The realization that you are getting older can come in waves.

關于你在衰老的提醒會紛至沓來。

You watch movies and point to the actors, saying: “She’s dead. Oh, he’s dead, too.”

看電影時，你指著里面的演員，說：“她已經死了。噢，他也死了。”

Your parents move to a retirement community they call God’s waiting room.

你的父母搬進了一個養老社區，他們稱之為上帝的候車室。

You hear more snap, crackle and pop in your joints than in your breakfast cereal.

渾身上下的關節咔噠啪啦作響，比咀嚼早餐麥片還熱鬧。

In society, youthfulness is glorified and getting older is cast as something to avoid, but as your age increases, your quality of life does not necessarily have to decrease, experts said.

在社會中，青春是一種榮耀，變老是需要避免的事，但是專家說，年齡會增長，你的生活質量卻不一定要隨之下降。

Here’s what you should know:

以下是一些需要知道的東西：

What is ‘old’?

什么是“老”？

Most people wouldn’t say that a 38-year-old qualifies, but once you pass the median age of 37.8, you may statistically be considered “old,” said Tom Ludwig, emeritus professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Mich.

多數人不會認為一個38歲的人“老”，但密西根州霍蘭的霍普學院(Hope College)的心理學榮休教授湯姆·路德維格(Tom Ludwig)說，一旦越過37.8這個年齡中值，你在統計學意義上就屬于“老人”了。

Studies show that people start feeling old in their 60s, and a Pew Research Center survey found that nearly 3,000 respondents said 68 was the average age at which old age begins.

研究顯示人們是在過了60歲以后開始覺得老的，皮尤研究中心(Pew Research Center)的一項調查發現，將近3000名受訪者認為68歲是進入老年階段的平均年齡。

Daniel B. Kaplan, an assistant professor of social work at Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., said in an email that living to an advanced age was a relatively recent achievement.

紐約州加登城的阿德爾菲大學(Adelphi University)的社會福利工作助理教授丹尼爾·B·凱普蘭(Daniel B. Kaplan)通過一封電郵表示，活到高齡相對來說是人類近期才取得的成就。

“The average human life span gained more years during the 20th century than in all prior millennia combined,” he wrote, adding that the average life expectancy in the United States is 79.1.

“人類平均壽命在20世紀的增幅，比之前的幾千年加起來還要大，”他寫道，此外他說美國人的平均預期壽命為79.1歲。

Gain perspective

豐富視角

Dr. Gayatri Devi, a neurologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, said that your outlook can make a difference.

曼哈頓勒諾克斯山醫院(Lenox Hill Hospital)神經科醫生加亞特里·德維(Gayatri Devi)說，你的態度會發揮重大作用。

She recalled a patient who frequently said, “Old age has an ugly face.” The patient died when she was 84.

她記得有一位病人經常說，“年老是一件很難看的事。”這位病人去世時84歲。

Another patient, who was 98, told Dr. Devi that when she was younger she looked like the actress Elizabeth Taylor. When the doctor told her that it must be difficult for someone who was once that beautiful to have aged, the patient remonstrated: “What do you mean? Am I not still beautiful?”

還有一位98歲的病人對德維說，她年輕時長得像影星伊麗莎白·泰勒。醫生于是說，對于一個曾經如此美麗的人，衰老想必很痛苦，病人不滿地表示：“你什么意思？我現在不美嗎？”

That patient is now 100.

那位病人現在100歲。

Diversify your friends

保持朋友的多元化

Dr. Devi said a patient who died at 101 had told her to try to have a friend “from every decade of life.” He had befriended an array of people, including Dr. Devi’s daughter, who was 12 at the time.

德維醫生說，有位101歲去世的病人告訴她，他希望在“每個年齡段”里都能有個朋友。他和許多人交了朋友，包括德維的女兒——當時12歲。

Having friends from multiple generations can help head off the loneliness that can come when others move, die, get sick or are no longer mobile.

