Living by the Sea can Boost Health Well-being
住在海边有利于身体健康
You have to admit, even if you live in a place you really love, if you look outside your window and all you see is a parking lot or the back of a restaurant, it's not the most inspiring view in the world. It might even be a little on the depressing side. But if you are someone lucky enough to gaze outside and see an ocean or a lake, you can likely attest to the fact that living near water is good for you — which is totally true, my friends, and there's new research to back it up. So you might just want to pack your bags and high-tail it to Cape Cod or Costa Rica — or maybe, you know, somewhere that at least has a pond nearby.
你必须承认，即使你住在一个你真正喜欢的地方，如果你朝窗外望去，看到的只是一个停车场或一家餐馆的后面，那也不是什么令人振奋的景象。甚至可能有点令人沮丧。但是，如果你足够幸运，能看到外面的海洋或湖泊，你可能会证明住在水域附近对健康有好处——这是完全正确的，我的朋友们，有新的研究证实这一点。所以，你可能只想把你的行李打包，急急忙忙地赶到科德角或哥斯达黎加——或者，你知道，至少在附近某个有池塘的地方。
In a fascinating new study based in Hong Kong, China, researchers found that spending time around "blue spaces" — like beaches, harbors, coastlines, etc. — is "related to good self-reported health," as per the research paper, which has been published in the health journal Health & Place. On top of that, according to a press release from the University of Exeter in the UK, the study also found a link between people who regularly visit places by the water in their free time and "a lower risk of depression."
发表在《健康与地方》杂志上的研究论文如是说，在中国香港进行的一项有趣的新研究中，研究人员发现，花时间在“蓝色空间”——比如海滩、港口、海岸线等——“与自我感觉健康状态良好有关”。此外，根据英国埃克塞特大学的一份新闻稿，这项研究还发现，在空闲时间经常去海边游玩的人与“较低的抑郁风险“之间存在联系。
As per the study's press release, the researchers conducted a survey of 1,000 people in Hong Kong, 80 percent of whom were more than 50 years old, and asked them about their overall health and emotional well-being, in addition to the amount of time they spend near bodies of water, or "blue spaces."
根据研究的新闻发布会，研究者对1000名香港人进行了一项调查，80%的人超过50岁，询问他们的整体健康和情绪状况，以及他们在附近的水域或“蓝色空间”上花的时间。
After collecting these responses, the researchers found that spending time by the water doesn't just seem to be linked to positive well-being; these "blue spaces" might actually be "an important public health resource," according to the study's press release. Study co-author Dr. Jo Garrett, of the University of Exeter, said in a statement for the press release：
收集了这些反馈后，研究人员发现，在水旁消磨时间似乎不仅与积极的幸福感有关；根据该研究的新闻稿，这些“蓝色空间”实际上可能是“一种重要的公共卫生资源”。研究报告的撰写者之一、埃克塞特大学的乔·加勒特博士在一份声明中说：
Our evidence suggests that Hong Kong’s harbors, beaches and other natural blue spaces could be an important public health resource, at least for older residents. We found that people with a view of these environments reported better health, while those who visited regularly reported better well-being.
我们的证据表明，香港的港口、海滩和其他天然蓝色空间可能是重要的公共卫生资源，至少对老年人来说是如此。我们发现，能看到此类环境的人身体更健康，而那些经常游览的人精神状态更好。
The researchers also found, not so surprisingly, that living a walkable distance from a body of water (like 10 to 15 minutes away) meant people were a lot more likely to spend their free time there, and therefore feel the benefits even more.
不出意料的是，研究人员还发现，住在可步行达到的水域（比如10到15分钟的路程）附近，意味着人们更有可能在那里度过空闲时间，因此享受到更多的好处。
The researchers also found that people who visit these spaces for longer periods of time (i.e. at least an hour per visit) and simultaneously engage in "higher-intensity activities while there," the press release explains, may benefit even more. In other words, if you decide to go for a run by the beach, or around a local lake, you might just notice a sizable boost in your emotional state.
研究人员还发现，在这些地方逗留较长时间（即每次至少一小时），同时从事“高强度活动”的人可能会受益更多，新闻稿解释说。换句话说，如果你决定去海滩或当地的湖边跑步，你可能会注意到你的情绪状态有了很大的提升。
The takeaway from this research is about as clear as the water in the Bahamas: being near the ocean, a lake, heck, maybe even just a pool, is pretty freaking good for you. But listen, this really isn't the first time that water — both of a view of it and a proximity to it — has been linked with improved health. Another study published in Health & Place back in 2012, which included responses from more than 48 million people in England, as per a ScienceDaily press release, showed that "people living near the coast tend to have better health than those living inland," regardless of age, gender, and even social and economic factors.
这项研究得出的结论就像巴哈马群岛的水一样清澈：靠近海洋，一个湖泊，噢，甚至可能只是一个游泳池，对你来说都非常好。但是，听着，这真的不是第一次有人认为水——无论是看到水体还是接近水体——与健康状况的改善有关。根据《科学日报》，早在2012年，另一项发表在《健康与地方》上并包括超过4800万英国人反馈的研究表明，“无论年龄、性别、甚至社会和经济因素”，“居住在海岸附近的人们往往比内陆人生活更健康”。
【VOCABULARY】
inspiring adj. 令人振奋的；鼓舞人心的
gaze vi. 凝视
depression n. 沮丧；萧条
sizable adj. 相当大的
takeaway n. 要点；（英）外带食物
freaking adj. 奇异的；不正常的
proximity n. 接近；亲近
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