中石油職稱英語閱讀精講：Happiness Index
金錢可以買到幸福嗎?下面這篇閱讀文章內容是關于幸福指數調查的，歡迎大家閱讀。不要忘了做后面的習題哦。
Happiness Index 幸福指數
1. In terms of happiness, your spouse—if you have one—is worth $100,000 a year.
1、就幸福而言(in terms of 依據;按照)，你的配偶(spouse)——如果你有的話——值10萬美元一年(a year)。
2. That's the finding of two economists who have tried to put a monetary value on happiness by measuring the emotional value of everything from religion to racial discrimination in dollars.
2、這就是兩位經濟學家研究的結果(finding n. 發現;調查的結果; economist n. 經濟學家)，他們試圖從金錢的角度來衡量幸福，以美元為單位(in dollars)，對從宗教到種族歧視等各種情感進行估價(who 引導的定語從句修飾two economists; try to do sth. 試圖做某事;monetary value 貨幣價值;emotional value 情感價值;religion n. 宗教;信仰;racial discrimination 種族歧視)。
3. Such a calculation, admits economist David Blanchflower, is "
a little bit off the wall" and may prompt wry comments within some marriages on "cashing in".
3、經濟學家大衛·布蘭奇弗勞爾(簡稱DB)承認(admit vt.)，這種計算是“有點離奇”(a little bit 有點兒; off the wall 荒誕的;瘋狂的)，并可能引起不當的想法(prompt vt. 激起;促進;wry adj. 扭曲的; comment n. 評論;意見)，認為有些人結婚是為了 “從中撈取好處” (cash in 兌現)。
4. The two economists are, of course, speaking of averages. They have used an annual survey of some 1,500 Americans from 1972 to 1998 to measure self- reported happiness and the factors that go with it. But it turns out that the happiness value of a stable marriage is "incredibly high", says Dr. Blanchflower, a professor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., whose study has just been published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass. "Don't give it up lightly."
4、當然，這兩位經濟學家是就一般人(或中等水平)而言的(speak of 提及;談到)。他們從1972年到1998年每年(annual adj. 年度的;每年的)對大約1500名美國人進行調查，衡量(to measure … 不定式作目的狀語)他們自述的幸福和產生幸福的因素(that go with it定語從句修飾前面置詞the factors;it 指的是什么?答案就是“自述的幸福”;go with 伴隨;)。結果表明(it turns out that 原來是…)，一個穩定的婚姻的幸福值“髙得令人難以置信(incredibly adv.)”，布蘭奇弗勞爾(DB)博士如是說。布蘭奇弗勞爾博士是新罕布什爾州漢諾威市達特默思大學教授， 他的研究成果新近已由馬薩諸塞州(Mass)劍橋市的全國經濟研究局發表(本句考點：現在完成時被動語態，by 后面的機構不用深究是什么;just adv. 剛剛)。他還說：“不要輕易放棄婚姻。”(give up 放棄)
5. Blanchflower and his partner Andrew Oswald, an economist at Warwick University in Britain, begin with this question: "Taken all together, how would you say things are these days—would you say that you are happy, pretty happy, or not so happy?"
5、布蘭奇弗勞爾和他的合作伙伴(partner)——英國華威大學的經濟學家安德魯•奧斯瓦爾德(簡稱AO)，是以這個問題開始(begin with)他們的調查的：“總的來說(all together 一起;同時)，你會怎樣描述近況——是快樂、相當快樂，還是不怎么快樂?”(how would you say…用兩個特殊疑問句提出問題;謂語say后接兩個賓語從句。)
6. The survey results include detailed characteristics of those surveyed, such as whether they are married, divorced, single, their income level, race, gender, etc. With that data, they found which factors are associated with greater happiness.
6、調查結果包括(include)被調查對象的詳細特征(detailed characteristics of those surveyed;記得the +adj. 可以當名詞用，如the poor 窮人;這里的those surveyed 是不是也是一樣，也可以當名詞用，即“被調查對象”)——比如是否(whether)已婚、離異、單身，收入水平、種族和性別(gender)等情況。他們運用這些數據找出了那些與更高程度幸福相關的因素(which引導的名詞性從句做賓語;be associated with 和…聯系在一起;與…有關)。
7. Extra money does buy some happiness. But (it is) not as much as many would suspect. Constructing a sort of happiness index that assigns 3 to "very happy", 2 to "pretty happy", and 1 to "not too happy", the two reckon that an extra dollar provides 0.00000409 in additional happiness. Or $10,000 would give you 0.04 units of extra happiness.
