TED演讲:老年人更快乐(4)

And using this intense study of individuals,

通过这种对个人的密集调查，

we find that it's not one particular generation that's doing better than the others,

我们发现并没有任何一代人比其他人更好，

but the same individuals over time come to report relatively¹ greater positive experience.

但是同一个人随着年岁增长，开始报告相对更积极的体验。

Now you see this slight downturn at very advanced ages.

现在你看到在非常高的年龄。

And there is a slight downturn.

这里有些许下降。

But at no point does it return to the levels we see in early adulthood².

这里的确有一些下降，但是绝没有回复到他们早期成年期的水平。

Now it's really too simplistic to say that older people are "happy."

当然，光说老年人更“快乐”，那太过草率。

In our study, they are more positive.

在我们的研究里，他们更积极。

But they're also more likely than younger people to experience mixed emotions

但他们也比年轻人更能体会到复杂的情感，

sadness at the same time you experience happiness; you know, that tear in the eye when you're smiling at a friend.

悲喜交加，你们知道，就是冲着朋友微笑的同时眼含泪花。

And other research has shown that older people seem to engage with sadness more comfortably.

有其他研究显示，老年人能够更从容地应对悲伤。

They're more accepting of sadness than younger people are.

他们比年轻人更能接受悲伤情绪，

And we suspect that this may help to explain why older people are better than younger people at solving hotly charged emotional conflicts and debates.

我们怀疑这能帮助解释为什么老年人比年轻人更擅长处理激烈的情绪冲突和争论。

Older people can view injustice³ with compassion⁴, but not despair.

老年人看待不公，能够带着怜悯，而不是绝望。

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

3 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

4 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。