Optimism and longevity

by Mark Travers

It goes without saying that we would all like to live longer, healthier lives. But how do we achieve this goal Is it diet Exercise Sleep Or, does longevity have more to do with non-physical factors, such as social support or maintaining a sense of purpose later in life

longevity /n. 長壽

to do with 跟…有關(guān)

non- 前綴，表示否定

physical /adj. 身體的

factor /  n. 因素

maintain / v. 維持、保持

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that non-physical factors may be more important than previously thought. Specifically, a team of researchers led by Lewina Lee of Boston University School of Medicine discovered a strong association between the personality trait of optimism and "exceptional longevity" – that is, living to the age of 85 or older.

publish /v. 發(fā)表

suggest /v. 提出、表明

specifically /adv. 具體來說(由specific加后綴-ally變成副詞)

researcher / n. 研究者(由research加上表示人的后綴-er)

association /n. 聯(lián)系、關(guān)聯(lián)(由associate加后綴-ion變成名詞)

personality / n. 個(gè)性、性格(由personal加后綴-ity變成名詞)

trait /n. 特點(diǎn)、特質(zhì)

optimism /n. 樂觀

exceptional / adj. 不尋常的(由exception加后綴-al變成形容詞)

To come to this conclusion, the researchers analyzed data from two separate studies, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS). In total, 69,744 women and 1,429 men were included in Lee's analysis.

conclusion / n. 結(jié)論

analyze /v. 分析

data / n. 數(shù)據(jù)

analysis /n. 分析

Three critical pieces of information were captured. First, participants in both studies completed an optimism assessment (administered in 1986 in the case of the NAS and in 2004 in the case of the NHS). Second, participants' age and mortality status were tracked continuously from 1976 to 2014. Third, participants provided information on their medical and psychological history, as well as demographic information (e.g., education level, income, ethnicity, etc.).

critical /  adj. 關(guān)鍵性的

capture / v. 采集(數(shù)據(jù))

participant / n. 參與者

assessment /n. 評(píng)估、評(píng)定(由assess加后綴-ment變成名詞)

administer / v. 管理、組織安排

mortality /n. 死亡

status / n. 狀態(tài)

track /v. 追蹤、隨訪

continuously /adv. 連續(xù)不斷地(由continuous加后綴-ly變成副詞)

medical / adj. 醫(yī)療的

psychological / dj. 心理的(由psychology加后綴-ical變成形容詞)

as well as =and also

demographic /  adj. 人口學(xué)的

e.g. =for example

level / n. 水平、程度

income /n. 收入

ethnicity /n. 民族、種族(由ethnic加后綴-ity變成名詞)

Lee and her team paired the data from the optimism assessment with participants' age and mortality status, as well as supplementary medical, psychological, and demographic information. They found that men and women who exhibited higher levels of optimism had longer lifespans.

pair /v. 配對(duì)、使成對(duì)

supplementary / adj. 補(bǔ)充的(由supplement加后綴-ary變成形容詞)

exhibit / v. 展示

lifespan / n. 壽命(由life和span組成)

Next, the researchers searched for the source of the effect. Two possibilities were tested. One possibility, according to the researchers, is that the effect of optimism on longevity occurs because optimistic people tend to make healthy life choices. This, in turn, promotes longevity. An alternative account is that optimism is enough in and of itself to promote longevity.

source /n. 來源、源頭

possibility /  n. 可能性

occur /v. 發(fā)生

optimistic /adj. 樂觀的

tend /v. 傾向于

in turn 接下來

promote /v. 促進(jìn)

alternative / adj. 可替代的、可供選擇的

account / n. 說法、解釋

in and of itself 單靠它自己

To tease these competing accounts apart, the researchers ran a series of statistical models that took into account health-related differences between optimistic and pessimistic people, such as the presence of diabetes and depression. The results showed an attenuated(減弱的), but still significant, association between optimism and longevity.

tease / v. 梳理

compete / v. 競(jìng)爭(zhēng)

run / v. 運(yùn)行

series /  n. 一系列(單數(shù)和復(fù)數(shù)都是series)

statistical / adj. 統(tǒng)計(jì)的

take into account 把…考慮進(jìn)來

related / adj. 相關(guān)的、有關(guān)的

pessimistic / adj. 悲觀的

presence / n. 存在

diabetes / n. 糖尿病

depression /n. 抑郁癥

significant / adj. 顯著的

The researchers suggest that while the optimism's effect on longevity operates in part through promoting healthy behavior, this is not the only pathway through which optimism increases the lifespan. They speculate that there is something unique about the personality trait of optimism and its ability to extend human life.

operate / v. 運(yùn)作

in part 部分地、在一定程度上

pathway / n. 通道(由path和way組成)

speculate /  v. 推測(cè)

unique /adj. 獨(dú)特的

extend / v. 擴(kuò)展、延長

The authors conclude, "Our findings suggest optimism may be an important psychosocial(社會(huì)心理的) resource in promoting healthy aging. Such findings add to the arsenal(資源庫) of potentially modifiable factors that should be targeted to improve population health and longevity."

conclude /v. 下結(jié)論

resource /  n. 資源

age /v. 變老

potentially /adv. 潛在地、可能地(由potential加后綴-ly變成副詞)

modifiable /  adj. 可改變的(由modify加后綴-able變成形容詞)

target / v. 以…為靶子

英文原文節(jié)選自Forbes