TED演讲:老年人更快乐(6)

So how can this be? Well, in our research,

这是为什么呢？在我们的研究里，

we've found that these changes are grounded fundamentally in the uniquely human ability to monitor time

我们发现这些改变在最基本上植根于人类监控时间的独特能力，

not just clock time and calendar time, but lifetime.

不光是时钟的时间和日历的时间，更是生命的时间。

And if there's a paradox¹ of aging,

如果说老龄化悖论成立，

it's that recognizing that we won't live forever changes our perspective on life in positive ways.

那也是因为我们认识到生命易逝，而使我们把人生观变得更积极。

When time horizons are long and nebulous, as they typically are in youth, people are constantly preparing,

人生的终点遥远又朦胧，年轻时通常都这么想，人们就会一直跃跃欲试，

trying to soak up all the information they possibly can, taking risks, exploring.

试图尽可能地去吸收信息、承担风险、探索未知。

We might spend time with people we don't even like because it's somehow interesting.

我们可能会跟不喜欢的人共度时光，因为感觉这挺有趣。

We might learn something unexpected. We go on blind dates.

我们也许不经意间学到一些不该学的东西。我们去相亲。

You know, after all, if it doesn't work out, there's always tomorrow.

毕竟，就算失败了，也还有明天。

People over 50 don't go on blind dates.

超过50岁的人，就不会去相亲了。

1 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。