memory was very poor,

他们对单词的记忆效果非常差
the sound better, the meaning better.

当关注声音时稍好关注意义时最好
If you want to remember something,

如果你想记住些东西
the best way to remember it is to give it meaning,

最好的方法就是为信息赋予含义
to give it sense.

让其拥有意义
This is illustrated through a very ancient technique,

通过一项非常古老的技术可以证明此观点
which is that the way to remember things that are otherwise arbitrary

这种记忆方法就是通过记忆术
is to give them some organization through memory tricks,

通过生动图像歌曲或是诗歌
through vivid imagery or songs or poetry.

将杂乱的信息组织起来
And there's a lot of examples of this.

这样的例子有很多
Do you know how to remember that the hippocampus,

你们知道如何记住海马体这个术语吗
there's a part of the brain called the hippocampus.

大脑中有个部位叫海马体