The secret to living longer may be your social life | Susan Pinker

翻译人员: Mingyu Zhang 校对人员: Xin Chen

Here's an intriguing fact.

有一个非常奇妙的现象：

In the developed world,

在发达国家，

everywhere, women live an average of six to eight years longer than men do.

普遍来说，女性的寿命 平均比男性多出六到八年。

Six to eight years longer.

多活六到八年

That's, like, a huge gap.

这就像一个鸿沟。

In 2015, the "Lancet" published an article

在2015年，《柳叶刀》杂志 发表了一篇文章，

showing that men in rich countries

描述了经济发达国家的男性

are twice as likely to die as women are

的死亡率是同龄女性的

at any age.

两倍。

But there is one place in the world

但是世界上有一个国家

where men live as long as women.

在那里，男性女性的寿命没差别。

It's a remote, mountainous zone,

那是一个偏远的山区，

a blue zone,

一片长寿区。

where super longevity

在那里，

男性女性都普遍长寿。

is common to both sexes.

This is the blue zone in Sardinia,

这是一个在塞尔迪纳的长寿区

an Italian island in the Mediterranean,

身处地中海的一座意大利小岛，

between Corsica and Tunisia,

位于科西嘉岛和突尼斯之间。

where there are six times as many centenarians

在那里， 百岁及百岁以上的老人的数目

as on the Italian mainland,

是意大利本土的六倍，

less than 200 miles away.

而两者相距不到200英里。

There are 10 times as many centenarians

这里百岁及百岁以上的老人的数目

as there are in North America.

是北美洲的十倍。

It's the only place where men live as long as women.

它是唯一一个男性与女性 同寿的地方。

But why?

这是为什么呢？

My curiosity was piqued.

这激起了我的好奇心。

I decided to research the science and the habits of the place,

我决定对这个地区的环境和 人们生活习惯做一些调查，

and I started with the genetic profile.

我一开始是从基因方面入手的。

I discovered soon enough

我很快就发现

that genes account for just 25 percent of their longevity.

基因对长寿的影响只占了25%，

The other 75 percent is lifestyle.

剩下的75%是由生活习惯决定的。

So what does it take to live to 100 or beyond?

那么到底要怎么做才能 活到100岁甚至100岁以上呢？

What are they doing right?

他们做了些什么对的事呢？

What you're looking at is an aerial view of Villagrande.

而你现在所看到的是 维拉格兰德的鸟瞰图，

It's a village at the epicenter of the blue zone

村庄位于长寿区的中心，

where I went to investigate this,

这就是我去调查的地方，

and as you can see, architectural beauty is not its main virtue,

你们可以看到， 建筑美景并不是它吸引人的地方，

density is:

特点在于房屋的密集：

tightly spaced houses,

密密麻麻紧挨着的房屋，

interwoven alleys and streets.

交织的小巷和街道，

It means that the villagers' lives constantly intersect.

意味着这里居民的生活是 紧密联系着的。

And as I walked through the village,

当我穿梭在这村庄里的时候，

I could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes watching me

我觉得有上百双眼睛在门背后、 在窗帘后、

from behind doorways and curtains,

在百叶窗后

from behind shutters.

关注着我。

Because like all ancient villages,

就像所有古老的村落一样，

Villagrande couldn't have survived

维拉格兰德不可能存活下来

without this structure, without its walls, without its cathedral,

倘若没了这结构，没了这墙， 没了大教堂，

without its village square,

倘若没了广场。

because defense and social cohesion defined its design.

因为它的防御设施和社会凝聚力 决定了它的设计风格。

Urban priorities changed as we moved towards the industrial revolution

现代城市的首要顾虑 随着我们进入工业革命改变了，

because infectious disease became the risk of the day.

因为传染病是当时社会的主要威胁。

But what about now?

那么现在的情况呢？

Now, social isolation is the public health risk of our time.

现在，社会孤立已经成为了 我们当下公共健康的主要风险。

Now, a third of the population says

现在，三分之一的人口认为

they have two or fewer people to lean on.

他们只有两个或者更少的人可以依靠。

But let's go to Villagrande now as a contrast

那我们来跟维拉格兰德的村民们 做一个对比吧

to meet some centenarians.

