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我向芬兰人寻求幸福之道
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我向芬兰人寻求幸福之道
芬兰已连续八年位居《世界幸福报告》榜首，这一成就主要归功于北欧福利国家制度、民众对政府的信任，以及免费教育和全民医保等公共政策。 
双语精读
Finland Says It Can Teach Tourists to Be Happy
芬兰说可以教会游客幸福之道
Finland has topped the World Happiness Report for the past eight years, a merit largely attributed to the Nordic welfare state, trust in the government, and public policies like free education and universal health care.
芬兰已连续八年位居《世界幸福报告》榜首，这一成就主要归功于北欧福利国家制度、民众对政府的信任，以及免费教育和全民医保等公共政策。
But the Finns also find contentment in more attainable ways, such as their close relationship with nature (74 percent of the country is covered by forest) and visiting the sauna daily (there are 3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million).
但芬兰人的满足感也会通过更易实现的方式找到，比如与自然保持亲密关系（74%的芬兰国土被森林覆盖）、每天蒸桑拿（全国550万人口拥有300万间桑拿房）。
Visit Finland, the country's tourism agency, uses the happiness ranking to entice travelers. Last June, it hosted its second "Find Your Inner Finn" master class, awarding winners chosen from a social media challenge a free trip to Helsinki to learn from five locals known as "happiness hackers."
芬兰旅游局（Visit Finland）用该国的幸福排名吸引游客。去年6月，芬兰旅游局举办了第二届“寻找你内心的芬兰人”大师课，从社交媒体挑战中选出获胜者，奖励他们免费前往赫尔辛基，向五位被称为“幸福黑客”的当地人学习。
I didn't enter the contest, but I liked the idea. So I sought out some advice from the happiness hackers, and planned a trip to Helsinki last June to put it all to the test.
我没有参加这个比赛，但我喜欢这个主意。于是我向幸福黑客们寻求了一些建议，并在去年六月计划了一次赫尔辛基之旅，亲身试验了这些建议。
The hackers armed me with various solutions, both for the trip and to use on my return to the United States. And several told me to visit the saunas. These activities each contained similar goals: Stay present and strive for a communal, minimalist lifestyle that relies on the earth.
黑客们为我提供了多种解决方案，在这次旅行途中和返回美国之后都可以使用。还有几个人建议我去蒸桑拿。这些活动都包含相似的目标：关注当下，追求一种依赖大地的、极简的集体生活方式。
As it turns out, happiness is a luxury in America - a privilege, even. I was dismayed to find that most sauna passes in New York cost upward of $60.
事实证明，幸福在美国是一种奢侈品，甚至是一种特权。我沮丧地发现，纽约大多数桑拿浴的门票价格都在60美元以上。
As a freelance journalist, I could not afford to steam like the Finns. But I eventually found a place in Brooklyn that offered a reasonable deal and on Friday evenings began visiting its backyard barrel sauna, soaking tub and one-person cold plunge.
作为一名自由职业记者，我没有财力像芬兰人那样蒸桑拿。但我最终在布鲁克林区找到了一处价格合理的地方，每周五晚上都会去那里体验后院木桶桑拿、泡澡浴缸和单人冷水池。
Because I was not about to forage for my own food like the Finns, I tried the next best thing: shopping at the farmers' market. I also purchased a pot containing basil, thyme, chive and sage plants with the intent of becoming a gardener.
因为我不打算像芬兰人那样去野外寻找食材，所以我尝试了次优的选择：去农贸市场买菜。我还买了一盆有罗勒、百里香、细香葱、鼠尾草植物的盆栽，打算开始种菜。
My kitchen does not get much sunlight, so every morning I carried my little garden to the roof. Some nights I went out drinking and forgot about it. Summer storms soaked the soil. Everything eventually died, and someone tossed out the pot.
我的厨房采光不好，所以每天早晨我都会把我的小菜园搬到楼顶上。有几个晚上我出去喝酒了，完全忘了楼顶上的菜园。夏季的暴雨让土壤泡满了水。最后所有植物都死掉了，花盆也不知道被谁扔了。
Soon, even the sauna no longer lifted my spirits. I was sitting at the beach one afternoon, wondering why nature was not making me feel better, when the answer hit me: I was trying too hard to live exactly like the Finns.
很快，就连桑拿也无法让我情绪高昂。一天下午，我坐在海滩上，思索着为何大自然没能让我感觉好些，这时答案突然闪现：我太努力地想活得像芬兰人一样了。
I'd been so bogged down trying to find the time and money for the happiness hacks that I'd missed the point of what all the hackers were saying: Quiet the mind, and find pleasure in small acts and observations - like a cardinal taking flight, or talking to trees.
