听美文故事记6级单词01-03

3.Newlyweds Advised to Lower Hopes

The secret of a long and happy marriage appears to be not to expect too much from it.　US researchers say that, unless you have superior relationship skills, your hopes of cosy¹ coupledom are likely to be dashed.

　　Far better, they say, to aim low to ensure you are not disappointed.

　　The key to keeping that newlywed glow appears to be forgiveness and communication.

　　The study, by researchers from Ohio and Florida Universities looked at 82 couples.

　　They quizzed all the spouses² independently over four years.

　　Their study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology³, found those who believed their partner would be unfailingly kind, loving and agree with their every word, could retain their positive outlook by being forgiving, and having charitable explanations for their partner's negative behaviour.

　　However, those with high expectations but without those relationship skills are likely to be brought down to earth fairly quickly as their Prince or Princess' Charming falls off their pedestal.

　　In contrast, the researchers say holding a more prosaic⁴ view of your loved ones means you are less likely to be disappointed, and therefore more satisfied with your marriage.

　　Writing in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers led by James McNulty, professor of psychology at Ohio University, said: "In contrast to the idea that expectations in the early years of marriage exert main effects on satisfaction, the current findings suggest that the effects of expectations interact with the skills partners bring to their relationships."

　　Previous research found that people tend to select like-minded partners who they believe will be able to maintain a stable relationship.

　　The finding contradicts the old adage⁵ that opposites attract.

　　Instead, the US researchers said people looking for long-term relationships should select partners who were similar to themselves, rather than seeking out the highest quality partner available.

1 cosy   

adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的

参考例句：

• We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
• It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。

2 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

3 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

4 prosaic   

adj.单调的，无趣的

参考例句：

• The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。
• It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

5 adage   

n.格言，古训

参考例句：

• But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
• Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！