一起拜访那些百岁人瑞。

Meet Giuseppe Murinu. He's 102, a supercentenarian

Giuseppe Murinu，102岁， 是一位超长寿的长者

and a lifelong resident of the village of Villagrande.

一生都生活在维拉格兰德。

He was a gregarious man.

他热爱交际，

He loved to recount stories

很喜欢讲述故事

such as how he lived like a bird

比如说他是怎样像鸟一样

from what he could find on the forest floor

从树林草地上发现的食物，

during not one but two world wars,

就此存活过了不只一次， 而是两次世界大战,

how he and his wife, who also lived past 100,

以及他和他同样超过100岁的妻子

raised six children in a small, homey kitchen

是怎么在一个小的家庭厨房里 把六个孩子拉扯大的，

where I interviewed him.

而这个厨房正是我采访他的地方。

Here he is with his sons Angelo and Domenico,

这是他和他的两个儿子 Angelo和Domenico

both in their 70s and looking after their father,

他们都70多了， 还在照顾他们的父亲，

and who were quite frankly very suspicious of me and my daughter

他们对我和我的女儿有些怀疑

who came along with me on this research trip,

我女儿跟我一起去那里做调查了，

because the flip side of social cohesion

因为社会凝聚力的另外一面

is a wariness of strangers and outsiders.

就是对待陌生人和外来人员的 戒备。

But Giuseppe, he wasn't suspicious at all.

但是Giuseppe一点都不怀疑我们,

He was a happy-go-lucky guy,

他是一个无忧无虑的人,

very outgoing with a positive outlook.

有着积极的外表，非常外向.

And I wondered: so is that what it takes to live to be 100 or beyond,

我在想：难道这就是能活到百岁 甚至百岁以上的原因吗？

thinking positively?

就总是积极乐观？

Actually, no.

显然，不是的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Meet Giovanni Corrias. He's 101,

Giovanni Corrias，101岁

the grumpiest person I have ever met.

他是我见过最乖戾的人。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And he put a lie to the notion

因为他，我知道了

that you have to be positive to live a long life.

只要积极乐观 就可以长命百岁的说法是个谎言。

And there is evidence for this.

我可以证明。

When I asked him why he lived so long,

当我问他，“是什么促成他长寿？”

he kind of looked at me under hooded eyelids and he growled,

在他松垂的眼皮下， 他盯着我看了一会，他吼道:

"Nobody has to know my secrets."

“没有人可以知道我的秘密。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But despite being a sourpuss,

其实他只是有些脾气不好，

the niece who lived with him and looked after him

跟他一起住并且照顾他的侄女

called him "Il Tesoro," "my treasure."

称呼他为“我的宝藏”。

And she respected him and loved him,

她尊敬他而且很爱他，

and she told me, when I questioned this obvious loss of her freedom,

我问她因照顾老人 而失去的自由时，她说

"You just don't understand, do you?

“你真的是不懂？

Looking after this man is a pleasure.

“我很开心可以照顾这个老人”

It's a huge privilege for me.

“是我的特权”

This is my heritage."

“这就是我的传承的遗产。”

And indeed, wherever I went to interview these centenarians,

确实，每当我去采访这些高龄老人时

I found a kitchen party.

我都会看到一个厨房小聚会。

Here's Giovanni with his two nieces,

这是Giovanni和他的两个侄女

Maria above him

上边的是Maria

and beside him his great-niece Sara,

旁边的是他的曾侄女Sara，

who came when I was there to bring fresh fruits and vegetables.

我在那儿的时候， Sara带来了新鲜的果蔬。

And I quickly discovered by being there

我立马发现

that in the blue zone, as people age,

在这长寿区生活， 人们逐渐变老的过程中,

and indeed across their lifespans,

甚至是在整个生命历程里,

they're always surrounded by extended family, by friends,

他们身边都围绕着家人，朋友，

by neighbors, the priest, the barkeeper, the grocer.

甚至还有邻居，牧师， 酒吧吧主，杂铺店老板。

People are always there or dropping by.

人们永远都在身旁，也会经常顺路拜访

They are never left to live solitary lives.

