關注社會:地球上最幸福的四個城市
Dan Buettner, the author of Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zone Way, set out to find the happiest places on earth, and he thinks he’s discovered four contenders on four different continents. What makes residents in these places so glad to be living the lives they do? Here’s a hint: It has nothing to do with their material wealth, intelligence, or attractiveness. Instead, Buettner found that members of these communities, which span the globe from Denmark to Mexico, give priority to social networks and health and well-being above all—and they make choices that reflect those values. So if you’re looking for a cheery destination for your next vacation, consider these four spots—and get ready to take notes on how to really live the good life:
《興旺:以藍寶地的方式尋找快樂》的作者丹·比特納,出發去尋找地球上最幸福的地方，他認爲他在四大洲發現了四個城市。是什麼使得這些地方的市民開心的過着自己的生活呢？答案是：這和物質財富、智力和魅力都沒有關係。相反，比特納發現，從丹麥到墨西哥這些地方的人們，都重視社交生活、健康，當然最重視幸福感---並且他們做出的選擇反映了他們的價值觀。因此，如果你正在尋找下一次度假的目的地，考慮一下這四個地方---準備好，記下如何才能過上幸福的日子。
Singapore
新加坡
With one of the highest population densities in the world and denizens known for being workaholics, it’s hard to imagine the city-state of Singapore having one of the happiest populations on earth. And yet in a recent survey, 95% of them said they were either very happy or quite happy. They give their city high marks for cleanliness and safety—subways are pristine and unfailingly arrive on time, and police are seen as helpful and good at their jobs. What’s more, they feel they can count on their neighbors—all 5.1 million of them. As Ahmad Nizan Abbas, a lawyer from Singapore, explained, “We used to live in fishing villages where we pulled together to help each other…. If something happens to a Malay household, the whole Malay community will be there to lend support.”
新加坡是世界上人口密度最高的國家之一，並且那裏的居民以工作狂而知名，但卻很難想象這個國家首都的人民是地球上最幸福的人之一。最近的一項調查中95%的市民稱他們要麼非常幸福要麼就相當幸福。他們高度評價城市的整潔和安全---地鐵仍是早期建成的那樣，並且永遠按時到達，警察的工作是有益並且優秀的。而且，他們認爲他們可以信賴他們的鄰居---所有5100000市民。正如來自新加坡的一名律師艾哈邁德·尼瓚·阿巴斯解釋道，“我們過去住在小漁村，我們在那裏團結，相互幫助……如果某個馬來家庭發生什麼事，整個馬來社區都會給予幫助。”
Århus, Denmark
奧爾胡斯，丹麥
The residents of Århus cheerfully part with 68% of their income in taxes, knowing that in return they will be guaranteed free healthcare, free daycare, and a topnotch education for their children. A robust city of 300,000 with a vibrant cultural scene and a diverse number of religions represented, the sense of community and equality (the range in incomes is narrow), as well as easy access to the nearby sea and surrounding countryside, make Århus seem more like a small town. “We believe that a rich person is not necessarily the one with a lot of money,” Jørgen Carlsen, an Århus school headmaster told Buettner. “It’s the one who really has a lot to be grateful for: nature, the company of other people, the ability to enjoy a good book.”
奧爾胡斯的市民很樂意的把收入的68%都要作爲給人所得稅上繳，因爲他們知道作爲回報他們可以享受免費的醫療、免費的日託服務以及孩子會享受到一流的教育。這樣一個充滿活力的城市，擁有300000人口，生氣蓬勃的文化氛圍，各種各樣的宗教信仰，人們可以共同享受，感到平等（城市的收入差距的很小），並且很容易就能到達附近的大海和周圍的鄉村，這些都使得奧爾胡斯看上去更小個小鎮。“我們相信富人並不一定就是有很多錢的人，”奧爾胡斯的一個校長卡爾森告訴比納特說，“富人應該是真正有許多感謝的，他們感謝自然，其他人的陪伴，並且感謝可以有能力欣賞一本好書。”
San Luis Obispo, CA
聖路易斯-奧比斯波 加利福利亞洲
According to a 2008 Gallup-Healthways study, people who live in San Luis Obispo are more likely than residents of other U.S. cities to smile and experience joy and are less likely to experience pain or depression. Some 64,000 of the 260,000 people in the greater metropolitan area, located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, volunteer at over 11,000 non-profit organizations. Few commutes are longer than 10 minutes (one reason its members rank in the upper third for job satisfaction), so “it’s easy to be involved,” resident Pierre Rademaker told Buettner. Business signs are unobtrusive by law, fewer than 11% of residents smoke—the lowest rate in the U.S.—there are lots of bike lanes, and the city’s plaza draws throngs of people for free concerts on summer Fridays. What’s not to love?
據2008年蓋洛普-健康方式的一項調查，住在聖路易斯-奧比斯波的人們比美國其他城市的居民更會笑，更會享受快樂，而不太可能經歷痛苦和絕望。這座比較大型的大都市，位於洛杉磯和舊金山中間， 260000市民中有大約64000名是11000多個非盈利行組織中的自願者。通勤的時間沒有長於十分鐘的（一個原因是他的成員對於工作的滿意度是位於前三），因此“很容易專心工作，”市民皮埃爾拉德梅克告訴比納特。法律禁止招搖過市的商業招牌，不足11%的市民抽菸---這是全美國吸菸率最低的城市---那裏有許多自行車道，夏天週五的時候城市的廣場總是能吸引成羣的人們在那開音樂會。還有什麼不喜歡的呢？
Monterrey, Mexico
蒙特裏 墨西哥undefined
Unlike San Luis Obispans, the people of Monterrey don’t enjoy high household incomes or access to good healthcare. Instead, there’s a profound sense of gratitude for the new political freedom enjoyed since the oppressive Institutional Revolutionary Party lost power in 2000—the first time in nearly a century—as well as an emphasis on social life over work. “The American system is good for productivity, but not for the soul,” Miguel Basanez, a political scientist who lives in Monterrey told Buettner. Another reason Monterrey residents may be so happy is their faith in God and family, and their ability to tough it out through bad times. “We laugh at sickness, poverty and even death,” says Basanez. “We even have a holiday to celebrate death. November 2, the Day of the Dead, is one of the biggest holidays of the year.”
與聖路易斯-奧比斯波不同，蒙特裏的市民沒有很高的家庭收入，也不能享受良好的醫療照顧。但是，自2000年暴虐的革命制度黨失去政權時，人們內心深處感到應該感謝享受到的新的政治自由---這幾乎是一個世紀以來的第一次---同時，相對於工作人們更重視社會生活。“美國的制度對於生產力是有利的，但卻不利於人”住在蒙特裏的一位政治科學家米格爾巴薩內斯告訴比納特，蒙特里居民也許很幸福的另一個原因是他們相信上帝，相信家庭，相信他們能夠度過艱難的日子。“我們笑對疾病、貧窮和死亡。”巴薩內斯說，“我們甚至有個節日來慶祝死亡。十月二日，就是死亡日，也是一年中最重大的節日之一。”
