你也许听过 “年龄取决于你的想法” 这句话，实际上，这句话或许有些道理。研究表明，我们对待衰老的态度会对我们能活多久以及晚年的健康状况产生影响。本文讨论积极的态度是否可以延缓衰老。

词汇：ageing 衰老

When do you think ‘middle age’ starts? What about ‘old age’? Unsurprisingly, the answer to these questions will depend on your culture, as well as how old you are when someone asks you. What is perhaps more surprising is that the answer to these questions could have an impact on how quickly your body begins to age.

你认为“中年”是从什么时候开始的?那么“老年”呢?不出所料，这些问题的答案将取决于你的文化，以及别人问你时你的年龄。也许更令人惊讶的是，这些问题的答案可能会影响你身体开始衰老的速度。

In 2003, the researchers Hannah Kuper and Sir Michael Marmot carried out a wide-ranging study in which participants were asked the question: when does old age start? They then followed up with the participants six to nine years later and found that those who had thought old age began earlier were more likely to be in poor physical health.

2003年，研究人员汉娜·库珀(Hannah Kuper)和迈克尔·马尔莫特爵士(Sir Michael Marmot)进行了一项范围广泛的研究，参与者被问到这样一个问题:衰老从什么时候开始?六到九年后，他们对参与者进行了跟踪调查，发现那些认为老年开始得更早的人更有可能身体健康状况不佳。

But how could someone’s answer to a question about age possibly have an impact on their health? It might be that the question prompts people to think about their physical health, underlying health issues or poor lifestyle, which might then make them feel that old age is coming sooner. People who say that old age sets in earlier, may also be more fatalistic and less likely to visit a doctor or to adopt healthier routines. It’s even possible that the stress of having negative thoughts about ageing, contributes to more health problems.

但是一个人对年龄问题的回答怎么可能对他们的健康产生影响呢?可能是这个问题促使人们思考自己的身体健康、潜在的健康问题或不良的生活方式，这可能会让他们觉得老年来临得更快。那些说老年来得更早的人也可能更宿命，不太可能去看医生或采取更健康的生活习惯。甚至有可能，对衰老持消极看法的压力会导致更多的健康问题。

So, this is what happens when we think negatively about ageing, but what happens when we think positively? People who think old age starts later, may be more conscious about their health and fitness and therefore take steps to stay in better shape. They may see their twilight years as an opportunity to learn new things and make new plans. If they believe they are younger, they therefore behave in younger ways, creating a virtuous circle. Whatever the reason, according to data from the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Retirement, people who think positively about ageing live longer on average.

这就是当我们消极看待衰老时发生的事情，但当我们积极看待时又会发生什么呢?那些认为老年开始较晚的人，可能会更在意自己的健康和健康，因此会采取措施保持更好的身材。他们可能会把自己的晚年看作是学习新事物和制定新计划的机会。如果他们认为自己更年轻，他们就会以更年轻的方式行事，从而形成一个良性循环。无论什么原因，根据俄亥俄州老龄化和退休纵向研究(Ohio Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Retirement)的数据，对老龄化持积极看法的人平均寿命更长。

Of course, none of this research means that a positive attitude can magically stop the ageing process – our bodies get older with each passing year, after all. But it seems that if we try to be healthier and if we believe that there are still things we can do in old age, we might live longer and enjoy ourselves more too.

当然，这些研究并不意味着积极的态度可以神奇地阻止衰老过程——毕竟，我们的身体每年都会变老。但似乎如果我们努力变得更健康，如果我们相信我们在老年时仍然可以做一些事情，我们可能会活得更久，也更享受生活。

词汇表

middle age 中年
unsurprisingly 不出所料地
have an impact on 对…产生影响
age (v) 衰老，变老
carry out 进行…，完成
wide-ranging 范围广的
participant 参与者
follow up 跟进，跟踪调查
poor physical health 糟糕的身体状况，身体状况不佳
how could (something or someone) possibly （某事或某人）怎么可能…
prompt (v) 促使
underlying 潜在的
poor lifestyle 不良的生活方式
set in （不好的事情）到来，开始
fatalistic 相信宿命的
adopt 养成…习惯
contribute to 导致
conscious 有意识的，在意的
take steps to 采取措施
stay in shape 保持健康
twilight years 暮年，晚年
virtuous circle 良性循环
ageing process 衰老过程

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Can your attitude towards ageing affect the ageing process?

2. True or False? Participants in the Kuper and Marmot study lived six to nine years less.

3. Do we know exactly how or why someone’s attitude can affect the ageing process?

4. True or False? Believing you are younger makes you act like you are younger.

5. Do all people who think positively about ageing live longer?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The doctor told me to try this new medicine, and she will _______ with me in a few weeks to see if it’s working.

carry out                       follow up                        set in                       take steps to

2. When we adopted our cat, he was in _______ health. Now he’s a lively kitten again!

unsurprisingly               age                                find                          poor

3. Listening to you talking to your father _______ me to call mine. I don’t phone him enough!

more like to                   prompted                       set in                       contributed

4. I’m quite _______. If I’m meant to get the job, I will.

fatalistic                         wide-ranging                 conscious                 in shape                          

5. How could you _______ still be hungry? You just ate a whole pizza!  

unsurprisingly                possibly                         underlying                contribute

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。 

1. Can your attitude towards ageing affect the ageing process?
Yes. Thinking negatively about ageing can lead to poor physical health, whereas people who think positively about ageing live longer on average.

2. True or False? Participants in the Kuper and Marmot study lived six to nine years less.
False. Kuper and Marmot followed up with the participants six to nine years after asking them the question: when does old age start?

3. Do we know exactly how or why someone’s attitude can affect the ageing process?
No, we don’t. There are many possible reasons why thinking negatively about ageing can have negative results and thinking positively about ageing can have positive results.

4. True or False? Believing you are younger makes you act like you are younger.
True. If someone believes they are younger, they behave in younger ways, creating a virtuous circle.

5. Do all people who think positively about ageing live longer?
No. A positive attitude can’t stop the ageing process, but – according to the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Retirement – people who think positively about ageing live longer on average.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The doctor told me to try this new medicine, and she will follow up with me in a few weeks to see if it’s working.

2. When we adopted our cat, he was in poor health. Now he’s a lively kitten again!

3. Listening to you talking to your father prompted me to call mine. I don’t phone him enough!

4. I’m quite fatalistic. If I’m meant to get the job, I will.

5. How could you possibly still be hungry? You just ate a whole pizza! 

文章来源BBC，侵权删，本文仅用于英语学习。