豪宅不如農家院 住在郊區最健康
大概不會有人感到驚訝，那些居住在高檔的綠樹環抱的郊區的人們過着更加健康的生活。
（圖片來源於網絡）
Now, however, scientists have found that being closer to nature brings even greater advantages.
然而現在，科學家們發現，親近自然其實可以帶來更多的好處。
Those who live in places surrounded by greenery are also more generous, sociable, calm and trusting – no matter how impoverished the area might be.
那些住在綠樹成蔭之處的人們在會表現的更加剛開大方，善於交際，冷靜與信任，這與該區域的經濟情況並不相關。
The findings come from a study by Professor Frances Kuo, a professor of the landscape and human health.
這個發現來自於一位名叫Frances Kuo的教授，她是研究環境景觀和人類健康之間關聯的專家。
She says that the health benefits come irrespective of other factors and that once we are deprived of green space, our health suffers dramatically.
她表示，在不考慮其他有益健康的因素的前提下，一旦生活中的綠色出現了缺失，我們的健康將遭到影響。
Prof Kuo said that access to nature and green environments yields better cognitive functioning, more self-discipline and impulse control, and greater mental health overall.
Kuo教授稱，大自然和綠色的環境可以讓我們受益良多，並有助於提高認識能力，增強自我約束力和對衝動的控制力，對於整體的心理健康情況而言都是有好處的。
But greener environments also enhance recovery from surgery, enable and support higher levels of physical activity, improve immune system functioning, and help diabetics achieve healthier blood glucose levels.
而更多綠色的環境還促進在手術之後身體的復原情況，利於更加活躍的運動，提高免疫系統功能能，幫助糖尿病患者的血糖恢復到健康的水平。
By contrast less access to nature is linked to exacerbated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms, higher rates of anxiety disorders, and higher rates of clinical depression.
相比之下，很少接近綠色的人更容易出現煩躁不安的症狀，同時加劇了焦慮的產生，臨牀表現上出現抑鬱的情況。Environments with less green space are associated with greater rates of childhood obesity, higher rates of many physician-diagnosed diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, and higher rates of mortality in younger and older adults.
環境中的綠色過少的話與兒童出現肥胖症有聯繫，許多被診斷出的疾病，包括心血管疾病再接大多數青年和老年人中出現較高的機率，都與此有關。
'We still find these benefits when they are measured objectively, when non-nature lovers are included in our studies, when income and other factors that could explain a nature-health link are taken into account,' Prof Kuo said.
“當我們客觀的評價這些帶來的好處時，我們會考慮到那些對於自然環境不感興趣的人的收入情況以及其他因素時，發現自然與健康之間的內在聯繫是確實存在的。”
'In greener settings, we find that people are more generous and more sociable. We find stronger neighbourhood social ties and greater sense of community, more mutual trust and willingness to help others.
“在更多綠色的環境中，我們發現人們會表現的更加慷慨，更善於交際，社會關係更加融洽，鄰里之間的社區意識更加強烈，更加互信互助，並且樂於助人。”
'In less green environments, we find higher rates of aggression, violence, violent crime, and property crime - even after controlling for income and other differences.
“在找不到綠色的環境中，我們發現人們更容易表現的充滿侵略性，暴力犯罪和金錢犯罪的出現率較高，即便是考量了收入與其他方面的差異後結果也是如此。”
'We also find more evidence of loneliness and more individuals reporting inadequate social support.'
“發現同時還爲孤獨感和不健全的社會能力提供的佐證。”
Prof Kuo pointed out that the research had taken data from a range of sources, including police crime reports, blood pressure tests, performance on standardised neurocognitive tests, and physiological measures of immune system functioning.
教授指出，研究所採用的數據來源廣泛，其中包括了警方犯罪記錄、血壓的測試，標準化的神經認知測試性能和免疫系統功能的生理測量數據。
