幸福是一種選擇：關於幸福的12個有趣真相
Everything You Need To Know About Happiness In The World
關於幸福的一切
Unemployment can cause as much unhappiness as bereavement or separation, according to the World Happiness Report, published by Columbia University's Earth Institute and co-edited by Nobel laureate Jeffrey Sachs.
哥倫比亞大學地球研究所和諾貝爾獎獲得者傑佛裏·薩克斯日前共同發佈了世界幸福報告。根據報告顯示，失業造成的痛苦與喪失親友或是分居程度相當。
The report found that the happiest countries in the world are all in Northern Europe with Denmark topping the list.
報告發現，世界上最幸福的國家都在北歐，其中丹麥位居第一。
Meanwhile the least happy countries are in the poor regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
同時，最不幸福的國家位於撒哈拉以南非洲的貧窮地區The happiest countries in the world are all in Northern Europe
世界上最幸福的國家都在北歐
The happiest countries in the world namely Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Netherlands are all in Northern Europe. Their average life evaluation score is 7.6 on a scale from 0 to 10.
世界上最幸福的國家有丹麥、挪威、芬蘭和荷蘭，這些都是北歐國家。在0-10分範圍內，這些國家的平均生活評估得分是7.6分。
The least happy countries are all poor countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
最不幸福的國家都是位於撒哈拉以南非洲的貧窮國家
The least happy countries are all poor countries in Sub-Saharan Africa namely Togo, Benin, Central African Republic, and Sierra Leone with average life evaluation scores of 3.4.
最不幸福的國家都是位於撒哈拉以南非洲的貧窮國家，包括多哥（西非國家）、貝寧、中非共和國和塞拉利昂，平均生活評估得分僅有3.4分。
But happiness is measured by more than money. Community, religion, and health play big roles
但是，幸福並不單單用金錢衡量，生活社區、宗教和健康狀況也非常重要
The key external factors that determine happiness include income, work, community and governance, and values and religion.
決定幸福的關鍵外在因素包括：收入、工作、社區和管理、價值觀和宗教信仰。
The personal features that determine happiness include mental health, physical health, family experience, education, and gender and age.
決定幸福的個人特質包括：心理健康、生理健康、家庭經歷、教育、性別和年齡。
Sometime there is a two-way interaction between the determinant and happiness itself. For instance health affects happiness and conversely happiness affects health.
有時候，這些決定因素和幸福本身之間存在着一種雙向互動。比如說健康會影響幸福感，那麼反過來，幸福也讓你變得更健康。Of course, Income is always a factor in explaining happiness, but it isn't the most important thing
當然，收入總是說明幸福與否的一個因素，但它不是最重要的指標
In 1974 Richard Easterlin wrote a seminal article which found that richer people are on average happier than poorer people (a cross-sectional fact) but that over time within different societies the population does not on average become happier when they country's income rises (a time-series fact). This came to be known as the Easterlin paradox.
1974年，理查德·伊斯特林寫了一篇很有創意的文章，他發現富人通常比窮人幸福些（代表性事實），但是在不同的社會，隨着時間流逝，當國家的收入提高時人們並不會隨之感到更加幸福（時間序列事實）。這個就是我們熟知的伊斯特林悖論。
Income is not the most important factor in determining happiness.
收入不是決定幸福最重要的因素。
Relative income i.e. income relative to others of the same age, sex, education is the only one that matters when it comes to happiness. Absolute income is not that important.
相對性收入，也就是相對於同年齡、同性別、同教育水平的其他人的收入，這個才影響幸福。絕對收入並不重要。
Unemployment causes as much unhappiness as separation or bereavement
失業造成的痛苦與分居或喪失親友程度相當
People experience a sharp drop in well-being when they are unemployed. Unemployment causes as much unhappiness as bereavement or separation.
當人們丟了工作時，他們遭受着幸福感的急劇跌落。失業造成的痛苦與喪失親友或分居程度相當。
High unemployment impacts the happiness not just on the families of the unemployed but also those in work who feel less secure in their jobs.