他们从不会独自生活。

This is unlike the rest of the developed world,

这完全不像George Burns

where as George Burns quipped,

调侃的高度发达的世界

"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring family in another city."

“幸福就是在另外一座城市 拥有一个充满爱和关怀的大家庭。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now, so far we've only met men,

现在我们只是看了一些高寿的男性，

long-living men, but I met women too,

我也拜访了一些女性。

and here you see Zia Teresa.

这是Zia Teresa。

She, at over 100, taught me how to make the local specialty,

她一百多岁了， 还教我怎么做一种当地的特色美食，

which is called culurgiones,

叫“culurgiones”。

which are these large pasta pockets

就是这种很大的意面饺一样的

like ravioli about this size,

像这么大的意饺，

this size,

这么大，

and they're filled with high-fat ricotta and mint

填满了高脂肪的里科塔芝士和薄荷，

and drenched in tomato sauce.

然后浸在番茄酱汁里。

And she showed me how to make just the right crimp

她还给我演示了怎么做出合适的褶皱

so they wouldn't open,

以至于它们不会撑开。

and she makes them with her daughters every Sunday

她每周日都会和女儿一起做这种食物

and distributes them by the dozens to neighbors and friends.

然后分装成十几个一份， 送给邻居和朋友。

And that's when I discovered a low-fat, gluten-free diet

这时我发现了低脂肪和无糖饮食

is not what it takes to live to 100 in the blue zone.

并不是这长寿区人们长寿的原因。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Now, these centenarians' stories along with the science that underpins them

这些百岁老人的故事和 其背后的科学

prompted me to ask myself some questions too,

同时也促使着我问了自己一些问题，

such as, when am I going to die and how can I put that day off?

比如，我将在何时死去？ 我要怎么推迟那一天的到来？

And as you will see, the answer is not what we expect.

正如你们所看到的， 答案并不是我们想象的那样。

Julianne Holt-Lunstad is a researcher at Brigham Young University

Julianne Holt-Lunstad是杨百翰大学的 一名研究员，

and she addressed this very question

她在一系列对于

in a series of studies

在座大多数观众一样

of tens of thousands of middle aged people

成千上万中年人

much like this audience here.

的研究中强调了这个问题。

And she looked at every aspect of their lifestyle:

她观察了他们生活中的每一个方面

their diet, their exercise,

饮食，锻炼

their marital status,

以及物质条件，

how often they went to the doctor,

多久去一次医院，

whether they smoked or drank, etc.

是否吸烟饮酒等。

She recorded all of this

她把这些都记录了下来

and then she and her colleagues sat tight and waited for seven years

然后她和她的同事就静静的等了七年

to see who would still be breathing.

观察七年后哪些人还健在。

And of the people left standing,

那些所有健在的人

what reduced their chances of dying the most?

是什么降低了他们死去的可能性呢？

That was her question.

这就是她提出的问题。

So let's now look at her data in summary,

我们来简要地看看她收集的数据

going from the least powerful predictor to the strongest.

从影响最低的到最高的。

OK?

好吗？

So clean air, which is great,

首先是干净的空气，很棒。

it doesn't predict how long you will live.

但是它并不会预测你的寿命。

Whether you have your hypertension treated

其次是否治疗了高血压，

is good.

挺好，

Still not a strong predictor.

但也不是一个重要因素。

Whether you're lean or overweight, you can stop feeling guilty about this,

是胖是瘦， 你们都可以不用有罪恶感了，

because it's only in third place.

这只排到倒数第三呢。

How much exercise you get is next,

接下来是你锻炼了多少，

still only a moderate predictor.

但这也只是一个中等的影响因素。

Whether you've had a cardiac event and you're in rehab and exercising,

你是否心脏出现过问题， 现在在恢复期和锻炼着

getting higher now.

变得越来越关键咯。

Whether you've had a flu vaccine.

接下来是你是否注射过流感疫苗。

Did anybody here know

在座的有人知道

that having a flu vaccine protects you more than doing exercise?

