世界上是否存在幸福方程？心理学家研究发现，一些基本“参数”会帮助我们更好地理解幸福感，并指导我们更好地得到快乐。


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选材／校对／翻译：方小异（翻译参考答案中有语言点注释）
I've been hearing a lot about positive psychology, the study of happiness and how to achieve it. Is there any consensus among scientists on the best ways to be happy? Well, no, not exactly. There's no one, sure fire key to happiness. Happiness comes in many forms and shades of gray. But psychologists have discovered some basic parameters to help us understand happiness and how to have more of it. For example, it's well known that extroverts tend to be happier than introverts. In other words, people who are outgoing and energetic are generally happier than people who are neurotic and self-absorbed. Which seems to make sense. But what's really interesting, according to one study, is how and why extroverts are happier than introverts. It has to do with what psychologists call "time perspective," that is, how people perceive the past, present, and future. The important finding is that happy people tend to see the past in positive terms, while people who are less happy are more likely to view the past regretfully and fret about past decisions. So the idea is that putting a positive spin on the past is one key to happiness. Not everyone is naturally inclined to see the past through rose-colored glasses. But the good news is that you can train yourself to frame the past in a positive light, or at least try. Doing so may help you be happier in the present, and be more optimistic about the future.
我听说过很多关于积极心理学的幸福感研究，也告诉我们如何才能实现快乐。那么是否存在科学家们公认的得到快乐的最好方法呢？ 哦，不，不完全是。世界上没有能确保获得幸福的灵丹妙药，快乐存在于许多形式和梯度。但是心理学家们已经研究发现，一些基本“参数”会帮助我们更好地理解幸福感，并指导我们更好地得到快乐。 例如，众所周知，性格外向的人通常会比性格内向的人更快乐。换句话说，外向而精力充沛的人往往比那些神经焦虑或自我封闭的人更容易感到幸福。 这听起来很有道理，但某项研究已进一步找到以上规律的原因。 这与心理学所称的术语“时间洞察力”(time perspective)有关，意即：人们如何看待过去、现在和未来。 一个重要发现就是，幸福的人往往倾向用积极的态度看待过去，而不快乐的人更容易纠结于过去的遗憾或苦恼中。 因此，把过去的回忆放入一个良性循环是抵达幸福的关键。毕竟不是每个人都天生倾向于透过“玫瑰色眼镜”看待过去。但值得庆幸的是，你可以训练自己，或者至少尝试用光明来装饰回忆，用积极乐观的心态审视过去。这样做可能会帮助你现在得到快乐，并对未来更加乐观。 【小异注释】 1. psychology 心理学，psychologist 心理学家，psychological 心理学的 2. consensus (among sb about sth/that) 共识，一致的意见 3. sure fire 口语中加强sure的语气 4. shade of gray 灰度，梯度 5. parameter 因素，参数 6. extrovert 外向的人，introvert 内向的人 7. fret about sth 为⋯⋯而烦恼 8. see the past through rose-colored glasses 透过“玫瑰色眼镜”看待过去，英语中对乐观的常用比喻用法