美文共賞：快樂的秘訣

　　The secret to happiness is keeping busy, research has found.
　　一項研究發現，快樂的秘訣就是讓自己忙起來。
　　Keeping the mind occupied with tasks - no matter how meaningless - staves off negative emotions, the study found.
　　該研究發現，讓自己有點事情可想——無論是多么沒意思的事——都有助于消極情緒。
　　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.
　　然而，據芝加哥大學行為科學家奚愷元教授介紹，人類似乎生性懶惰，旨在保存精力。
　　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.
　　研究人員讓98個學生做了兩項調查。這兩個調查間隔15分鐘。
　　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.
　　在此期間，學生可以就近提交第*個調查的結果，或者步行至一個較遠的地方遞交結果。無論選擇哪一種途徑，他們都會獲贈一塊巧克力。
　　Two-thirds （68 per cent） chose the lazy option.
　　其中，三分之二（68%）的人選擇了走近路。
　　Those who had taken the walk reported feeling happier than those who had stayed put.
　　但據報告，走路去遞交結果的人比待在原地的人感覺更加快樂。
　　Prof Hsee concluded keeping busy helped keep people happy.
　　奚教授由此得出結論，讓自己忙一點有助于保持好的心情。
　　He said the findings, reported in the journal Psychological Science, had policy implications.
　　該研究在《心理科學》雜志上發表。奚教授稱該發現具有政策指導意義。
　　“Governments may increase the happiness of idle citizens by having them build bridges that are actually useless”, he proposed.
　　他建議說：“比如，政府可以讓沒事可做的民眾建造實際上并沒有什么用處的橋梁來提升他們的幸福感。”
　　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.”
　　就個人而言，他建議說：“起來干點什么吧。做什么都行。就算你所做的事情沒什么實際意義，你也會因此而感到快樂。”
　　He added: “Incidentally, thinking deeply or engaging in self-reflection counts as keeping busy, too.
　　他說：“另外，思考或反省也是讓自己動起來的一種方式。”
　　“You do not need to be running around, – you just need to be engaged, either physically or mentally.”
　　“你不需要東奔西跑，只需要有事情做，無論是體力上的還是腦力上的。”