2019年经济学人 国民幸福指数(2)

 

The lowest point of all came in 1975, at the end of a long decline¹ during the Vietnam war,

最低谷出现在1975年，在越南战争期间，随着西贡的陷落和美国的耻辱性失败，

with the fall of Saigon and America's humiliating defeat.

长期衰落结束之时。

In Germany and Italy the first world war also caused dips in happiness.

一战也导致德国和意大利幸福感的下降。

By contrast, during the second world war these countries both got happier as the war continued.

相比之下，在第二次世界大战期间，随着战争的继续，这两个国家都变得更加幸福。

Initially², that might be put down to their early successes,

起初，这也许可以归结为他们早期的成功，

but this can hardly explain German happiness when the Red Army was at the gates of Berlin.

但这很难解释当红军团来到柏林的时候，德国人的幸福感。

The researchers hypothesise that what is being measured here is the result of propaganda³ and censorship,

研究人员假设，这里所衡量的是宣传和审查的结果，

rather than honest opinion. But they cannot prove this.

而不是诚实的意见。但他们无法证明这一点。

Earlier in Italian history, though, there was a clear and explicable crash in happiness in 1848,

但在意大利历史早期，1848年发生了一场明显的、可以解释的幸福大崩溃，

with the failure of revolutions intended to unite into a single nation what were then half a dozen disparate states.

当时意图统一六个分散的国家的革命失败了。

Surprisingly, however, successful unification in the 1860s also saw a fall in happiness.

然而，令人惊讶的是，在19世纪60年代成功的统一也见证了幸福感的下降。

As to wealth, the steady progress of the Victorian period matched a steady increase in British happiness,

至于财富，维多利亚时期的稳步发展与英国人幸福感的稳步增长相匹配，

as did the economic boom⁴ of the 1920s, which also lifted American spirits.

20世纪20年代的经济繁荣也提升了美国人的精气神。

Both countries' spirits fell again in the Great Depression that followed the stockmarket crash of 1929.

在1929年股市崩盘后的大萧条中，这两个国家的精气神再次下降。

After the lows of the 1970s, though, happiness in both has been on the rise ever since.

然而，在经历了20世纪70年代的低谷之后，两国的幸福感一直在上升。

Overall, then, Dr Sgroi and Dr Proto found that happiness does vary with GDP.

总的来说，斯格罗博士和普罗托博士发现幸福感确实与GDP有关。

But the effect of health and life expectancy⁵,

健康和预期寿命的影响

which does not have the episodic quality of booms⁶, busts⁷ and armed conflict, is larger,

不像繁荣、萧条和武装冲突那样断断续续，但它们的影响更大，

even when the tendency of wealth to improve health is taken into account.

即使把财富改善健康的趋势考虑在内。

A one-year increase in longevity⁸, for example, has the same effect on national happiness as a 4.3% increase in GDP.

例如，寿命增加一年对国民幸福的影响和GDP增加4.3%相同。

And, as the grand historical sweep suggests, it is warfare⁹ that causes the biggest drops in happiness.

而且，正如大规模的历史搜索所显示的那样，正是战争导致了最大程度的幸福感下降。

On average it takes a 30% increase in GDP to raise happiness by the amount that a year of war causes it to fall.

平均而言，GDP增长30%才会带来幸福感，而一年的战争就可以使幸福感下降30%。

The upshot appears to be that, while increasing national income is important to happiness,

其结果似乎是，虽然增加国民收入对幸福感很重要，

it is not as important as ensuring the population is healthy and avoiding conflict.

但却不如确保人民健康和避免冲突重要。

1 decline   

n.衰微，跌落，下降；vt.使降低，婉谢；vi.下降，衰落，偏斜

参考例句：

• I must decline to show favour to any of the candidates.我必须拒绝偏袒任何一位候选人。
• The birthrate is on the decline.出生率在下降。

2 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

3 propaganda   

n.宣传，宣传机构

参考例句：

• A lot of propaganda has painted him as bad.大量宣传把他说得很坏。
• Art may be used as a vehicle for propaganda.艺术可以用作为宣传的媒介。

4 boom   

n.隆隆声；vt.发隆隆声

参考例句：

• The country is having a great boom in industry.这个国家的工业正蓬勃发展。
• Boom!Boom!Boom!A series of explosions shook the valley.轰！轰！轰！一连串爆破声震撼山谷。

5 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

6 booms   

n.（生意）繁荣( boom的名词复数 )；深沉的响声；帆桁v.激增( boom的第三人称单数 )；猛涨；发出隆隆声；以低沉有力的声音说话

参考例句：

• Booms run in cycle. 景气状况周期性地出现。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• As the starter's gun booms, the boats spring into action. 信号弹划过上空，龙舟夺标开始了。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

7 busts   

半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 )； 妇女的胸部； 胸围； 突击搜捕

参考例句：

• Dey bags swells up and busts. 那奶袋快胀破了。
• Marble busts all looked like a cemetery. 大理石的半身象，简直就象是坟山。

8 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

9 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。