7、額外的金錢的確(does強調，加強語氣)可以買到某種幸福。但是并不像許多人料想的那么多(suspect vi. 懷疑;猜想)。他們設計了一種幸福指數：3表示“非常幸福”，2表示“相當幸福”，1表示“不太幸福”(that 引導的定語從句修飾a sort of happiness index; assign to 分配給;指定到)。他們倆由此估算出(reckon vt. 測算;計算)，每額外增加1美元，幸福就會增值 0.00000409(additional adj. 附加的，額外的)。或者說1萬美元可以使你的幸福增值0.04個單位。
8. The two economists, using this index, assign a dollar value to other factors associated with more or less happiness.
8、這兩位經濟學家用這種指數(using this index)以美元為單位對與大大小小的幸福相關的(associated with more or less happiness過去分詞做定語，修飾other factors)其他因素進行了估價。
9. Using that index, a lasting marriage is worth $100,000 per year compared with being widowed or divorced. Being "separated" is the greatest depressant of happiness, followed closely by the death of a spouse.
9、采用這種指標可以看出，與鰥寡或離異(being widowed or divorced)相比(compare with 與…相比較)，持久的婚姻每年價值10萬美元。“分居”(being "separated")是對幸福最大的抑制劑(depressant)，緊隨其后的(抑制劑)是喪偶(followed…過去分詞做定語)。
10. Second and subsequent marriages are less happy than first marriages on average.
10、一般來說(on average 平均;偏意：通常)，第二次婚姻和以后的.(subsequent)再婚都不如第一次婚姻幸福。
11. A 16-year-old whose parents divorced has a lower level of well-being in adulthood.
11、一個雙親離異的16歲孩子(whose parents divorced定語從句修飾a 16-year-old; divorce vi. 離婚)在長大成人之后擁有較低程度的幸福(well-being n. 幸福;康樂;adulthood n. 成年)。
12. "Marriage is believed by psychologists and psychiatrists to provide a protective effect to mental well-being," the authors note.
12、這兩位作者指出：“心理學家和精神病學家認為婚姻是對精神健康的一種保障。(psychologist n. 心理學家; psychiatrist n. 精神病學家; protective effect n. 保護任用;防護作用; mental n. 精神的;心理的)”
13. Blanchflower suspects the decline in the happiness level of Americans from the early 1970s to the late 1990s, despite rising incomes, may be attributed to the rise in divorce.
13、布蘭奇弗勞爾認為，盡管(despite prep.盡管; n. 輕視;蔑視;憎恨)從1970年代初期到1990年代末期美國人的收入增加了(rising in comes)，但是他們的幸福程度卻降低了，這或許應歸罪于離婚率的升髙(be attributed to 歸因于…)。
14. Other findings include:
14、其他的發現包括：
15. To bring African-Americans up to average happiness levels, they would need an extra $ 30,000 in annual income.
15、要使非洲裔美國人的幸福程度上升到平均水平，他們的年收入(in annual income)還需要增加3萬美元。
16. This, the authors speculate, may be the impact of
racial discrimination. Over the past few decades, however, their happiness level has risen. "Blacks have made up some ground," they say.
16、這兩位作者認為(speculate vt. 推斷)，這種較低的幸福程度可能是種族歧視的結果(impact n. 影響;效果; racial discrimination n. 種族歧視)。然而，在過去的幾十年中，他們的幸福程度已經上升了。兩位作者說:“黑人已經取得了一些進展。”
17. Unemployment is highly damaging to men's happiness. It would take $ 60,000 a year to offset being jobless.
17、失業對男人的幸福損傷極大(damaging adj. 有破壞性的;損害的)。要補償這種無業狀況(to offset being jobless 不定式做目的狀語;offset vt. 彌補;抵消)一年需要6萬美元。
18. 'Men's happiness has trended up. Women's sense of well-being, though higher than that of men, has fallen "noticeably". Policies aimed at ending discrimination against women apparently have not boosted their happiness overall.
18、男人的幸福程度越來越高了。女人的幸福感雖然比男人的要高一些(though higher than that of men;that 指sense of well-bing),但已有“明顯(noticeably adv.)”下降。那些旨在消除女性歧視的(aimed at ending discrimination against women 過去分詞做定語，修飾policy-policies)政策顯然還未從總體上提高她們的幸福程度(apparently adv. 顯然地; boost vt. 促進;增加;overall adv. 全部地;總的說來)。
19. The educated tend to be happier than those less educated, even when separated from the higher income that often accompanies greater education.