居高不下的失業率不僅僅影響失業家庭的幸福感，同樣也影響着那些仍在崗位上但卻對工作缺乏安全感的人們。
The quality of work is extremely important to happiness. Respondents from OECD countries were asked to rank eight different job characteristics on a five point scale from not at all important to very important. Only 20 percent of respondents from OECD countries said a high income is very important, 60 percent said job security is very important, while 50 percent said interest work is very important.
工作質量對於幸福的影響也極其重要。來自經濟合作及發展組織國家的調查對象，要求他們在5分範圍內從不重要到非常重要排出8個不同的影響幸福的工作特徵，僅有20%的人認爲高收入非常重要，60%的人認爲工作安全非常重要，而50%的人認爲工作興趣最重要。In most developed countries women are happier than men
在大多數發達國家，女人比男人幸福
In most advanced countries, women report higher life satisfaction and happiness than men. But the results are smaller or reversed in non-industrial countries.
在大多數發達國家，女人比男人擁有更高的生活滿意度和幸福感。但是，在非工業國家這個結論差距會縮小甚至顛倒過來。
Women are happier in countries where gender rights are equal.
在性別權利平等的國家裏女性更幸福。
Trust, freedom, equality and social interactions increase happiness
信任、自由、平等和社交互動能夠提升幸福感
Individual happiness comes from a set of social interactions, and trust plays a huge role. In a well-functioning society there is a high level of trust between citizens and between institutions.
個人的快樂幸福來自於一系列的社交互動，在這其中信任起着重要作用。在一個運行良好的社會中，公民與制度之間存在着一個很高程度的信任。
Bonding capital i.e. people who are similar to one another and bridging capital i.e. people who are different impacts life satisfaction and happiness. "We want both - not only good social capital within communities but also good links between communities."
社會資本指的是很相似的一羣人，而橋樑資本則指的是生活滿意度和幸福感影響程度不同的人們。“我們兩者都想要，不僅是需要團體內部的社會資本，也需要社會團體間良好的鏈接。”
Freedom is a key component to happiness.
自由是幸福的關鍵因素。
Equality plays a huge role in happiness because greater equality is associated with reduced social tensions, especially when the inequality is seen as unfair. Also, the value of extra income is greater for the rich than the poor.
在幸福感的影響因素中，平等也非常重要，因爲較大程度的平等意味着社會緊張感的減少，特別是在不平等會等同於不公平的狀態下。同樣，額外收入對於富人的價值要比其對窮人的價值大。
In countries where life is harder, those who are more religious report more positive emotions
在那些生活艱辛、人們宗教信仰更虔誠的國家，人們的正面情緒更多
About 68 percent of adults across the world say that religion is important in their daily lives. Religious belief and practice is more common in countries where life is harder. In the U.S. religious is belief is higher in states where life is harder.
全世界68%的人認爲在他們的生活中宗教信仰很重要。在生活艱辛的國家中，宗教信仰和行爲非常普遍。在美國生活艱辛的地區，宗教信仰程度也較高。
While there is no difference in life satisfaction between more and less religious countries, in countries where life is harder there is significantly more positive emotion and less negative emotion among those who are more religious.
雖然談及生活滿意度，宗教信仰多的國家和宗教信仰少的國家並沒有多大差別，但在那些生活艱辛的國家裏，更加虔誠的人們會散發更多的積極情緒和更少的消極情緒。
Values, certain behaviors and the environment play important roles in happiness
在幸福感中，價值觀、特定行爲舉止和環境也很重要
Many values taught by religion are reinforced by society through more secular systems. Altruism and kindness have shown happiness in both the giver and the receiver.
在許多宗教中灌輸的價值觀都被社會通過更加長期的制度體系加強完善了。利他主義和行善樂施的價值觀會讓贈與者和接受者都感覺幸福。
Most ethical systems also teach that material wealth should not be pursued beyond the point where it compromises other values. At a given level of income, people who cared more about their income were less happy with life overall.
