快乐的猩猩活得更长
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2011-06-29 07:37 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Happier orangutans are more likely to live for longer, according to a study.

一项研究显示,快乐的猩猩有可能活得时间更长。

A team of researchers in the UK and US devised a method to measure the happiness, or subjective1 well-being2, of captive orangutans(猩猩) .

In a follow-up study seven years later, the scientists found that happier primates4 were much more likely still to be alive.

The findings are published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

The team, led by Dr Alex Weiss from the University of Edinburgh, asked the people who worked closely with each captive orangutan to participate in the study. He asked the keepers and carers to complete a questionnaire about individual animals they knew well; assessing the orangutans' personalities5 and attitude.

"The assessment6 was modelled on [established] methods of assessing human well-being," Dr Weiss explained to BBC Nature.

The questionnaire posed four key questions, including how much time the orangutan in question spent "happy, contented7 and enjoying itself". It also asked the human participants to imagine how happy they would be if they were that orangutan for a week.

By working out a happiness score for each of nearly 200 animals, the team was able to see how happiness influenced the orangutans' lives. Seven years later, when they revisited the study, they could see a clear association between happiness and longevity8(长寿) .

Fitter, happier

Professor Richard Byrne, a primate3 expert from the University of St Andrews who was not involved in this study said that "the findings were clear".

"[The team has] worked out that the difference between an orangutan being rated as very happy, compared to very unhappy, equated9 to 11 additional years of life-expectancy," said Professor Byrne.

But, he continued, "the authors rightly point out that the data don't tell us whether some subtle sign of health or illness makes an orangutan act more or less happy, or if its the reverse - that something intrinsic(本质的,固有的) to the individual orangutan, which shows up externally as happiness or sadness to us, predisposes the individual to be more likely to stay healthy or get ill."

But even without fully10 understanding whether happiness causes long life or if better health causes happiness, the researchers hope their results will be used to improve and extend the lives of endangered orangutans.

"[In captivity], we might be able to extend life by more closely monitoring the health of an animal that seems unhappy," explained Dr Weiss.

He also thinks the work could be usefully applied11 to wild orangutans.

"There are lots of sanctuaries12 that are temporary homes for animals that are rescued having been captured by traders and hunters," Dr Weiss told BBC Nature.

"These happiness or well-being measures could be used to work out if an animal is ready to be reintroduced into the wild.

"I'd love to see this questionnaire being used more broadly."



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1 subjective mtOwP     
a.主观(上)的,个人的
参考例句:
  • The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。
  • A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。
2 well-being Fe3zbn     
n.安康,安乐,幸福
参考例句:
  • He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
  • My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福,却被误解为多管闲事。
3 primate A1YzI     
n.灵长类(目)动物,首席主教;adj.首要的
参考例句:
  • 14 percent of primate species are highly endangered.14%的灵长类物种处于高度濒危状态。
  • The woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas.绒毛蛛猴是美洲最大的灵长类动物。
4 primates 9536f12c27d026e37c108bd6fc53dbba     
primate的复数
参考例句:
  • Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。
  • Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。
5 personalities ylOzsg     
n. 诽谤,(对某人容貌、性格等所进行的)人身攻击; 人身攻击;人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
  • Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。
6 assessment vO7yu     
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
参考例句:
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
7 contented Gvxzof     
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的
参考例句:
  • He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
  • The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。
8 longevity C06xQ     
n.长命;长寿
参考例句:
  • Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
  • Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。
9 equated 4e5ed63ebe0d19855344c43d4526ea4f     
adj.换算的v.认为某事物(与另一事物)相等或相仿( equate的过去式和过去分词 );相当于;等于;把(一事物) 和(另一事物)等同看待
参考例句:
  • Production costs for the movie equated to around 30% of income. 这部电影的制作成本相当于收益的30%。
  • Politics cannot be equated with art. 政治不能同艺术等同起来。
10 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
11 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
12 sanctuaries 532347c9fc39e40608545e03c6fe7eef     
n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 );庇护;圣所;庇护所
参考例句:
  • The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定,须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后,他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句
TAG标签: orangutans happier longer
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