四六级必读美文系列:女性幸福感为何下降?

 　　Why aren't women happier these days?

　　现在女性的幸福感为什么下降了？

　　That's the question raised by a thought-provoking study, The Paradox¹ 01 Declining Female Happiness, released last month. (1) The research showed that over the past 35 years women's happiness has declined, both compared to the past and relative to men even though, by most objective measures,the lives of women in the US have improved in recent decades.

　　五月公布的一项发人深思的调查《女性幸福感下降之诡辩》提出了上述问题。（1）这项研究显示，在过去的35年中，无论是纵向与过去相比，还是横向与男性相比，女性的幸福感都下降了——尽管按照大多数客观标准看，过去几十年来美国女性的生活改善了。

　　The research, by University of Pennsylvania economists² Stevenson and Wolfers, and released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found the decline in happiness to be pervasive³ among women across a variety of demographic groups. (2) The researchers, for instance, measured similar declines in happiness among women who were single Parents and married parents, "casting doubt on the hypothesis that trends in marriage and divorce, single parenthood or work/family balance are at the root of the happiness declines among women," they wrote.

　　这项研究由宾夕法尼亚大学经济学家史蒂文森和沃尔弗斯进行，Bureau ofEconomic由美国国家经济研究局(NationalResearch)公布。研究发现，在各类女性群体中，幸福感都普遍下降。（2）举例来讲，研究人员发现，单身母亲和已婚母亲中幸福感的下降幅度类似，他们写道：“这对一种假说提出了质疑，这种假说认为，婚姻、离婚、单身母亲或工作/家庭平衡等问题中的发展趋势是导致女性幸福感下降的根源。”

　　One theory for the decline in happiness is that expectations for workplace and general advancement⁴ were raised too high by the women's movement and women might feel inadequate⁵ for not "having it all," as a Los Angeles Times columnist⁶ recently put it.

　　正如《洛杉矶时报》一位专栏作家最近所写的，关于幸福感下降的一个理论是，对工作和总体发展的期望值被妇女运动推得过高，如果没有拥有一切，女性可能就觉得有所欠缺。

　　The researchers acknowledge that's a possibility:

　　研究人员承认这是一种可能。

　　"If the women's movement raised women's expectations faster than society was able to meet them," the paper says, "they would be more likely to be disappointed by their actual experienced lives." But they add, things could change for the better: "As women's expectations move into alignment⁷ with their experiences, this decline in happiness may reverse."

　　研究报告说，如果妇女运动提高女性期望值的速度高于社会满足她们期望值的速度，那么她们将更有可能对实际经历的生活感到失望。不过研究人员说，形势也可能峰回路转。他们写道，随着女性期望值与自身的经历更加贴近，幸福感的下降可能会逆转。

　　Readers, why do you think women are unhappier than in the past? Do you think that if expectations for "having it all" were lowered to "move into alignment with experiences," women might be happier?

　　读者朋友们，你认为女性为什么没有过去幸福了？你认为，如果对“拥有一切”的期望值被降低到“与经历相符的程度”，女性是否可能更幸福?

　　四六级句型讲解

　　1. The research showed that over the past 35 years women's happiness has declined. both compared to the past and relative to men even though, by most objective measures, the lives of women in the US have i m proved in recent decades.

　　本句是一个复合句。that引导宾语从句，作show的宾语。compared to...men过去分词短语作状语，表示比较。even though引导让步状语从句，意为“尽管”

　　语法重点：分词短语作状语，让步状语从句

　　2. The researchers. for instance. measured similar declines in happiness among women who were single parents and married parents. "casting doubt on the hypothesis that trends in marriage and divorce, single parenthood or work/family balance are at the root of the happiness declines among women," they wrote.

　　本句是一个复合句，其中for instance是插入语，表示举例。who引导限制性定语从句，修饰women。后面引号内的内容为直接引语。casting doubt...among women为现在分词短语作伴随状语，其中that引导同位语从句，解释说明hypothesis。

　　语法重点：插入语，定语从句，分词短语作状语，同位语从句

1 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

2 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

4 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

5 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

6 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

7 alignment   

n.队列；结盟，联合

参考例句：

• The church should have no political alignment.教会不应与政治结盟。
• Britain formed a close alignment with Egypt in the last century.英国在上个世纪与埃及结成了紧密的联盟。