我一心只想着要找到时间和金钱来实现那些幸福技巧，而忽略了所有幸福黑客们所说的重点：静下心来，从细微的行动和观察中寻找愉悦，比如一只红衣凤头鸟飞起的瞬间，或是与树木对话。
"Simple things," Ms. Pajunen had said. "This is at the core of what Finns have to offer the rest of the world."
“简单的事情，”帕尤宁曾说，“这正是芬兰人能为世界其他人提供的核心智慧。”
词汇预习
- largely [高考]
美[ˈlɑːrdʒli] | 英[ˈlɑːdʒli]
adv. 大部分；主要地 - core [高考]
美[kɔːr] | 英[kɔː(r)]
n. 核心, 精髓, （水果的）果心, （物体的）中心部分
adj. 最重要的, 主要的, 基本的, 核心（信念、价值、原则等）
v. 去掉（水果）的果心, 去（水果）的核儿 - backyard [高考]
美[ˌbækˈjɑrd] | 英[ˌbækˈjɑ:d]
n. 后院；后庭
adj. 后院的 - luxury [高考]
美[ˈlʌkʃəri] | 英[ˈlʌkʃəri]
n. 奢侈品；奢侈；豪华 - merit [高考]
美[ˈmerɪt] | 英[ˈmerɪt]
n. 优点；功绩；价值
v. 值得；应得 - media [高考]
美[ˈmiːdiə] | 英[ˈmiːdiə]
n. 传播媒介；(medium的复数)媒体；新闻媒介 - eventually [高考]
美[ɪˈventʃuəli] | 英[ɪˈventʃuəli]
adv. 最后；终于 - agency [高考]
美[ˈeɪdʒənsi] | 英[ˈeɪdʒənsi]
n. 代理；代理处；政府机构 - Ms. [高考]
美[mɪz] | 英[mɪz]
n. 女士，小姐 - journalist [高考]
美[ˈdʒɜːrnəlɪst] | 英[ˈdʒɜːnəlɪst]
n. 记者；新闻工作者 - roof [高考]
美[ruːf] | 英[ruːf]
n. 屋顶；顶
vt. 覆盖；给 ... 覆以屋顶 - welfare [高考]
美[ˈwelfer] | 英[ˈwelfeə(r)]
n. 福利；福利事业；幸福
adj. 福利的；接受社会救济的 - privilege [高考]
美[ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ] | 英[ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ]
n. 特权；荣幸；特别恩典；基本人权
vt. 给特权；免除 - upward [高考]
美[ˈʌpwərd] | 英[ˈʌpwəd]
adj. 向上的；上升的
adv. 向上；上升 - pot [高考]
美[pɑːt] | 英[pɒt]
n. 罐；壶；一大笔(钱)；奖杯（尤指银杯）；[俚]大麻
v. 把 ... 装罐；射猎；(台球)入袋 - entice [高考]
美[ɪnˈtaɪs] | 英[ɪnˈtaɪs]
v. 诱使；引诱 - plunge [四级]
美[plʌndʒ] | 英[plʌndʒ]
v.暴跌；使突然前冲（或下落）；骤降；突降
n.跳水；突然跌落；突然分离；骤减 - barrel [四级]
美[ˈbærəl] | 英[ˈbærəl]
n. 桶；枪管；一桶的量；炮管；大量；笔管；汽油桶
vi. 快速移动
vt. 把 ... 装桶 - strive [四级]
美[straɪv] | 英[straɪv]
vi. 奋斗；努力；力求；斗争 - contentment [四级]
美[kənˈtɛntmənt] | 英[kənˈtentmənt]
n. 满足；使人满足的事 - trust in [四级]
美[trʌst ɪn] | 英[trʌst in]
相信，信任 - communal [六级]
美[kəˈmjuːnl] | 英[kəˈmjuːnl , ˈkɒmjənl]
adj. 公有的；公社的；共有的 - intent [六级]
美[ɪnˈtent] | 英[ɪnˈtent]
adj. 热切的；专心的；决心的
n. 意图；目的；意向；含义 - cardinal [六级]
美[ˈkɑːrdɪnl] | 英[ˈkɑːdɪnl]
n. 红衣主教；鲜红色；基数；北美红雀
adj. 主要的；深红色的 - tub [六级]
美[tʌb] | 英[tʌb]
n. 桶；浴盆；[口]行进缓慢的旧船
v. 装入桶；洗澡 - sauna [专八]
美[ˈsɔnə, ˈsaʊ-] | 英[ˈsɔ:nə]
n. 桑拿浴；蒸汽浴 - Nordic [专八]
美[ˈnɔrdɪk] | 英[ˈnɔ:dɪk]
adj. (尤指斯堪的纳维亚的)北欧的；北欧人的；日耳曼民族的；[体育]北欧式滑雪赛的
n. 北欧人；有北欧身形特征的人； - forage [专八]
美[ˈfɔːrɪdʒ] | 英[ˈfɒrɪdʒ]
n. 粮草；饲料；搜寻粮草
v. 喂；掠夺 - trying [专八]
美[ˈtraɪɪŋ] | 英[ˈtraɪɪŋ]
adj. 难受的；令人厌烦的
重点讲解
Finland Says It Can Teach Tourists to Be Happy
芬兰说可以教会游客幸福之道
merit n. 优点；美德；功绩
【例】The plan is entirely without merit.