隨著身邊的人搬家、離世、生病或失去行動自由，和不同世代的人結交有助于抵御由此產生的孤獨感。

“It speaks to an antisegregation of the aged, maintenance of community, as well as keeping in touch with modern advances to prevent being accused of being an old fogey,” she said.

“這有助于消除對老年人的隔離，維護社區，同時還能跟上時代前進的步伐，避免被人說是老古板，”她說。

Get ready

做好準備

Many of the problems that adults face as they get older are unrelated to the normal part of aging. The quality of your later life is partly under your control. Choices about lifestyles and behaviors can influence the effects of so-called secondary aging.

成年人在衰老過程中遇到的許多問題，和正常的衰老無關。晚年生活質量在一定程度上是你可以控制的。在生活方式和行為方面的選擇，會對所謂的繼發性衰老構成影響。

Exercise and proper sleeping and eating habits will help your physical health, which will benefit your mental and cognitive health, Mr. Ludwig said.

路德維格說，鍛煉和合理的睡眠、飲食習慣有益于你的身體健康，對你的精神和認知健康也有好處。

People should prepare for the later stages of their life as they would starting a family or helping a child gain independence.

人們應該像準備組建家庭或幫助孩子獨立那樣，去準備晚年的生活。

Seek financial advice to help adapt to changes in your income and plan for the costs of health care, Mr. Kaplan wrote. Discuss with your family and friends what you expect from old age and what type of lifestyle you desire.

凱普蘭在信中說，在適應收入變化和規劃醫療開銷方面，應該去尋求財務建議。和你的家人、朋友談一談你對老年生活的期待，你希望能有怎樣的生活方式。

Embrace the positives

接納正能量

Older adults are generally happier and less stressed and worried than middle-aged and young adults, Mr. Kaplan wrote.

年長者普遍比中青年人更快樂，壓力和擔憂更少，凱普蘭寫道。

Although there can be declines in health and income, “the vast majority of older adults enjoy improvements in the emotional aspects of life” because they are more focused on positive information, he wrote.

他寫道：盡管健康狀況和收入可能有所下降，“絕大多數老年人在生活中的情感方面都得到了改善，”因為他們更注重積極的信息。

Mr. Ludwig said the reality of aging was not as bad as stereotypes would suggest.

路德維希說，衰老的現實并不像刻板印象所暗示的那樣糟糕。

While you might not be able to do all the things you once did when you were younger — he advises against playing tackle football with teenagers, for instance — there are ways you can compensate by finding other activities that are rewarding.

雖然你可能做不了年輕時能做的所有事——比如，他建議不要和青少年一起打橄欖球——但你可以找到其他有益的活動作為補償。

Find something to commit to improving, whether it’s tennis or cabinetry. Mr. Ludwig suggested focusing on helping others, especially younger people.

尋找一些可以讓你全心投入，并且不斷做出改進的東西，無論是網球還是木工活。路德維希建議，可以致力于幫助其他人，特別是年輕人。

Remember, too, that you are not the only one feeling sore or slowing down, he said.

記住，不是只有你會感到身體疼痛或遲鈍，他說。

“There are millions of Americans waking up with those aches and pains,” Mr. Ludwig said. “What is the alternative to aging? It’s dying young.”

“數以百萬計的美國人醒來時感覺痛苦和疼痛，”路德維希說。“人不衰老就會怎樣？就會在年紀輕輕時死去。”

Reject ageist attitudes

拒絕年齡歧視

Though it is true that as we age, we may gain some weight and lose some of our intellectual abilities, it is no reason to give in to stereotypes about older adults.

盡管隨著年齡增長，我們確實可能會增加一些體重，失去一些腦力，但是沒有理由屈服于對老年人的刻板印象。

Myths about older people — that they are disconnected or crotchety — are perpetuated in the news media and our culture. Advancements in technology have accelerated the stereotype that older people can’t keep up, Mr. Ludwig said.

