金钱与快乐 Money and Happiness

几jǐ年nián前qián，普林斯顿大学Pǔlínsīdùn Dàxué做过zuòguò一yí个ge有名yǒumíng的de研究yánjiū，调查diàochá金钱jīnqián和hé快乐kuàilè之间zhījiān的de关系guānxi。

A few years ago, Princeton University conducted a famous study investigating the relationship between money and happiness.

研究yánjiū发现fāxiàn，收入shōurù越yuè高gāo，人rén确实quèshí越yuè快乐kuàilè，但是dànshì这种zhèzhǒng关系guānxi只zhǐ到dào一yí定dìng的de数字shùzì为止wéizhǐ。

The research found that the higher the income, the happier people indeed are, but this relationship only holds up to a certain number.

当dāng年nián收入shōurù达到dádào七万qī wàn五千wǔqiān美元měiyuán左右zuǒyòu以后yǐhòu，再zài多duō的de钱qián，对duì快乐kuàilè的de影响yǐngxiǎng就jiù变得biànde很hěn小xiǎo。

After annual income reaches around seventy-five thousand dollars, additional money has less and less influence on happiness.

换句话说huàn jù huà shuō，钱qián能néng让ràng人rén不再búzài为wèi房租fángzū、看病kànbìng、吃饭chīfàn发愁fāchóu，这zhè就是jiùshì快乐kuàilè的de一yí大半dàbàn。

In other words, money can keep people from worrying about rent, medical bills, and meals — and that's already the greater part of happiness.

可是kěshì超过chāoguò这zhè条tiáo线xiàn以后yǐhòu，快乐kuàilè更gèng多duō来自láizì朋友péngyou、家庭jiātíng和hé有意义yǒu yìyì的de事情shìqing，而ér不bú是shì银行卡yínhángkǎ里li的de数字shùzì。

But beyond that line, happiness comes more from friends, family, and meaningful things, rather than the number on a bank card.

我wǒ认识rènshi一yí位wèi工程师gōngchéngshī，工资gōngzī很hěn高gāo，却què常常chángcháng加班jiābān到dào深夜shēnyè，几乎jīhū没méi时间shíjiān见jiàn朋友péngyou。

I know an engineer whose salary is very high, yet he often works overtime until late at night and almost has no time to see friends.

他tā说shuō自己zìjǐ“越yuè有钱yǒuqián，越yuè孤独gūdú”，这zhè句jù话huà让ràng我wǒ印象yìnxiàng很hěn深shēn。

He said of himself: "the richer I get, the lonelier I feel" — those words left a deep impression on me.

后来hòulái他tā换huàn了le一yí份fèn工资gōngzī低dī一些yìxiē、但是dànshì能néng准时zhǔnshí下班xiàbān的de工作gōngzuò，他tā说shuō自己zìjǐ反而fǎn'ér快乐kuàilè多duō了le。

Later he switched to a job with a lower salary but that let him leave work on time; he said he was, on the contrary, much happier.

这个zhège研究yánjiū提醒tíxǐng我们wǒmen：钱qián很hěn重要zhòngyào，但dàn过guò了le某mǒu个ge点diǎn，快乐kuàilè靠kào的de是shì别的biéde东西dōngxi。

This research reminds us: money is important, but past a certain point, happiness depends on other things.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

研究yánjiūresearch

收入shōurùincome

发愁fāchóuto worry

孤独gūdúlonely

印象yìnxiàngimpression

提醒tíxǐngto remind

Grammar note 语法点

换句话说

'In other words' — restates a point more simply or clearly.

换句话说，钱能让人不再为房租、看病、吃饭发愁。

越……越……

'The more..., the more...' — links two changes that increase together.

收入越高，人确实越快乐。

对……的影响

'Influence/effect on...' — describes how one thing affects another.

对快乐的影响就变得很小。

Check yourself 小测验

1. 普林斯顿大学的研究调查的是什么？

2. 研究发现，年收入大概到多少以后，钱对快乐的影响变小？

3. 那位工程师换了工作以后感觉怎么样？

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金钱与快乐Jīnqián yǔ kuàilèMoney and Happiness

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

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