When do you think ‘middle age’ starts? What about ‘old age’? Unsurprisingly, the answer to these questions will depend on your culture, as well as how old you are when someone asks you. What is perhaps more surprising is that the answer to these questions could have an impact on how quickly your body begins to age.

你认为“中年”从什么时候开始？ “晚年”怎么办？不出所料，这些问题的答案将取决于您的文化，以及当有人问您时您的年龄。也许更令人惊讶的是，这些问题的答案可能会影响您的身体开始衰老的速度。

In 2003, the researchers Hannah Kuper and Sir Michael Marmot carried out a wide-ranging study in which participants were asked the question: when does old age start? They then followed up with the participants six to nine years later and found that those who had thought old age began earlier were more likely to be in poor physical health.

2003 年，研究人员汉娜·库珀 (Hannah Kuper) 和迈克尔·马默爵士 (Sir Michael Marmot) 进行了一项范围广泛的研究，参与者被问到这样一个问题：老年从什么时候开始？然后，他们在六到九年后对参与者进行了跟进，发现那些认为老年开始得早的人更有可能身体健康状况不佳。

But how could someone’s answer to a question about age possibly have an impact on their health? It might be that the question prompts people to think about their physical health, underlying health issues or poor lifestyle, which might then make them feel that old age is coming sooner. People who say that old age sets in earlier, may also be more fatalistic and less likely to visit a doctor or to adopt healthier routines. It’s even possible that the stress of having negative thoughts about ageing, contributes to more health problems.

但是，一个人对年龄问题的回答怎么可能对他们的健康产生影响呢？可能是这个问题促使人们思考他们的身体健康、潜在的健康问题或不良的生活方式，这可能会让他们觉得老年会更快到来。说晚年更早的人也可能更加宿命论，不太可能去看医生或采取更健康的日常生活。对衰老产生负面想法的压力甚至有可能导致更多的健康问题。

So, this is what happens when we think negatively about ageing, but what happens when we think positively? People who think old age starts later, may be more conscious about their health and fitness and therefore take steps to stay in better shape. They may see their twilight years as an opportunity to learn new things and make new plans. If they believe they are younger, they therefore behave in younger ways, creating a virtuous circle. Whatever the reason, according to data from the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Retirement, people who think positively about ageing live longer on average.

那么，当我们对衰老持消极看法时会发生这种情况，但当我们积极思考时又会发生什么呢？认为晚年开始的人可能更关注自己的健康和健身，因此会采取措施保持更好的体型。他们可能会将晚年视为学习新事物和制定新计划的机会。如果他们认为自己更年轻，那么他们就会以更年轻的方式行事，从而形成良性循环。不管是什么原因，根据俄亥俄州老龄化和退休纵向研究的数据，对老龄化持积极态度的人平均寿命更长。

Of course, none of this research means that a positive attitude can magically stop the ageing process – our bodies get older with each passing year, after all. But it seems that if we try to be healthier and if we believe that there are still things we can do in old age, we might live longer and enjoy ourselves more too.

当然，这些研究并不意味着积极的态度可以神奇地阻止衰老过程——毕竟我们的身体一年比一年老。但似乎如果我们努力变得更健康，如果我们相信我们在老年时仍然可以做一些事情，我们可能会活得更久，也会更享受自己。

词汇表

middle age 中年
unsurprisingly 不出所料地
have an impact on 对…产生影响
age (v) 衰老，变老
carry out 进行…，完成
wide-ranging 范围广的
participant 参与者
follow up 跟进，跟踪调查
poor physical health 糟糕的身体状况，身体状况不佳
how could (something or someone) possibly （某事或某人）怎么可能…
prompt (v) 促使
underlying 潜在的
poor lifestyle 不良的生活方式
set in （不好的事情）到来，开始
fatalistic 相信宿命的
adopt 养成…习惯
contribute to 导致
conscious 有意识的，在意的
take steps to 采取措施
stay in shape 保持健康
twilight years 暮年，晚年
virtuous circle 良性循环
ageing process 衰老过程