有些關于老年人的錯誤看法認為，他們與時代脫節，或者脾氣暴躁——這樣的看法在資訊媒體和我們的文化當中根深蒂固。路德維希說：科技的進步加速了老年人無法跟上時代的刻板印象。

Leslie K. Hasche, an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, said she supported AARP’s “Disrupt Aging” initiative, which seeks to counter social and cultural myths about what it means to be old.

丹佛大學社會工作研究生院(University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work)副教授萊斯利·K·哈希(Leslie K. Hasche)表示，她支持AARP的“打破衰老”(Disrupt Aging)倡議，該活動旨在反對社會和文化中關于老年人的錯誤觀念。

“Too often, the myths create barriers or limits, which get in the way of older adults staying connected or pursuing what is meaningful to them,” she wrote in an email.

“這些錯誤觀念往往會帶來障礙或限制，阻礙老年人持續接觸或追求他們心目中有意義的事情，”她在電子郵件中寫道。

Various milestones — birthdays, changes in careers and the deaths of siblings and peers — are reminders of the passage of time, but you should not lose focus on finding meaning and quality in life, Mr. Kaplan wrote.

卡普蘭寫道，各種里程碑——生日、職業中的變化，乃至兄弟姐妹和同齡人的死亡——都在提醒你時間的流逝，但你不不應當忽略對人生意義的尋找，以及對生活質量的重視。

“For many people, old age creeps up slowly and sometimes without fanfare or acknowledgment,” he wrote. “While most people enjoy relative continuity over the decades, being able to adapt to the changing context of our lives is the key to success throughout life.”

“對許多人來說，衰老是慢慢到來的，有時候并不會大張旗鼓，往往令你猝不及防，”他說。“雖然大多數人的生活都會在幾十年內保持相對的連貫性，但是縱觀人的一生，適應不斷變化的生活環境乃是成功的關鍵。”

The realization that you are getting older can come in waves.

關于你在衰老的提醒會紛至沓來。

You watch movies and point to the actors, saying: “She’s dead. Oh, he’s dead, too.”

看電影時，你指著里面的演員，說：“她已經死了。噢，他也死了。”

Your parents move to a retirement community they call God’s waiting room.

你的父母搬進了一個養老社區，他們稱之為上帝的候車室。

You hear more snap, crackle and pop in your joints than in your breakfast cereal.

渾身上下的關節咔噠啪啦作響，比咀嚼早餐麥片還熱鬧。

In society, youthfulness is glorified and getting older is cast as something to avoid, but as your age increases, your quality of life does not necessarily have to decrease, experts said.

在社會中，青春是一種榮耀，變老是需要避免的事，但是專家說，年齡會增長，你的生活質量卻不一定要隨之下降。

Here’s what you should know:

以下是一些需要知道的東西：

What is ‘old’?

什么是“老”？

Most people wouldn’t say that a 38-year-old qualifies, but once you pass the median age of 37.8, you may statistically be considered “old,” said Tom Ludwig, emeritus professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Mich.

多數人不會認為一個38歲的人“老”，但密西根州霍蘭的霍普學院(Hope College)的心理學榮休教授湯姆·路德維格(Tom Ludwig)說，一旦越過37.8這個年齡中值，你在統計學意義上就屬于“老人”了。

Studies show that people start feeling old in their 60s, and a Pew Research Center survey found that nearly 3,000 respondents said 68 was the average age at which old age begins.

研究顯示人們是在過了60歲以后開始覺得老的，皮尤研究中心(Pew Research Center)的一項調查發現，將近3000名受訪者認為68歲是進入老年階段的平均年齡。

Daniel B. Kaplan, an assistant professor of social work at Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., said in an email that living to an advanced age was a relatively recent achievement.

