走访世界上最幸福的地方：北欧

瑞士人的幸福是“满足却不满溢”

　　Inspired by Veenhoven's rankings, former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio (and self-proclaimed grouch) Eric Weiner embarked on a quest to visit the happiest places on earth. In his book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, Weiner immerses himself in the cultural fabric of the world's happiest countries to pinpoint exactly why residents of some countries, like Iceland and Switzerland, are so downright satisfied with their lives.

　　受到范荷文这个排名的启发，前美国国家公共广播电台驻外通讯记者埃里克•韦纳(他自称是个爱发牢骚的人)决定出发去走访世界上那些最快乐的地方。在他的书《天佑之地：一个牢骚鬼寻找世界上最快乐的地方》中，韦纳每到一个最快乐的国家，都会把自己沉浸在当地的文化中，找出究竟为什么像冰岛和瑞士这类国家的居民会对自己的生活如此心满意足。

　　The Swiss, Weiner discovered, are efficient and punctual, comparatively wealthy and face hardly any unemployment. Their streets, air and tap water are squeaky clean and chocolate is a national obsession. But Weiner saw no joy in their faces, and reasoned that perhaps it's better to live in this middle range than to vacillate between gleeful moments of elation and gut-wrenching spates of despair. Swiss happiness, he writes, is "more than mere contentment, but less than full-on joy".

　　韦纳发现，瑞士人做事很有效率、守时，比其他国家的人富裕，几乎不会遭遇失业。他们的街道、空气和自来水都干净得没话说，而且人人都酷爱巧克力。不过韦纳看不出瑞士人有任何喜形于色的表现，他觉得大概这种中庸平静的生活要比大喜大悲、起落无常要好。在他笔下，瑞士人的幸福是“满足却不满溢”。

　　Because the country is dark and cold, Weiner was initially skeptical about Iceland's ranking as one of the happiest nation in the world. He learned the small nation is quite literally a family; curiously, geneticists have found that all Icelandic citizens are related.

　　由于冰岛阴暗寒冷，韦纳先前对这个国家是世界上最快乐的国家之一感到很怀疑。他了解到这个小国家实际上是个大家族；奇怪的是，遗传学家们发现所有的冰岛人全都是亲戚。

　　Certain phrases in the Icelandic language, Weiner writes, are even more telling . When people greet each other, the phrase they use roughly translates to "come happy", and when people part, they utter the equivalent of "go happy". The country is a favorite stamping ground of artists and cultivates a creative spirit; the government supports writers with generous subsidies.

　　韦纳写道，冰岛语中的一些用语其实更能说明问题。冰岛人互相问候的话可以大致翻译成“高兴地来”，道别的时候他们也用与之相对庆的说法：“高兴地走”。艺术家们偏爱这个国家，也为这里培养出一种富于创造的精神，就连政府也为这里的作家提供丰厚的津贴。