Green Spaces Promote Happier Communities 綠色社區歡樂多

A better mood might be as easy as a walk in the park. A survey finds people living near parks or gardens seem to have a leg up.

UK researchers analyzed data from a national survey of more than 10，000 people between 1991 through to 2008. They found that those who live in green areas have higher life satisfaction and less depression and stress than others who live in more concrete-dense areas with few trees and lawns. This trend held even if residents experienced changes in their income， marital status and health.

The researchers were able to compare the effect of living in green areas to the influence of other life events. For instance， living in green areas had nearly 30 percent of the same positive impact on life satisfaction as one gets by being married （as opposed to being unmarried）. And green space had around 20% of the same impact on life satisfaction as one gets by being employed （rather than unemployed）.

The researchers say that the benefits for any one person might be small but that the potential positives of a green space for a community could be substantial.

只需去公園溜達一圈，就能讓心情好起來喲。一項調查發現，家住公園或花園附近的人似乎更快樂。

英國研究人員分析了一項全國性調查的數據，這項調查從1991年到2008年，調查對象超過1萬人。他們發現，與生活在樹少草稀、充斥著水泥地的地方的人相比，住在草木蔥郁的地方的人幸福指數更高。即便居民經歷了收入、婚姻、健康的變故，情況也依然如此。

研究人員也將“綠化區域效應”與生活中其他事件造成的影響相比較。綠色生活環境對幸福指數的貢獻約等于結婚的30%（與單身狀態相比），或找到工作的20%（與失業相比）。

研究人員表示，對個人來說，綠化環境帶來的益處或許有限，但對一個社區來說，其價值不可小覷。

Word Study

depression /d?'pre?n/ n. 抑郁；沮喪

resident /'rez?d?nt/ n. 居民；住戶

potential /p?'ten?l/ adj. 潛在的；可能的

substantial /s?b'st?n?l/ adj. 大量的；重大的