Norway First on List of Happiest Countries

People in Norway are the happiest in the world.
世界上幸福感最强的人是挪威人。
That finding comes from a report released this week.It shows Norwegians are happier, on average, than people in over 150 countries.
此结果源于本周发布的报告。报告显示，挪威人平均比其它150多个国家的人幸福感强。
Over 1,000 individuals were asked to rate their own happiness levels on a scale of 1-to-10.Norwegians had an average happiness rating of 7.537.That is just a little higher than people in Denmark.Danes had a rating of 7.522 in the survey.
1000多个人对他们的幸福程度进行了评估，评估范围是1到10。挪威人幸福感平均达到7.537。比丹麦人的幸福感略高。调查显示，丹麦人幸福感达到7.522。
The 2017 World Happiness Report shows the six happiest countries are all in northern Europe.Norway had been the fourth-happiest country last year, while Denmark was rated number one.
《2017世界幸福报告》显示，幸福感最强的六个国家均在北欧。去年，挪威在世界幸福国家中排名第四，而丹麦则位居榜首。
This year, Canada is the seventh happiest, while New Zealand and Australia are in eighth and ninth place.
今年，加拿大是第七大最幸福国家，新西兰和澳大利亚则分别位居第八位和第九位。
A group of social scientists carried out the survey. Their findings were based on a simple question.They asked the subjects to imagine a ladder with 10 steps.The top of the ladder was “the best possible life,” and the bottom was the worst.
此调查由一组社会科学家实施。他们的调查结果基于一个简单的问题。科学家要求被调查主体想象一个有十层台阶的梯子。梯子的顶端“可能是最美好的生活”，而最低端则是“最糟糕的生活。”
Then, the people were asked: “On which step would you say you personally stand at this time?”The new report said the least happy country was the Central African Republic, one of the poorest areas in the world.
随后科学家询问这些被调查者：“你现在可能在哪层台阶？”根据最新报道，最不幸福的国家是中非共和国，那里也是世界上最贫穷的地区之一。
Syria was 152nd on the list.The Syrian civil war began over five years ago, and the fighting continues.
叙利亚位居第152位。叙利亚内战五年多以前就开始了，而目前战火依旧继续。
While the study’s question is simple, the social scientists worked hard to understand why some people feel happy, and others do not.They decided six factors were partly responsible for one’s happiness.The six were: national wealth, life expectancy, honesty in government, freedom to make life choices, generosity and having a strong social network.
尽管这项研究的问题很简单，但社会科学家们努力理解为什么一些人幸福感强，而其他人却没有那么幸福。他们做出决定：一个人幸福与否在一定程度上取决于这六项因素。它们分别是：国民财富、预期寿命、政府诚信、自由选择生活、宽宏大量以及强大的社交网。
Based on those factors, people in Latin America appeared to be about half a point happier than they should be. But the opposite is true in Asia.
基于这些因素，生活在拉丁美洲的人们似乎比他们本应获得的幸福感高0.5。亚洲则恰好相反。
Meik Wiking directs the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark. He did not mind that Denmark lost its top ranking.
迈克·维京是丹麦幸福研究机构的领导者。他并不介意丹麦在幸福感排名中失去了第一的位置。
“I don’t think Denmark has a monopoly on happiness,” he said. “What works in the Nordic countries is a sense of community and understanding in the common good.”
他称：“我认为丹麦并没有垄断幸福。”“导致北欧国家真正幸福的原因在于公共利益方面展现出来的社群意识和理解力。”
The United States came in 14th place, with a happiness rating of 6.993.That is one step lower than last year.
美国位居第14位，幸福感为6.993。比去年低了一个名次。
Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University helped write the report.He said there are a number of reasons why Americans are not as happy as before.
哥伦比亚大学的杰佛瑞·萨克斯帮忙写了这篇报告。他称，美国人幸福感下降的原因有很多。
Sachs said the country is becoming meaner. He also thinks the government is becoming more corrupt, and there is less equality among U.S. residents than in the past.
萨克斯认为，美国越来越平庸了。他还认为，政府日渐腐败，美国居民较之以往享受到的平等权利也越来越少。
“It’s a long-term trend, and conditions are getting worse,” Sachs said.
萨克斯称，“这是长期趋势，情况会更加糟糕。”
I’m Anne Ball.
安妮·鲍尔为您报道。