19、受教育多的人趨于比受教育少的人更幸福，即使在拿不到高薪時也如此，雖然高薪常常與高學歷相關(separate from 分離; accompany vt. 陪伴;伴隨;直譯為：即使是拿不到與高學歷相關的高薪，受教育多的人也比受教育少的人更幸福)。
20. Happiness and life satisfaction are U-shaped according to age. In the United States, people's sense of well-being sinks to a low around 40 and then rises.
20、幸福程度與對生活的滿意程度(life satisfaction)隨著年齡的增加而呈U形曲線(according to 根據，按照)。在美國，人們的幸福感在40歲左右降至低谷(sink to 墮落到)，然后又開始上升。
21. Perhaps, the authors suggest, people adapt to their circumstances, relinquish some unfulfilled aspirations by the middle of their lives, and enjoy life more.
21、這兩位作者建議人們也許應該適應環境(adapt to 適應; circumstance n. 環境;境遇)，經歷中年時(by the middle of their lives)放棄一些仍未實現的抱負(relinquish vt. 放棄; unfulfilled adj. 未實現的;沒有成就感的; aspiration n. 渴望;抱負，志向)，從而充分地享受人生。
22. Being religious has a positive effect.
22、宗教信仰對人有積極影響(positive adj. 積極的)。
23. Overall the number of children and siblings a person has doesn't have an impact on their happiness. But for those under 30, happiness decreases proportionately to the number of both children and siblings. Blanchflower and Mr. Oswald found it in a separate study,"The Rising Well-Being of the Young".
23、總體上來講，一個人所擁有的孩子和兄弟姐妹的數量((that) a person has 是the number of children and siblings的定語從句; siblings n.兄弟姐妹)對他們的幸福并沒有影響(have an impact on 對于…有影響)。但是，布蘭奇弗勞爾和奧斯瓦爾德先生在另一項名為“年輕人日益增高的幸福感”的課題研究中發現，對于那些30歲以下的人來說，幸福感會因孩子和兄弟姊妹的增多而成比例地下降(proportionately adv. ; separate adj. 單獨的;分開的)。(注意：…found it …中的it指的是前一句話的內容，即“對于那些30歲以下的人來說，幸福感會因孩子和兄弟姊妹的增多而成比例地下降”;在“閱讀理解”的題目中，經常會提出這樣的問題，如某句中的it或that或they指的是…，四選一;所以要好好分析)
24. Blanchard suspects this has to do with the stress associated with having lots of kids.
24、布蘭徹德認為(suspects)這必定是由于孩子多而壓力增大的緣故(has to 不得不; do with忍受;this仍然是指上面那句話的內容;直譯為：布蘭徹德認為這是由于不得不忍受與孩子多有關的壓力而造成的)。
25. Surveys in Britain give "noticeably similar results" to those in the US. But people's level of satisfaction has remained about the same from the early 1970s to the late 1990s.
25、在英國的調查得出了與在美國的調查“明顯相似的結果”。但是，從20世紀70年代初到90年代末，人們的滿意程度幾乎一直沒有變化(has remained about the same)。
1. …, whose study __________the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Mass.
A. have just been published byB. has just been published by
C. has just published byD. has just been published
2. With that data, they found which factors are associated __________greater happiness.
A. withB. inC. toD. of
3. Extra money does buy some happiness. But it is not as much as many would __________.
A. surroundB. surpriseC. succeedD. suspect
4. A 16-year-old __________has a lower level of well-being in adulthood.
A. whose parents divorcedB. who parents divorced
C. whose parent divorcedD. whose parents divorce
5. Blanchflower suspects the decline in the happiness level of Americans from the early 1970s to the late 1990s, __________rising incomes, may __________the rise in divorce.
A. despite; be attributed of
B. despite; be attributed to
C. despite; is attributed to (may+原形，因此C錯)
D. despite; be attracted to
6. Women's sense of well-being,__________.
A. though higher than that of men, but has fallen "noticeably"
B. through higher than that of men, has fallen "noticeably"
C. though higher than that of men, has fallen "noticeably"
7. Perhaps people __________their circumstances, relinquish some unfulfilled aspirations by the middle of their lives, and enjoy life more.
A. adapt to B. adopt in C. adapt inD. adopt into
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