紐約州加登城的阿德爾菲大學(Adelphi University)的社會福利工作助理教授丹尼爾·B·凱普蘭(Daniel B. Kaplan)通過一封電郵表示，活到高齡相對來說是人類近期才取得的成就。

“The average human life span gained more years during the 20th century than in all prior millennia combined,” he wrote, adding that the average life expectancy in the United States is 79.1.

“人類平均壽命在20世紀的增幅，比之前的幾千年加起來還要大，”他寫道，此外他說美國人的平均預期壽命為79.1歲。

Gain perspective

豐富視角

Dr. Gayatri Devi, a neurologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, said that your outlook can make a difference.

曼哈頓勒諾克斯山醫院(Lenox Hill Hospital)神經科醫生加亞特里·德維(Gayatri Devi)說，你的態度會發揮重大作用。

She recalled a patient who frequently said, “Old age has an ugly face.” The patient died when she was 84.

她記得有一位病人經常說，“年老是一件很難看的事。”這位病人去世時84歲。

Another patient, who was 98, told Dr. Devi that when she was younger she looked like the actress Elizabeth Taylor. When the doctor told her that it must be difficult for someone who was once that beautiful to have aged, the patient remonstrated: “What do you mean? Am I not still beautiful?”

還有一位98歲的病人對德維說，她年輕時長得像影星伊麗莎白·泰勒。醫生于是說，對于一個曾經如此美麗的人，衰老想必很痛苦，病人不滿地表示：“你什么意思？我現在不美嗎？”

That patient is now 100.

那位病人現在100歲。

Diversify your friends

保持朋友的多元化

Dr. Devi said a patient who died at 101 had told her to try to have a friend “from every decade of life.” He had befriended an array of people, including Dr. Devi’s daughter, who was 12 at the time.

德維醫生說，有位101歲去世的病人告訴她，他希望在“每個年齡段”里都能有個朋友。他和許多人交了朋友，包括德維的女兒——當時12歲。

Having friends from multiple generations can help head off the loneliness that can come when others move, die, get sick or are no longer mobile.

隨著身邊的人搬家、離世、生病或失去行動自由，和不同世代的人結交有助于抵御由此產生的孤獨感。

“It speaks to an antisegregation of the aged, maintenance of community, as well as keeping in touch with modern advances to prevent being accused of being an old fogey,” she said.

“這有助于消除對老年人的隔離，維護社區，同時還能跟上時代前進的步伐，避免被人說是老古板，”她說。

Get ready

做好準備

Many of the problems that adults face as they get older are unrelated to the normal part of aging. The quality of your later life is partly under your control. Choices about lifestyles and behaviors can influence the effects of so-called secondary aging.

成年人在衰老過程中遇到的許多問題，和正常的衰老無關。晚年生活質量在一定程度上是你可以控制的。在生活方式和行為方面的選擇，會對所謂的繼發性衰老構成影響。

Exercise and proper sleeping and eating habits will help your physical health, which will benefit your mental and cognitive health, Mr. Ludwig said.

路德維格說，鍛煉和合理的睡眠、飲食習慣有益于你的身體健康，對你的精神和認知健康也有好處。

People should prepare for the later stages of their life as they would starting a family or helping a child gain independence.

人們應該像準備組建家庭或幫助孩子獨立那樣，去準備晚年的生活。

Seek financial advice to help adapt to changes in your income and plan for the costs of health care, Mr. Kaplan wrote. Discuss with your family and friends what you expect from old age and what type of lifestyle you desire.

凱普蘭在信中說，在適應收入變化和規劃醫療開銷方面，應該去尋求財務建議。和你的家人、朋友談一談你對老年生活的期待，你希望能有怎樣的生活方式。

Embrace the positives

接納正能量

Older adults are generally happier and less stressed and worried than middle-aged and young adults, Mr. Kaplan wrote.

