Once women hit age 60, those who are married and those who have never been married are equally happy, a new research finds.

一項新研究指出，女性到了60歲，無論結沒結婚，她們都一樣幸福。

In a survey of more than 51,000 adults in the United States, married people reported the highest happiness levels, and people who were widowed, divorced or never married reported lower happiness levels.

美國一項針對51000多名成年人進行的調查指出，結了婚的人，他們的幸福指數最高;而那些喪偶、離異或從未結過婚的人，他們的幸福指數較低。

But the exception was older, never-married women.

然而，那些從未結過婚的年長女性是個例外。

Marriage and happiness

婚姻和幸福

The researchers used data gathered over 38 years from the General Social Survey. Survey participants answered the question, "Taken all together, how would you say things are these days — would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy or not too happy?"

調研員利用綜合社會調查在38年間收集的數據進行了研究。調查的參與人員回答了這樣一個問題：“總的來說，你覺得這幾天過得怎么樣，你會說自己非常幸福，很幸福還是不太幸福呢?”

The researchers compared the reported happiness levels of different groups of men and women: married, unmarried, divorced and widowed people. Also, because widowed and divorced people are often older, on average, than married people, the researchers did a separate analysis for people age 60 and older.

研究人員比較了男性和女性不同群體的幸福指數，這幾個群體分別為結婚的、未婚的、離異的以及喪偶的群體。另外，通常情況下，喪偶和離異的人往往比結了婚的人要年長一些，因此，研究人員對年齡在60歲及以上的人群進行了獨立分析。

Happy as a clam

非常幸福

The researchers were surprised to find that the reported happiness levels of "never-married, older women are, in a lot of years, indistinguishable from [those of] married, older women."

研究人員驚訝地發現，多年里，那些“從未結過婚的年長女性”與那些結了婚的年長女性相比，他們的幸福指數并沒有什么不同。

"The never-married, older men are, however, significantly less happy than the married men and generally not distinguishable from the divorced and widowed [men]."

“不過，那些從未結過婚的年長男性就明顯不如那些結了婚的幸福，而且與那些離異或喪偶的男性相比，他們的幸福指數通常相同。”

"The overall message is that being formerly married, whether it's [due to] divorce or widowhood, is associated with lower levels of happiness."

“總的來說，以前結過婚的，不論是離異還是喪偶，他們的幸福指數都不高。”

The researchers added that it's not clear why married people tend to be happier. It could be that happy people get married or that marriage makes people happy.

研究人員補充道，為什么結了婚的人會更幸福，這一點還不太清楚。可能是幸福的人結了婚，或者是婚姻使人們幸福。

Once women hit age 60, those who are married and those who have never been married are equally happy, a new research finds.

一項新研究指出，女性到了60歲，無論結沒結婚，她們都一樣幸福。

In a survey of more than 51,000 adults in the United States, married people reported the highest happiness levels, and people who were widowed, divorced or never married reported lower happiness levels.

美國一項針對51000多名成年人進行的調查指出，結了婚的人，他們的幸福指數最高;而那些喪偶、離異或從未結過婚的人，他們的幸福指數較低。

But the exception was older, never-married women.

然而，那些從未結過婚的年長女性是個例外。

Marriage and happiness

婚姻和幸福

The researchers used data gathered over 38 years from the General Social Survey. Survey participants answered the question, "Taken all together, how would you say things are these days — would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy or not too happy?"

調研員利用綜合社會調查在38年間收集的數據進行了研究。調查的參與人員回答了這樣一個問題：“總的來說，你覺得這幾天過得怎么樣，你會說自己非常幸福，很幸福還是不太幸福呢?”

The researchers compared the reported happiness levels of different groups of men and women: married, unmarried, divorced and widowed people. Also, because widowed and divorced people are often older, on average, than married people, the researchers did a separate analysis for people age 60 and older.

研究人員比較了男性和女性不同群體的幸福指數，這幾個群體分別為結婚的、未婚的、離異的以及喪偶的群體。另外，通常情況下，喪偶和離異的人往往比結了婚的人要年長一些，因此，研究人員對年齡在60歲及以上的人群進行了獨立分析。

Happy as a clam

非常幸福

The researchers were surprised to find that the reported happiness levels of "never-married, older women are, in a lot of years, indistinguishable from [those of] married, older women."

研究人員驚訝地發現，多年里，那些“從未結過婚的年長女性”與那些結了婚的年長女性相比，他們的幸福指數并沒有什么不同。

"The never-married, older men are, however, significantly less happy than the married men and generally not distinguishable from the divorced and widowed [men]."

“不過，那些從未結過婚的年長男性就明顯不如那些結了婚的幸福，而且與那些離異或喪偶的男性相比，他們的幸福指數通常相同。”

"The overall message is that being formerly married, whether it's [due to] divorce or widowhood, is associated with lower levels of happiness."

“總的來說，以前結過婚的，不論是離異還是喪偶，他們的幸福指數都不高。”

The researchers added that it's not clear why married people tend to be happier. It could be that happy people get married or that marriage makes people happy.

研究人員補充道，為什么結了婚的人會更幸福，這一點還不太清楚。可能是幸福的人結了婚，或者是婚姻使人們幸福。