接种流感疫苗其实比锻炼 更能保护我们的身体吗？

Whether you were drinking and quit,

然后是，你是否酗酒然后戒掉了

or whether you're a moderate drinker,

又或许是你是适度饮酒。

whether you don't smoke, or if you did, whether you quit,

然后，吸烟否，如果吸烟， 那么你是否戒掉了，

and getting towards the top predictors

马上到影响最大的因素了：

are two features of your social life.

这就是你社交生活的两大特点。

First, your close relationships.

第一，就是你亲近的关系。

These are the people that you can call on for a loan

就是那些你需要贷款时想到的人

if you need money suddenly,

如果你突然急需用钱，

who will call the doctor if you're not feeling well

身体不适的时候他会打电话给医生

or who will take you to the hospital,

带你去医院，

or who will sit with you if you're having an existential crisis,

在你感到存在危机的时候陪着你

if you're in despair.

在你感到绝望的时候陪着你。

Those people, that little clutch of people

这些人，这一小部分人

are a strong predictor, if you have them, of how long you'll live.

如果你拥有了的话， 将是你能活多久的最大的影响因子。

And then something that surprised me,

接下来的因素，让我觉得很震惊，

something that's called social integration.

它就是所谓的社会融合。

This means how much you interact with people

意思就是你在每天的生活中

as you move through your day.

与人们有着多少互动。

How many people do you talk to?

你同多少人交谈过?

And these mean both your weak and your strong bonds,

这些同时意味着你的 或生疏或熟络的人脉。

so not just the people you're really close to,

并不只是你非常亲近的，

who mean a lot to you,

对你有着不同寻常的意义的人们。

but, like, do you talk to the guy who every day makes you your coffee?

就像你会跟那个每天给你做咖啡的 伙计说话吗？

Do you talk to the postman?

你跟邮递员交谈过吗？

Do you talk to the woman who walks by your house every day with her dog?

你跟那个每天遛狗 经过你家门前的女士聊过天吗？

Do you play bridge or poker, have a book club?

你玩桥牌或者扑克， 加入了读书俱乐部吗？

Those interactions are one of the strongest predictors

这些互动，都是最能影响寿命的

of how long you'll live.

因素之一。

Now, this leads me to the next question:

这就引入了下一个问题：

if we now spend more time online than on any other activity,

如果我们在网上花费比 其他任何活动都多的时间，

including sleeping,

包括睡觉，

we're now up to 11 hours a day,

我们每天最多就睡11个小时

one hour more than last year, by the way,

顺便提一下，比去年多一个小时，

does it make a difference?

这会有所改变吗？

Why distinguish between interacting in person

怎么区分面对面的互动

and interacting via social media?

和通过社交平台与人们交谈呢？

Is it the same thing as being there

这两者是相同的吗？

if you're in contact constantly with your kids through text, for example?

比如你长期和你的孩子 通过短信保持联系。

Well, the short answer to the question is no,

事实上，简单来说： 不是

it's not the same thing.

这不能相提并论。

Face-to-face contact releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters,

面对面的交谈会释放出 完整的级联神经递质

and like a vaccine, they protect you now in the present

就像疫苗，能立马保护你

也能保证在未来 你不会遭受病毒的侵扰。

and well into the future.

So simply making eye contact with somebody,

所以哪怕只是简单的 与他人进行眼神交流,

shaking hands, giving somebody a high-five

握手，与某人击掌,

is enough to release oxytocin,

都足以让我们释放催产素，

which increases your level of trust

提高我们的信任水平，

and it lowers your cortisol levels.

降低皮质醇水平。

So it lowers your stress.

进而减少我们的压力。

And dopamine is generated, which gives us a little high

另外也会产生多巴胺， 给我们一种兴奋感

and it kills pain.

还可以止疼。

It's like a naturally produced morphine.

就像天然的吗啡一样。

Now, all of this passes under our conscious radar,

所有的这些，我们的意识 都探测不到，

which is why we conflate online activity with the real thing.

这也就是我们常把现实和网络活动 混淆为一物的原因。

But we do have evidence now, fresh evidence,

而我们现在已经有了证据， 最新的证据

that there is a difference.

证明了它们有区别的。

So let's look at some of the neuroscience.

