Scientist liken voluntary or directed attention to a mental muscle that can wear out over time.

科学家把有意识注意力必做一块脑部肌肉，随着时间的流逝，它会一点点失去力气。

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Effectively gazing at the sunset gives our directed attention a rest and we can let our minds wander.

凝视着日落景色可以让我们的有意注意休息下，于是我们的大脑可以自行恢复了。

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One is the attention as it is, and once you put your attention to something, that is another attention, we can say, or the directed attention.

一种注意力是像那样，一旦你把你的注意力放在某事物，那成了另一种注意力---我们可以说，或者---有方向性的注意力。

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So much unnecessary attention around this conference had been directed towards the dispute that is unintentionally distracting from the real life and death issues we are confronted with as a country, He said it would be wrong for the controversy to overshadow the goals of the 13th international AIDS Conference.

VOA: standard.2010.05.17

He directed attention to the gold standard and saw a dramatic swing in his standing.

FORBES: The Newt Gingrich Swing: For The Fences

On a national level, No Child Left Behind directed attention to an injustice that was allowed to exist for too long.

FORBES: Michelle Rhee

That has helped to break the cycle of political violence which dogged the region, produced a healthy alternation of power, and directed attention to deep-rooted social problems.

ECONOMIST: A big step backward for a still-uncertain democracy