国外媒体:幸福小调查:忙碌的人更快乐

Better busy than doing nothing, scientist proves

The secret to happiness is keeping busy, research has found.

Keeping the mind occupied with tasks - no matter how meaningless - staves off negative emotions, the study found.

However, the bad news is that humans seem hard-wired to be lazy in order to save energy, according to Professor Christopher Hsee, a behavioural scientist at Chicago University.

In a study 98 students were asked to complete two surveys. After they had completed the first they were made to wait 15 minutes to receive the next one.

They were given a choice of either handing in the first survey nearby or at a more distant location they had to walk to. Whichever option they chose, they received a chocolate bar.

Two-thirds (68 per cent) chose the lazy option.

Those who had taken the walk reported feeling happier than those who had stayed put.

Prof Hsee concluded keeping busy helped keep people happy.

He said the findings¹, reported in the journal² Psychological³ Science, had policy implications⁴.

"Governments may increase the happiness of idle⁵ citizens by having them build bridges that are actually useless", he proposed⁶.

At the individidual level, he advised: "Get up and do something. Anything. Even if there really is no point to what you are doing, you will feel better for it."

He added: "Incidentally⁷, thinking deeply or engaging in self-reflection counts as keeping busy, too.

"You do not need to be running around, – you just need to be engaged, either physically⁸ or mentally."

一项研究发现，快乐的秘诀就是让自己忙起来。

该研究发现，让自己有点事情可想——无论是多么没意思的事——都有助于抵制消极情绪。

然而，据芝加哥大学行为科学家奚恺元教授介绍，人类似乎生性懒惰，旨在保存精力。

研究人员让98个学生做了两项调查。这两个调查间隔15分钟。

在此期间，学生可以就近提交第一个调查的结果，或者步行至一个较远的地方递交结果。无论选择哪一种途径，他们都会获赠一块巧克力。

其中，三分之二（68%）的人选择了走近路。

但据报告，走路去递交结果的人比待在原地的人感觉更加快乐。

奚教授由此得出结论，让自己忙一点有助于保持好的心情。

该研究在《心理科学》杂志上发表。奚教授称该发现具有政策指导意义。

他建议说：“比如，政府可以让没事可做的民众建造实际上并没有什么用处的桥梁来提升他们的幸福感。”

就个人而言，他建议说：“起来干点什么吧。做什么都行。就算你所做的事情没什么实际意义，你也会因此而感到快乐。”

他说：“另外，思考或反省也是让自己动起来的一种方式。”

“你不需要东奔西跑，只需要有事情做，无论是体力上的还是脑力上的。”

1 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

2 journal   

n.日志，日记；议事录；日记帐；杂志，定期刊物

参考例句：

• He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
• He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。

3 psychological   

adj.心理的，精神上的

参考例句：

• Work also provides psychological well-being.工作还能使人身心健康。
• The psychological advantage of direct control is impressive.直接控制所收到的心理效果很大。

4 implications   

n. 暗示，含意，牵连，卷入

参考例句：

• The development of the site will have implications for the surrounding countryside. 这个地点的开发将会影响周围的乡村。
• The research has far-reaching implications for medicine as a whole. 这项研究对整个医学界都有着深远的影响。

5 idle   

adj.空闲的，闲置的；无用的；懒散的；v.空费

参考例句：

• Mike doesn't study at all.Instead,he sits idle all day.迈克根本不肯读书，相反地，他终日游手好闲。
• How much trouble in this life is caused by idle talk!生活中有多少麻烦不都是由闲谈引起的么！

6 proposed   

被提议的

参考例句：

• There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions. 员工对改变工资和工作环境的建议普遍不满。
• an outcry over the proposed change 对拟议的改革所发出的强烈抗议

7 incidentally   

adv.附带地，顺便提及

参考例句：

• Incidentally,I think you still owe me some money.顺便说一句，我想你还欠我一些钱。
• Incidentally,here's a good piece of news.附带告诉你一个好消息。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。