TED演讲:老年人更快乐(5)

And all things being equal, older people direct their cognitive¹ resources,

在同等条件下，老年人会将自己的认知资源，

like attention and memory, to positive information more than negative.

比如注意力和记忆力，更多地导向积极信息，而不是消极信息。

If we show older, middle-aged², younger people images, like the ones you see on the screen,

我们向老年组、中年组和青年组展示图像，正如你们在屏幕上看到的，

and we later ask them to recall all the images that they can,

过后我们让他们回忆他们看到的图像，

older people, but not younger people, remember more positive images than negative images.

老年组，而非青年组，记得的积极图像多过消极图像。

We've asked older and younger people to view faces in laboratory studies, some frowning, some smiling.

我们让老年组和青年组去看实验室研究所用的脸部表情，一些皱眉、一些微笑。

Older people look toward the smiling faces and away from the frowning, angry faces.

老年组看向微笑的脸，而回避皱眉的、愤怒的脸。

In day-to-day life, this translates into greater enjoyment³ and satisfaction.

在日常生活中，这转换成更大的乐趣以及满足。

But as social scientists, we continue to ask about possible alternatives.

但作为社会学家，我们继续问是否有其他可能。

We've said, well, maybe older people report more positive emotions because they're cognitively⁴ impaired⁵.

也许老年人报告更多的积极感受是因为他们认知机能受损。

We've said, could it be that positive emotions are simply easier to process than negative emotions,

会不会积极情绪比消极情绪更易处理，

and so you switch to the positive emotions?

所以他们更倾向于积极情绪？

Maybe our neural⁶ centers in our brain are degraded such that we're unable to process negative emotions anymore.

也许我们脑内的神经系统退化了，以致无法处理消极情绪。

But that's not the case. The most mentally sharp older adults are the ones who show this positivity effect the most.

但事实并非如此。老年组里思维最敏捷的，恰恰是最积极的。

And under conditions where it really matters, older people do process the negative information just as well as the positive information.

在关键时刻，老年人处理消极情绪和处理积极情绪的能力是一样的。

1 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

2 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

3 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

4 cognitively   

参考例句：

• Cognitively,man,the subject of cognition,must classify and categorize the objects. 从认知学角度来看 ，作为认知主体的人对于认知对象必须进行分类和范畴化。 来自互联网
• Cognitively, reference can be studied along with information processing of human mind. 从认知的角度看，要研究人类思维的信息处理过程。 来自互联网

5 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 neural   

adj.神经的，神经系统的

参考例句：

• The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
• The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。