TED演讲:老年人更快乐(7)

As we age, our time horizons grow shorter and our goals change.

当我们逐渐变老，跟人生终点的距离不断缩短，我们的人生目标从而改变。

When we recognize that we don't have all the time in the world, we see our priorities most clearly.

当我们意识到时间不再多的可以尽情挥霍，就能清楚地看到事情的轻重缓急。

We take less notice of trivial matters. We savor¹ life.

我们变得不在意琐碎之事了。我们享受人生。

We're more appreciative², more open to reconciliation³.

我们更懂感恩，更向往和谐。

We invest in more emotionally important parts of life, and life gets better, so we're happier day-to-day.

我们更致力于精神层面上重要的东西，生活变得更好，所以日益快乐。

But that same shift in perspective leads us to have less tolerance⁴ than ever for injustice⁵.

但是这种观念的改变也降低了对不公的容忍。

By 2015, there will be more people in the United States over the age of 60 than under 15.

到2015年，美国人口中60岁以上的人口将会超过不满15岁的人口。

What will happen to societies that are top-heavy with older people?

社会老龄化之后会有什么改变？

The numbers won't determine the outcome. Culture will.

数量并不能左右结果。文化才会。

If we invest in science and technology and find solutions for the real problems that older people face

如果我们投入科学和技术，为老龄化问题找出解决之道，

and we capitalize on the very real strengths of older people,

我们充分发挥老年人的真正优势，

then added years of life can dramatically improve quality of life at all ages.

那么，寿命的增加将会戏剧性地改善人们的生活质量。

Societies with millions of talented, emotionally stable citizens

无论是哪个年龄段，社会上有上百万的有才能而且情绪稳定的市民，

who are healthier and better educated than any generations before them,

与他们之前的任何一代人比，他们更健康，受过更高的教育，

armed with knowledge about the practical matters of life

用知识武装自己，了解人生的各种状况，

and motivated to solve the big issues can be better societies than we have ever known.

积极主动地去解决重大问题，社会将变得更加美好，比我们已知的更好。

My father, who is 92, likes to say,

我父亲已经92岁了，他喜欢说，

"Let's stop talking only about how to save the old folks and start talking about how to get them to save us all." Thank you.

“让我们不要再说解救老年人这种话了。我们要开始谈谈如何让老年人解救所有人。”谢谢。

1 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

2 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

3 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

4 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

5 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。