这个计划一无是处。
【搭配】on merit 凭借才能
【例】I got the job on merit, not by luck.
我是凭能力得到了这份工作，不是靠运气。
attribute sth to... 认为某事的原因是……
【例】She attributes her success to hard work.
她把自己的成功归因于努力。
【近义词】owe sth to... 认为某事的原因是……
Finland has topped the World Happiness Report for the past eight years, a merit largely attributed to the Nordic welfare state, trust in the government, and public policies like free education and universal health care.
芬兰已连续八年位居《世界幸福报告》榜首，这一成就主要归功于北欧福利国家制度、民众对政府的信任，以及免费教育和全民医保等公共政策。
merit n. 优点；美德；功绩
【例】The plan is entirely without merit.
这个计划一无是处。
【搭配】on merit 凭借才能
【例】I got the job on merit, not by luck.
我是凭能力得到了这份工作，不是靠运气。
attribute sth to... 认为某事的原因是……
【例】She attributes her success to hard work.
她把自己的成功归因于努力。
【近义词】owe sth to... 认为某事的原因是……
But the Finns also find contentment in more attainable ways, such as their close relationship with nature (74 percent of the country is covered by forest) and visiting the sauna daily (there are 3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million).
但芬兰人的满足感也会通过更易实现的方式找到，比如与自然保持亲密关系（74%的芬兰国土被森林覆盖）、每天蒸桑拿（全国550万人口拥有300万间桑拿房）。
attainable adj. 可达到的；可实现的
【例】an attainable goal/standard
可以达到的目标/标准
【拓展】attain v. 获得；达到
【近义词】achievable adj. 可达到的；可实现的
【反义词】unattainable adj. 不可达到的
Visit Finland, the country’s tourism agency, uses the happiness ranking to entice travelers. Last June, it hosted its second “Find Your Inner Finn” master class, awarding winners chosen from a social media challenge a free trip to Helsinki to learn from five locals known as “happiness hackers.”
芬兰旅游局（Visit Finland）用该国的幸福排名吸引游客。去年6月，芬兰旅游局举办了第二届“寻找你内心的芬兰人”大师课，从社交媒体挑战中选出获胜者，奖励他们免费前往赫尔辛基，向五位被称为“幸福黑客”的当地人学习。
entice v. 诱惑；吸引
【例】The low prices are enticing customers away from other stores.
低廉的价格在把顾客从其他商店吸引过来。
【近义词】draw/attract v. 吸引
lure/tempt/seduce v. 引诱；诱惑
I didn’t enter the contest, but I liked the idea. So I sought out some advice from the happiness hackers, and planned a trip to Helsinki last June to put it all to the test.
我没有参加这个比赛，但我喜欢这个主意。于是我向幸福黑客们寻求了一些建议，并在去年六月计划了一次赫尔辛基之旅，亲身试验了这些建议。
put sth to the test 试验某事；考验某事
【例】He put her courage to the test.
他考验了她的胆量。
【拓展】put sth into practice 把某事付诸实践
put sth into action 把某事付诸行动
put sth into context 结合背景去理解某事
The hackers armed me with various solutions, both for the trip and to use on my return to the United States. And several told me to visit the saunas. These activities each contained similar goals: Stay present and strive for a communal, minimalist lifestyle that relies on the earth.
黑客们为我提供了多种解决方案，在这次旅行途中和返回美国之后都可以使用。还有几个人建议我去蒸桑拿。这些活动都包含相似的目标：关注当下，追求一种依赖大地的、极简的集体生活方式。
communal adj. 公用的；集体的
【例】a communal kitchen 公用厨房
communal living in a boarding school
寄宿学校的集体生活
【拓展】community n. 社区；社群
As it turns out, happiness is a luxury in America — a privilege, even. I was dismayed to find that most sauna passes in New York cost upward of $60.
事实证明，幸福在美国是一种奢侈品，甚至是一种特权。我沮丧地发现，纽约大多数桑拿浴的门票价格都在60美元以上。
plunge n.
1. 跳水
【例】He took the plunge into the deep end.
他跳入深水区。
2. 暴跌
【例】a dramatic plunge in profits 利润锐减
3. 卷入；参与；进入
【例】his first plunge into journalism
他在新闻行业的初试身手
As a freelance journalist, I could not afford to steam like the Finns. But I eventually found a place in Brooklyn that offered a reasonable deal and on Friday evenings began visiting its backyard barrel sauna, soaking tub and one-person cold plunge.
