The Secret of a Long Life

I am Peter Brown. I am a writer with an important magazine. The other day I saw a white-haired man sitting on the chair in front of his house. I could see the wrinkles (皱纹) in his face and neck, and his wrinkled hands. Articles on the secrets of living to an old age are always popular with our readers, so I decided to write a story and discover the secret of this man’s long life. As I went near him, I said:

“Sir, would it be okay if I talked with you for just a moment?”

“Not at all. Actually, it would make me very happy. I get very bored sitting here, even for a short time. Until a little while ago, I lived a full and active life without a moment’s rest.”

“Well, they say that a lot of activities help one to live a long time.”

“That’s true, very true. I still feel very well, although my step has slowed down a little.”

The conversation continued in that way for a while. Although I tried to be very thoughtful about getting information from older people, it seemed to me that it would now be all right to begin to ask some polite questions.

“Would it be okay if I smoked?”

“Not at all.”

“I’d offer you one, but I suppose you probably don’t smoke, or drink, or ...”

“You’re wrong! I’ve always smoked a great deal. And until a little while ago, I went dancing every night. And as for alcoholic drinks ...”

“Do you mean to say that you’ve done these things all your life?”

“Of course. Why does that surprise you so much?”

“I’ve always been told that doing those things is bad for the health.”

“Nonsense!”

“I suppose that you have another secret ... a lot of fruit ... vegetables ... a lot of exercise in the fresh air ...”

“Don’t be silly! I hate exercise in the fresh air, and I don’t like any kind of vegetable.”

“This is unbelievable!”

“What do you mean, unbelievable? What are you talking about?”

“It’s just that I can’t understand how you’ve been able to live like that and to have lasted so long. Tell me, how old are you?”

“Me? I’m twenty-eight. Why?”

Astronaut Scot Kelly has been living on the International Space Station(ISS)since March 28,2015.And just like any other home, the ISS requires some housekeeping, in the form of regular work and repairs.

That is why Kelly and his partner Kjell Lindgren performed activities, outside the station on Wednesday. The operation began at 8:03 am and lasted for more than seven hours. It was the first spacewalk for both men.

The ISS has been in continual use for 15 years, and has hosted over 200 people. including astronauts and private tourists. During their activities, Kelly and Lindgren did basic electrical work, such as attaching new wires that will provide power to docking ports（接轨舱门）on the station. The ports will be used when other people arrive at the ISS in2017. Also, the two astronauts fixed a thermal(热的)cover on a key scientific instrument on the station to protect it from the freezing temperatures of space.

As the more senior astronaut, Kelly led the spacewalk. However, Lindgren dealt with some of the more challenging parts of the job as he has longer arms than Kelly.

During a spacewalk, the simplest work becomes a difficult task. Kelly and Lindgren spent months training and practicing for the operation. The preparation began in NASA’S Neutral Buoyancy Lab(NBL).Here astronauts are made to work in an environment similar to the one outside the space station

Even getting the space suits ready can take days. While each suit is built to fit perfectly on the astronaut who will wear it, adjustments(调整)need to be made right up to the time when the spacewalk begins. The adjustments address any changes in the astronauts’ bodies that have occurred as a result of being in a gravity-free environment.

Feeling sad is an important part of human nature.

Jerome Wakefield, a professor at New York University, mentions that feeling down after your heart is broken is normal and may even be beneficial. Recently, Wakefield’s students have been coming up to him because their parents are pressuring them to get help for their sadness; often the kids want no part of it. Rather than “listen to medicine,” they want to listen to their hearts. He believes these students’ reaction represents an important part of human nature.

Professor Diener, who has studied happiness for a quarter century, finds that the Scots and many other peoples like being sad, and don’t appreciate being told they should be happier. “They say too much happiness might not be such a good thing no matter where it comes from,” says Diener. He believes it’s wrong for the “happiness industry” to send the message that not only can we all be happier, but we have a duty to be so. He argues that what is considered normal sadness is something we shouldn’t avoid.

Eric Wilson, a professor at Wake Forest University, made every effort to smooth out his habitual frown（皱眉）and wear a sunny smile, since a happy expression can lead to happy feelings. He even tried to be enthusiastic. When neither of these made him happy he concluded that such a happiness movement was no good for him at all. Americans, love for happiness, he writes, creates an environment where sadness is not valued.

These researchers believe the problem of continuous, extreme happiness should not be surprising, since negative emotions developed for a reason. Fear warns us against the presence of danger, for instance. Sadness, too, seems to be part of our DNA: monkeys, dogs and elephants all display something that looks like sadness. Being “up” all the time can cause you to play down very real threats.

They believe that only by experiencing sadness can we experience the fullness of the human condition. Their studies show that when you are in a negative frame of mind, you become more logical and more creative. Abraham Lincoln was not limited by his dark moods, and Beethoven composed his later works in a sad state. Vincent van Gogh, Emily Dickinson and other artistic giants saw the world through a glass darkly.

People who are somewhat unhappy are more motivated to improve both their own lot and the lot of their community. In contrast, people at the top of the happiness charts feel no such urgency（迫切需要）. “If you’re totally satisfied with your life,” says Diener, “you don’t feel like working for change. Be careful when people tell you that you should be happier.”