年長者普遍比中青年人更快樂，壓力和擔憂更少，凱普蘭寫道。

Although there can be declines in health and income, “the vast majority of older adults enjoy improvements in the emotional aspects of life” because they are more focused on positive information, he wrote.

他寫道：盡管健康狀況和收入可能有所下降，“絕大多數老年人在生活中的情感方面都得到了改善，”因為他們更注重積極的信息。

Mr. Ludwig said the reality of aging was not as bad as stereotypes would suggest.

路德維希說，衰老的現實并不像刻板印象所暗示的那樣糟糕。

While you might not be able to do all the things you once did when you were younger — he advises against playing tackle football with teenagers, for instance — there are ways you can compensate by finding other activities that are rewarding.

雖然你可能做不了年輕時能做的所有事——比如，他建議不要和青少年一起打橄欖球——但你可以找到其他有益的活動作為補償。

Find something to commit to improving, whether it’s tennis or cabinetry. Mr. Ludwig suggested focusing on helping others, especially younger people.

尋找一些可以讓你全心投入，并且不斷做出改進的東西，無論是網球還是木工活。路德維希建議，可以致力于幫助其他人，特別是年輕人。

Remember, too, that you are not the only one feeling sore or slowing down, he said.

記住，不是只有你會感到身體疼痛或遲鈍，他說。

“There are millions of Americans waking up with those aches and pains,” Mr. Ludwig said. “What is the alternative to aging? It’s dying young.”

“數以百萬計的美國人醒來時感覺痛苦和疼痛，”路德維希說。“人不衰老就會怎樣？就會在年紀輕輕時死去。”

Reject ageist attitudes

拒絕年齡歧視

Though it is true that as we age, we may gain some weight and lose some of our intellectual abilities, it is no reason to give in to stereotypes about older adults.

盡管隨著年齡增長，我們確實可能會增加一些體重，失去一些腦力，但是沒有理由屈服于對老年人的刻板印象。

Myths about older people — that they are disconnected or crotchety — are perpetuated in the news media and our culture. Advancements in technology have accelerated the stereotype that older people can’t keep up, Mr. Ludwig said.

有些關于老年人的錯誤看法認為，他們與時代脫節，或者脾氣暴躁——這樣的看法在資訊媒體和我們的文化當中根深蒂固。路德維希說：科技的進步加速了老年人無法跟上時代的刻板印象。

Leslie K. Hasche, an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, said she supported AARP’s “Disrupt Aging” initiative, which seeks to counter social and cultural myths about what it means to be old.

丹佛大學社會工作研究生院(University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work)副教授萊斯利·K·哈希(Leslie K. Hasche)表示，她支持AARP的“打破衰老”(Disrupt Aging)倡議，該活動旨在反對社會和文化中關于老年人的錯誤觀念。

“Too often, the myths create barriers or limits, which get in the way of older adults staying connected or pursuing what is meaningful to them,” she wrote in an email.

“這些錯誤觀念往往會帶來障礙或限制，阻礙老年人持續接觸或追求他們心目中有意義的事情，”她在電子郵件中寫道。

Various milestones — birthdays, changes in careers and the deaths of siblings and peers — are reminders of the passage of time, but you should not lose focus on finding meaning and quality in life, Mr. Kaplan wrote.

卡普蘭寫道，各種里程碑——生日、職業中的變化，乃至兄弟姐妹和同齡人的死亡——都在提醒你時間的流逝，但你不不應當忽略對人生意義的尋找，以及對生活質量的重視。

“For many people, old age creeps up slowly and sometimes without fanfare or acknowledgment,” he wrote. “While most people enjoy relative continuity over the decades, being able to adapt to the changing context of our lives is the key to success throughout life.”

“對許多人來說，衰老是慢慢到來的，有時候并不會大張旗鼓，往往令你猝不及防，”他說。“雖然大多數人的生活都會在幾十年內保持相對的連貫性，但是縱觀人的一生，適應不斷變化的生活環境乃是成功的關鍵。”