Optimism and longevity

by Mark Travers

It goes without saying that we would all like to live longer, healthier lives. But how do we achieve this goal? Is it diet? Exercise? Sleep? Or, does longevity have more to do with non-physical factors, such as social support or maintaining a sense of purpose later in life?

longevity /lɒnˈdʒevəti/ n. 长寿
to do with 跟…有关
non- 前缀，表示否定
physical /ˈfɪzɪk(ə)l/ adj. 身体的
factor /ˈfæktə(r)/ n. 因素
maintain /meɪnˈteɪn/ v. 维持、保持

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that non-physical factors may be more important than previously thought. Specifically, a team of researchers led by Lewina Lee of Boston University School of Medicine discovered a strong association between the personality trait of optimism and "exceptional longevity" – that is, living to the age of 85 or older.

publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ v. 发表
suggest /səˈdʒest/ v. 提出、表明
specifically /spəˈsɪfɪk(ə)li/ adv. 具体来说（由specific加后缀-ally变成副词）
researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究者（由research加上表示人的后缀-er）
association /əˌsəʊsiˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 联系、关联（由associate加后缀-ion变成名词）
personality /ˌpɜːsəˈnæləti/ n. 个性、性格（由personal加后缀-ity变成名词）
trait /treɪt/ n. 特点、特质
optimism /ˈɒptɪmɪz(ə)m/ n. 乐观
exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adj. 不寻常的（由exception加后缀-al变成形容词）

To come to this conclusion, the researchers analyzed data from two separate studies, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS). In total, 69,744 women and 1,429 men were included in Lee's analysis.

conclusion /kənˈkluːʒ(ə)n/ n. 结论
analyze /ˈæn(ə)laɪz/ v. 分析
data /ˈdeɪtə/ n. 数据
analysis /əˈnæləsɪs/ n. 分析

Three critical pieces of information were captured. First, participants in both studies completed an optimism assessment (administered in 1986 in the case of the NAS and in 2004 in the case of the NHS). Second, participants' age and mortality status were tracked continuously from 1976 to 2014. Third, participants provided information on their medical and psychological history, as well as demographic information (e.g., education level, income, ethnicity, etc.).

critical /ˈkrɪtɪk(ə)l/ adj. 关键性的
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ v. 采集（数据）
participant /pɑːˈtɪsɪp(ə)nt/ n. 参与者
assessment /əˈsesmənt/ n. 评估、评定（由assess加后缀-ment变成名词）
administer /ədˈmɪnɪstə(r)/ v. 管理、组织安排
mortality /mɔːˈtæləti/ n. 死亡
status /ˈsteɪtəs/ n. 状态
track /træk/ v. 追踪、随访
continuously /kənˈtɪnjuəsli/ adv. 连续不断地（由continuous加后缀-ly变成副词）
medical /ˈmedɪk(ə)l/ adj. 医疗的
psychological /ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ adj. 心理的（由psychology加后缀-ical变成形容词）
as well as = and also
demographic /ˌdeməˈɡræfɪk/ adj. 人口学的
e.g. = for example
level /ˈlev(ə)l/ n. 水平、程度
income /ˈɪnkʌm/ n. 收入
ethnicity /eθˈnɪsəti/ n. 民族、种族（由ethnic加后缀-ity变成名词）

Lee and her team paired the data from the optimism assessment with participants' age and mortality status, as well as supplementary medical, psychological, and demographic information. They found that men and women who exhibited higher levels of optimism had longer lifespans.

pair /peə(r)/ v. 配对、使成对
supplementary /ˌsʌplɪˈment(ə)ri/ adj. 补充的（由supplement加后缀-ary变成形容词）
exhibit /ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/ v. 展示
lifespan /ˈlaɪfspæn/ n. 寿命（由life和span组成）

Next, the researchers searched for the source of the effect. Two possibilities were tested. One possibility, according to the researchers, is that the effect of optimism on longevity occurs because optimistic people tend to make healthy life choices. This, in turn, promotes longevity. An alternative account is that optimism is enough in and of itself to promote longevity.

source /sɔːs/ n. 来源、源头
possibility /ˌpɒsəˈbɪləti/ n. 可能性
occur /əˈkɜː(r)/ v. 发生
optimistic /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/ adj. 乐观的
tend /tend/ v. 倾向于
in turn 接下来
promote /prəˈməʊt/ v. 促进
alternative /ɒlˈtɜːnətɪv/ adj. 可替代的、可供选择的
account /əˈkaʊnt/ n. 说法、解释
in and of itself 单靠它自己

To tease these competing accounts apart, the researchers ran a series of statistical models that took into account health-related differences between optimistic and pessimistic people, such as the presence of diabetes and depression. The results showed an attenuated（减弱的）, but still significant, association between optimism and longevity.

tease /tiːz/ v. 梳理
compete /kəmˈpiːt/ v. 竞争
run /rʌn/ v. 运行
series /ˈsɪəriːz/ n. 一系列（单数和复数都是series）
statistical /stəˈtɪstɪk(ə)l/ adj. 统计的
take into account 把…考虑进来
related /rɪˈleɪtɪd/ adj. 相关的、有关的
pessimistic /ˌpesɪˈmɪstɪk/ adj. 悲观的
presence /ˈprez(ə)ns/ n. 存在
diabetes /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz/ n. 糖尿病
depression /dɪˈpreʃ(ə)n/ n. 抑郁症
significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/ adj. 显著的

The researchers suggest that while the optimism's effect on longevity operates in part through promoting healthy behavior, this is not the only pathway through which optimism increases the lifespan. They speculate that there is something unique about the personality trait of optimism and its ability to extend human life.

operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 运作
in part 部分地、在一定程度上
pathway /ˈpɑːθweɪ/ n. 通道（由path和way组成）
speculate /ˈspekjuleɪt/ v. 推测
unique /juːˈniːk/ adj. 独特的
extend /ɪkˈstend/ v. 扩展、延长

The authors conclude, "Our findings suggest optimism may be an important psychosocial（社会心理的） resource in promoting healthy aging. Such findings add to the arsenal（资源库） of potentially modifiable factors that should be targeted to improve population health and longevity."

conclude /kənˈkluːd/ v. 下结论
resource /ˈriːsɔːs/ n. 资源
age /eɪdʒ/ v. 变老
potentially /pəˈtenʃ(ə)li/ adv. 潜在地、可能地（由potential加后缀-ly变成副词）
modifiable /ˈmɒdɪfaɪəb(ə)l/ adj. 可改变的（由modify加后缀-able变成形容词）
target /ˈtɑːɡɪt/ v. 以…为靶子

英文原文节选自Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2019/09/21/optimism-the-key-to-longevity/