时代周刊 人生长寿而精彩的秘诀(7)

The problem for the men was likely overexertion, but there are ways around that.

男人们在问题可能跟过分努力有关，但也不是没有解决的办法。

"Older adults have to realize that it’s intimacy¹ that’s important,"

“年龄较大的成年人必须明白，亲密才是关键，”

says Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry² at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

纽约Montefiore医疗中心老年精神病学主任Gary Kennedy博士如是说。

"If the focus is on pleasure rather than achieving orgasm each time, it can be fulfilling."

“如果性爱的重点放在找到快乐而不是每次都达到高潮的话，性爱会变得更容易让人满足。”

In this and other dimensions of aging,

在老龄化的这个和其他方面，

Kennedy cites pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who died at age 86 and was still performing into his 80s.

博士举了钢琴家弗拉基米尔·霍洛维茨的例子，他活了86岁，80多岁都还有性生活。

Conceding the limitations of age, he left the most demanding pieces out of his performances;

考虑到年龄的限制，他就把性爱最高的要求（高潮）排除在了自己的性爱之外；

of those that remained, he would play the slower ones first,

在剩下的环节，他会先保持较慢的节奏，

making the faster ones seem faster still by comparison.

这样一对比，当他加快节奏时就会显得他的节奏很快。

"He would optimize³, not maximize," says Kennedy.

“他会择优而不是最大限度地投入，”肯尼迪说。

There is an admitted bumper-sticker quality to dictum like that,

像这样的格言都被公认为有种保险杠贴纸的味道，

but compared with the familiar age-related wisdom—take it slow, watch your diet, stay cheerful—it’s bracing⁴.

但跟熟悉的岁月赋予的智慧——也就是慢慢来，注意饮食，保持乐观——相比，这种格言都少还是会让人觉得振奋人心。

"There are," Kennedy says, "no truly healthy centenarians;

肯尼迪说，“并没有真正健康的百岁老人；

you can’t put 100 points on the board without getting worn out and banged up along the way.

不经历风霜，不留点儿伤疤，是不可能活到100岁的。

But there are independent centenarians and happy centenarians and centenarians who have had a rollicking good ride.

但也不是没有独立而快乐，一辈子都活得特别快活的百岁老人。

The same is true for people who will never reach the 100-year mark but make the very most of the time they do get.

对于那些永远没有机会垮过百岁大关但却充分利用了已有生命的每一天的人，情况也是如此。

The end of life is a nonnegotiable thing.

死亡是没得商量的事情。

The quality and exact length of that life, however, is something we very much have the power to shape.

但我们完全有自己塑造生命的质量和确切长度的能力。

1 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

2 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

3 optimize   

v.使优化 [=optimise]

参考例句：

• We should optimize the composition of the Standing Committees.优化人大常委会组成人员的结构。
• We should optimize our import mix and focus on bringing in advanced technology and key equipment.优化进口结构，着重引进先进技术和关键设备。

4 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。