我们来看看神经科学，

Elizabeth Redcay, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland,

Elizabeth Redcay是马里兰大学的 一名神经科学家,

tried to map the difference

她试图准确描述这些区别：

between what goes on in our brains when we interact in person

面对面互动 我们脑中产生的活动

versus when we're watching something that's static.

对比人们看着一些静态的东西时 脑中的变化。

And what she did was she compared the brain function

她将大脑功能进行了对比

of two groups of people,

有两组实验人员,

those interacting live with her

一组是与她进行真实互动的,

or with one of her research associates

或者跟她的研究员

in a dynamic conversation,

进行动态交谈的。

and she compared that to the brain activity of people

她把这一组人员的大脑活动跟

who were watching her talk about the same subject

另外一组只是静静得看 她讲述着同一个话题的视频

but in a canned video, like on YouTube.

就像看YouTube视频一样。

And by the way, if you want to know

另外，如果你想知道

how she fit two people in an MRI scanner at the same time,

她是怎么把两个人 同时塞进核磁共振仪的

talk to me later.

可以一会儿找我交谈。

So what's the difference?

那么区别到底在哪儿呢？

This is your brain on real social interaction.

这是在真实的社交互动中的大脑。

What you're seeing is the difference in brain activity

你看到的是进行这两种互动方式时

between interacting in person and taking in static content.

大脑活动中的不同点。

In orange, you see the brain areas that are associated with attention,

你们看到的橘色， 大脑的这个区域是与注意力

social intelligence --

和社交智慧紧密联系的，

that means anticipating what somebody else is thinking

意味着在想别人在想什么

and feeling and planning --

他们的感受是什么，在计划着什么

and emotional reward.

以及情感反馈。

And these areas become much more engaged

这些区域当我们在进行真实互动时

when we're interacting with a live partner.

就变得越来越多。

Now, these richer brain signatures

这些丰富的大脑信号

might be why recruiters from Fortune 500 companies

可能解释了为什么世界500强的 招募人员

evaluating candidates

在评估应聘者时

thought that the candidates were smarter

往往会觉得听到他们的声音之后

when they heard their voices

觉得应聘者更聪明，

compared to when they just read their pitches in a text, for example,

相比起简单阅读他们的想法

or an email or a letter.

或读一封邮件或者信之类。

Now, our voices and body language convey a rich signal.

我们的声音和肢体语言 传达着丰富的信号

It shows that we're thinking, feeling,

代表着我们在思考， 我们的切身体会

sentient human beings

我们是有感情的人们

who are much more than an algorithm.

非 一个公式就可以 简单计算得出的。

Now, this research by Nicholas Epley

Nicholas Epley在芝加哥大学商学院

at the University of Chicago Business School

做出的研究

is quite amazing because it tells us a simple thing.

非常了不起， 它告诉了我们一个简单的道理。

If somebody hears your voice,

当人们听到你的声音时

they think you're smarter.

往往觉得你更加聪明一些。

I mean, that's quite a simple thing.

我觉得，这就是很简单的一件事。

Now, to return to the beginning,

我们回到一开始的主题，

why do women live longer than men?

为什么女性普遍要比男性更长寿呢？

And one major reason is that women are more likely

主要的一个原因就是

to prioritize and groom their face-to-face relationships

女性会优先考虑和培养 她们与人的面对面关系，

over their lifespans.

在整个生命过程中都是这样。

Fresh evidence shows

最新的证据表明

that these in-person friendships

这种亲自见面的友谊

create a biological force field against disease and decline.

营造了一种生命力量 可以抵抗疾病和衰退。

And it's not just true of humans

而这并不仅仅适用于人类

but their primate relations, our primate relations as well.

同样适用于我们的灵长类近亲。

Anthropologist Joan Silk's work shows that female baboons

人类学家Joan Silk的研究表明

who have a core of female friends

拥有亲密雌性朋友的雌性狒狒

show lower levels of stress via their cortisol levels,

由她们的皮质醇水平可以看出 其更不容易焦虑，

they live longer and they have more surviving offspring.

她们活得更久， 而且拥有更多存活下来的子孙。

At least three stable relationships.

至少三种稳定的关系。

That was the magic number.