作为一名自由职业记者，我没有财力像芬兰人那样蒸桑拿。但我最终在布鲁克林区找到了一处价格合理的地方，每周五晚上都会去那里体验后院木桶桑拿、泡澡浴缸和单人冷水池。
plunge n.
1. 跳水
【例】He took the plunge into the deep end.
他跳入深水区。
2. 暴跌
【例】a dramatic plunge in profits 利润锐减
3. 卷入；参与；进入
【例】his first plunge into journalism
他在新闻行业的初试身手
Because I was not about to forage for my own food like the Finns, I tried the next best thing: shopping at the farmers’ market. I also purchased a pot containing basil, thyme, chive and sage plants with the intent of becoming a gardener.
因为我不打算像芬兰人那样去野外寻找食材，所以我尝试了次优的选择：去农贸市场买菜。我还买了一盆有罗勒、百里香、细香葱、鼠尾草植物的盆栽，打算开始种菜。
forage v. 觅食；采摘
【例】The birds foraged in the snow.
鸟在雪中觅食。
foraged food 在野外找到的食材
My kitchen does not get much sunlight, so every morning I carried my little garden to the roof. Some nights I went out drinking and forgot about it. Summer storms soaked the soil. Everything eventually died, and someone tossed out the pot.
我的厨房采光不好，所以每天早晨我都会把我的小菜园搬到楼顶上。有几个晚上我出去喝酒了，完全忘了楼顶上的菜园。夏季的暴雨让土壤泡满了水。最后所有植物都死掉了，花盆也不知道被谁扔了。
forage v. 觅食；采摘
【例】The birds foraged in the snow.
鸟在雪中觅食。
foraged food 在野外找到的食材
Soon, even the sauna no longer lifted my spirits. I was sitting at the beach one afternoon, wondering why nature was not making me feel better, when the answer hit me: I was trying too hard to live exactly like the Finns.
很快，就连桑拿也无法让我情绪高昂。一天下午，我坐在海滩上，思索着为何大自然没能让我感觉好些，这时答案突然闪现：我太努力地想活得像芬兰人一样了。
lift one’s spirits/heart 使心情振奋；使高兴起来
【例】The news lifted our spirits.
这消息使我们群情振奋。
【拓展】uplifting adj. 令人振奋的；鼓舞人心的
depressing adj. 令人心情低落的；令人抑郁的
miss the point 没有理解重点
【例】He missed the whole point of the joke.
他完全没有领会这则笑话的意思。
【反义词】to the point 切中要害
【例】Your words are right to the point.
你完全说到点子上了/你的话一针见血。
I’d been so bogged down trying to find the time and money for the happiness hacks that I’d missed the point of what all the hackers were saying: Quiet the mind, and find pleasure in small acts and observations — like a cardinal taking flight, or talking to trees.
我一心只想着要找到时间和金钱来实现那些幸福技巧，而忽略了所有幸福黑客们所说的重点：静下心来，从细微的行动和观察中寻找愉悦，比如一只红衣凤头鸟飞起的瞬间，或是与树木对话。
lift one’s spirits/heart 使心情振奋；使高兴起来
【例】The news lifted our spirits.
这消息使我们群情振奋。
【拓展】uplifting adj. 令人振奋的；鼓舞人心的
depressing adj. 令人心情低落的；令人抑郁的
miss the point 没有理解重点
【例】He missed the whole point of the joke.
他完全没有领会这则笑话的意思。
【反义词】to the point 切中要害
【例】Your words are right to the point.
你完全说到点子上了/你的话一针见血。
“Simple things,” Ms. Pajunen had said. “This is at the core of what Finns have to offer the rest of the world.”
“简单的事情，”帕尤宁曾说，“这正是芬兰人能为世界其他人提供的核心智慧。”
课后练习
What did Finland's tourism agency do last year?
A. It published the World Happiness Report for the first time.
B. It increased the number of saunas to attract more tourists.
C. It offered the opportunity to learn how to be happy from Finns.
D. It analyzed the reasons for the high level of happiness in Finland.What did the author do after being inspired by the master class?
A. She entered the social media contest and won a free trip to Helsinki.
B. She sought advice from the happiness hackers and planned to test it.
C. She tried to adopt a communal, minimalist lifestyle in Finland.
D. She compared different solutions and found out the best one.One of the challenges that the author encountered in America was that ____.
A. there was no sauna in New York
B. she couldn’t afford a sauna
C. she was not good at cooking
D. her gardening attempt failedAccording to the author, the truth of happiness is ____.
A. going to the beach often and enjoying nature
B. adapting the Finnish lifestyle to American reality
C. spending a lot of time and money on happiness hacks
D. quieting the mind and finding pleasure in small things
