平時多行善的人更長壽

It's the lesson Scrooge learned the hard way - and now a study has revealed the moralbehind Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol may be true after all.

這是斯克魯奇歷經苦難才學到的東西，如今一項研究揭示，狄更斯的經典作品《聖誕頌歌》背後的寓意也許是正確的。

New research has revealed the do-gooders amongst us live longer than the meaner, less charitable people.

新研究發現，行善者比那些不慷慨、不寬容的人活得更長。

The figures also showed people who volunteer to help others have an increased lifespan than those who do it for personal satisfaction.

數據還顯示，那些主動幫助他人的人比那些爲滿足自己而幫助他人的人壽命更長。

Scientists studied a random group of 10,317 college students from their graduation in 1957 until the present day.

科學家隨機抽取了10317名大學生作爲研究對象，並跟蹤調查了他們從1957年畢業後到現在的情況。

In 2004, respondents reported whether they had volunteered within the past ten years and how regularly.

2004年，被調查者們報告了他們在過去十年內是否曾主動幫助他人以及這樣做的頻繁程度。

Researchers found that four years later 4.3 percent of 2,384 non-volunteers were dead.

研究人員發現，四年之後，那些不曾主動幫助他人的2384名被調查者中，有4.3%已經去世。

A similar number - four percent - of volunteers with more self-orientated motives were also dead.

那些爲了自身利益去主動幫助他人的人也有4%去世，人數和前者相近。

However, only 1.6 percent of those volunteers whose motivations were more focused on others were dead four years later.

然而，那些更多地爲對方考慮的自願助人者只有1.6%的人在四年後去世。

The study's lead author Dr Sara Konrath, of the University of Michigan, said: 'This could mean people who volunteer with other people as their main motivation may be bufferedfrom potential stressors associated with volunteering, such as time constraints and lack of pay.

該研究的主要作者、密歇根大學的薩拉 康拉斯博士說：“這可能意味着那些以他人利益爲主要出發點的助人者也許可以免受和自願助人相關的潛在壓力的困擾，例如時間有限、薪酬不足。

'We recommend that people pay attention to their reasons for volunteering, and try to focus on how their behaviour can positively impact others.

“我們建議人們注意一下自己幫助他人的原因，並試着去關注自身行爲怎樣能給他人帶來正面影響。

'It does not appear that volunteering for self-serving reasons does actual harm, and it can still do your community good.'

“這並不表示爲了自身利益而幫助他人是有害的，這麼做還是可以造福你的社區。”