这是一个神奇的数字。

Think about it.

仔细想想。

I hope you guys have three.

我希望你们可以拥有这三种。

The power of such face-to-face contact

就像面对面交谈所带来的力量一样

is really why there are the lowest rates of dementia

正是为什么参与社交的人

among people who are socially engaged.

往往拥有更低的痴呆率的原因。

It's why women who have breast cancer

这也是为什么同样是乳腺癌患者

are four times more likely to survive their disease than loners are.

参与社交的患者战胜疾病的可能性 是孤独者的四倍。

Why men who've had a stroke who meet regularly to play poker

这也就是为什么男人中风之后

or to have coffee

那些定期打牌，喝咖啡

or to play old-timer's hockey --

打老手的曲棍球的人，

I'm Canadian, after all --

毕竟我是加拿大人，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

are better protected by that social contact

社交比起药物治疗

than they are by medication.

反而更好的保护了身体的原因。

Why men who've had a stroke who meet regularly --

中风之后的人，定期相见

this is something very powerful they can do.

这是他们能做的非常有用的一件事。

This face-to-face contact provides stunning benefits,

面对面的交谈提供了惊人的益处，

yet now almost a quarter of the population says they have no one to talk to.

可如今接近四分之一的人口说 他们没有可以诉说的人。

We can do something about this.

我们可以改变这个情况的。

Like Sardinian villagers,

就像撒丁岛的村民们，

it's a biological imperative to know we belong,

知道我们所属于一个群体 是一种生物本能，

and not just the women among us.

不仅是女性拥有这种本能。

Building in-person interaction into our cities, into our workplaces,

把建立一种亲自的互动联系， 在我们的城市，上班的地方

into our agendas

写在日程安排里，

bolsters the immune system,

加强我们的免疫系统，

sends feel-good hormones surging through the bloodstream and brain

通过血液和大脑 传达感觉良好的荷尔蒙，

and helps us live longer.

这能帮助我们活得更久一些。

I call this building your village,

我把这叫做建立自己的村庄，

and building it and sustaining it is a matter of life and death.

建立和维护它是生死攸关的事。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Helen Walters: Susan, come back. I have a question for you.

Helen Walters：Susan请回。 我有个问题。

I'm wondering if there's a middle path.

我在想啊， 有没有一个适中的途径。

So you talk about the neurotransmitters connecting when in face-to-face,

你刚刚说了关于面对面交谈时 神经递质的释放，

but what about digital technology?

那么关于数字技术呢？

We've seen enormous improvements in digital technology

我们见证了数字技术巨大的进步，

like FaceTime, things like that.

就像视频对话那样的。

Does that work too?

这些也有用吗？

I mean, I see my nephew.

我意思是，我看我的侄儿

He plays Minecraft and he's yelling at his friends.

他在玩“我的世界”， 一边对他的朋友大吼大叫，

It seems like he's connecting pretty well.

看起来他与朋友联系的不错。

Is that useful? Is that helpful?

这也有用吗？有帮助吗？

Susan Pinker: Some of the data are just emerging.

Susan Pinker ：一些数据正在显现。

The data are so fresh that the digital revolution happened

数字时代革命发生时， 我们的数据刚获得不久

and the health data trailed behind.

健康数据是落后的。

So we're just learning,

所以我们还在学习研究中，

but I would say there are some improvements

但是我可以说有些进步

that we could make in the technology.

是可以在科技中实现的。

For example, the camera on your laptop is at the top of the screen,

比如，你的摄像头 是在手提电脑屏幕的最上方，

so for example, when you're looking into the screen,

当你在看屏幕的时候，

you're not actually making eye contact.

你没有进行眼神交流，

So something as simple as even just looking into the camera

哪怕是仅仅看着摄像头，

can increase those neurotransmitters,

也可以促进神经递质的释放，

or maybe changing the position of the camera.

又或许可以改变一下摄像头的位置。

So it's not identical, but I think we are getting closer with the technology.

这并不相同，但是我觉得 我们正在利用科技达到我们的目标。

HW: Great. Thank you so much.

HW：非常感谢。

SP: Thank you.

SP：谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）