穷朋友越多越幸福

    穷朋友越多越幸福
    Can money buy happiness? Yes， claim the authors of a new study —— but only up to a point．
Psychology¹ has shown that richer people generally rank the overall quality of their lives morefavorably than poorer people do． At the same time， their actual happiness seems to be motivated less by their ability to buy more than by being able to keep up with those with comparable resources in their own age group．
"Our findings point to the possibility that， rather than promoting overall happiness， continued income growth could promote an ongoing² consumption race where individuals have to consume more and more， just to maintain a constant level of happiness，" writes Glenn Firebaugh of Pennsylvania State University．
The study was presented at the American Sociological Association's 100th Annual Meeting．
Whether the affluent³ are happier as a whole than their less well－to－do counterparts is becoming an increasingly hot topic for debate． In recent years， much has been written regarding the "science of happiness．"
Richer people are happier because money can purchase goods and services and it is the consumption of these materials that increases one's enjoyment⁴ of life and one's sense of well－being．
As incomes in the U．S． tend to rise over the course of our lifetimes， individuals may find themselves on a sort of treadmill⁵ ， consuming more and more just to maintain a constant level of happiness， they write．
Firebaugh and his colleagues measured the age， total family income， and general happiness of individuals aged⁶ 20 to 64， generally considered the working life span for most Americans．
Regardless of such criteria⁷ as physical health， education， and marital⁸ status， people's happiness was affected⁹ by what others earned． The higher the income of others in one's age group， the lower one's happiness．

1 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

4 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

5 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。

6 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

7 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

8 marital   

adj.婚姻的，夫妻的

参考例句：

• Her son had no marital problems.她的儿子没有婚姻问题。
• I regret getting involved with my daughter's marital problems;all its done is to bring trouble about my ears.我后悔干涉我女儿的婚姻问题, 现在我所做的一切将给我带来无穷的烦恼。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。