Spanish, then English. The least sexy language, the survey found, is Korean.
法语，毫不奇怪，是公认的最性感的语言，后面是意大利语，西班牙语和英语。根据调查，最不性感的语言是韩语。