大多數道德體系都會教導我們：追尋物質財富時，不能以犧牲其他價值觀爲代價。在某一特定收入水平上，更加在乎其收入的人們總體生活幸福感要少一些。
All other things equal, watching television is also associated with lower happiness. This is because its reduces social life and increases exposure to violence. But television can provide enjoyment and instruction.
其他所有因素重要程度相當，看電視會讓人有較低的幸福感，這是因爲看電視減少了社交生活，但增加了觀看暴力場面的機會。但是電視同時讓人很享受，也有指導意義。
The environment also plays a crucial part in happiness. Green spaces are associated with better health, performance and life satisfaction.
環境在影響幸福感中也至關重要。綠色的空間通常暗示着較好的身體狀況、出色的表現和滿意的生活。
Education indirectly affects happiness through higher income and better healthcare
教育因爲可以帶來更高的收入和更好的醫療保健，從而直接影響幸福感
Education is indirectly related to happiness because it increases income and income increases happiness. Longer years of education are associated with increased employability and job security.
教育與幸福感直接相關聯，因爲教育會提高收入，而收入又會提高幸福感。較長的受教育年限能增加就業能力，保障職業安全感。
The direct effect of education on happiness is mixed and varies between countries.
在不同的國家，教育對於幸福感的直接作用也不同。
Having children is no guarantee of happiness
有孩子並不能確保幸福
Being married rather than single, divorced or widowed is strongly associated with higher self-declared happiness. In most countries married people are happier with their life than those who cohabit with a partner.
結婚的人比單身、離異或者喪偶能感受到更多的自我幸福感。在大多數國家，已婚人士比那些未婚同居的人們生活幸福感更強烈。
Studies have shown that individuals who are already happier when they are young have a higher probability of becoming and remaining married. And getting married also boosts happiness if only for some years. But leisure and social activities of one's spouse can reduce life satisfaction in the other spouse.
研究顯示，一個年輕時就比較幸福的人走進婚姻殿堂和保持美滿婚姻的可能性較大。結婚會增加幸福感，哪怕只是幾年的婚姻生活。但是一方配偶的閒暇和社會活動卻會減少另一方的生活滿意度。
Life satisfaction is said to peak in the years before and after marriage. For those who never get divorced, happiness is permanently higher than before they were married.
生活滿意度在婚前和婚後會達到一個頂峯。對於那些從未離婚的夫妻來說，幸福感永遠高於他們結婚前。
Moreover having children is no guarantee of higher happiness.
此外，有孩子並不能確保更高的幸福感。
Mental and physical health both have huge impacts on happiness
心理和生理健康都非常影響一個人幸福感
"Happiness depends crucially on personality, and personality is strongly affected by your genetic make-up." One important way in which in genes operate is through mental health.
“幸福感極其依賴於性格，而性格又受遺傳基因性格影響頗深。” 心理健康是實現基因運轉最重要的一種方式。
Those who are mentally ill as adolescents are more likely to experience low earnings, unemployment, criminal records, teenage pregnancy, physical illness and poor educational performance than others in the population.
那些在少年時候就有精神疾病的人更容易遭受低收入、失業、犯罪記錄、少年媽媽、生理疾病和糟糕教育表現等境遇。
Panel data allows comparisons of the life-satisfaction of the same individuals before and after they become disabled. The impact effect of severe disability is estimated as being 0.6 points on the one to seven life satisfaction scale, and that of moderate disability as 0.4 points.
研究中的固定樣本數據可以將同一個人在殘疾前後對生活的滿意度進行對比。嚴重殘疾的影響作用對生活滿意度有着非常大的影響：在0-7分範圍的中只得到0.6分，中度殘疾爲0.4分。
Adaptation to disability also impacts life-satisfaction, and someone who has been disabled for all of the past three years is less affected than someone who is recently disabled.
對於殘疾的適應力也影響着生活滿意度，殘疾有3年的人比剛剛遭遇殘疾的人所受到影響要小。
