又中又英｜self-conscious people

Can money buy happiness? Self-conscious people will consider that a loaded question. People who are not rich will probably say money can indeed buy happiness. People who are content with what they have will say no amount of money can buy happiness. What about super rich people like Elon Musk? Are they happy? Only they know if the billions of dollars they have truly make them happy. It\'s different strokes for different folks whether money can buy happiness. A recent study showed money can indeed buy happiness, and the more people make, the happier they are.

If you are self-conscious, it means you are insecure or uncomfortable about what others may think about what you say or do. A loaded question is a complex and unfair question that makes you answer in a particular way. For example, the question "have you stopped beating your cat?" is a loaded question because it pre-supposes you beat your cat. Self-conscious people may feel it\'s a loaded question to ask if money makes them happy because they worry about what others may think of their answer. The expression "different strokes for different folks" means different people will like or do different things. Some may feel money makes them happy, others may not.

A 2010 study in the US concluded the more people earn the happier they are but this happiness does not increase after they earn US$75,000 a year. But in a 2021 study, US happiness researchers found happiness can still rise with a yearly income beyond US$200,000. They had no data with incomes beyond US$500,000 a year. Please let me know if money makes you happy.

金钱可以买到快乐吗？较为自觉（self-conscious）的人会认为那是一条诱导性的问题（loaded question）。并不有钱的人很可能会说，金钱确实能买到快乐；对自己所有感到满足的人，则会说多少钱都不能买到快乐。那如果像伊隆‧马斯克那般超级有钱的人又如何呢？他们快乐吗？他们所拥有数以十亿的身家能否真正令他们快乐，就只有他们自己才知道了。金钱能否买到快乐，真是人人各有不同（different strokes for different folks）。最近一个研究显示，金钱确实能买到快乐，人们赚得愈多，他们愈快乐。

若你是 self-conscious，意即你会对于人们怎样看你所言所行，容易感到不安或不自在。A loaded question是一道复合和诱导性的问题，令你以既定的方式回答。譬如，「你有停止不再打你的猫吗？」便是一道既定观点问题（loaded question），因为它预设了你有打你的猫。若问到金钱能否令他们快乐，自觉的（self-conscious）人会觉得那是一道诱导性的问题（loaded question），因为他们会担心人们会怎样看待他们所给的答案。习语“different strokes for different folks”即「萝卜青菜，各有所爱」：不同的人会喜欢不同的事物，或去做不同的事。有些人认为金钱能令他们快乐，有些人不。

美国一个2010年的研究总结指，人们赚得愈多，便愈快乐，但当他们一年赚取75000美元或以上，这种快乐便不会再递增了。但在一个2021年的研究中，美国的快乐研究员发现，即使年收入超越20万美元，快乐还是会随着金额而增加。但他们并无年收入50万美元以上人士的相关数据。请告诉我，金钱能否令你快乐？

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