Youth Optimism Higher in 'Lower-Income' Countries
VOA News
September 24, 2018 2:01 AM Kathleen Struck (source)
Youth Optimism Higher in 'Lower-Income' Countries
「收入較低」國家的年輕人對未來態度更顯樂觀
September 24, 2018 2:01 AM
Kathleen Struck
Out of 15 countries polled, young people in China, India, Nigeria, Kenya, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Mexico were found to be more optimistic about the future than youths in the other countries, according to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Young people in these countries are more likely to believe they can affect the way their countries are governed and that their generation will have a more positive impact on the world than their parents' generation, according to the Goalkeepers Global Youth Poll, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.
The poll surveyed more than 40,000 people age 12 and older and asked for "their outlook on their personal lives, challenges for their communities, and the direction of their countries," according to the foundation report. Youths expressed more optimism than older people about their futures at home and globally.
In the poll, Australia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, the United States and Saudi Arabia were deemed higher-income countries. Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria and Russia were considered middle- or lower-income.
Happiness ratings show general contentedness among the 15 countries, but youths in lower- and middle-income countries reported the highest levels of optimism.
Relationships with friends and family were the most important influence on a person's life, and was highest in Sweden, the poll found.
Mexicans, Kenyans and Americans also ranked their relationships very high, like most countries, and more important than the impact of social media. And while social media scored high among Mexican youths, it remained lower than the positive impact of friends and family.
Health or well-being, and finances followed family and friends in importance. If they could have any job, most youths said they wanted to be doctors, while most adults said they wanted to be entrepreneurs.
Optimism about the ability to find good jobs was highest in China and lowest in Nigeria. Most countries hovered in the midrange.
Worldwide, most people, young and old, agreed "life is better for men and boys than for women and girls," and will continue that way, and there was very little difference between male and female responses, the poll found.
"This is particularly true in India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the U.S. and Brazil," the results said. Most responses said they thought conditions would improve for women.
Religion was most important to youths in Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, Sweden and Kenya, and least important to youths in China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Mexico and Russia.
In China, both youths and adults reported overwhelming optimism in the future of their country: 90 percent of youths and 78 percent of adults feel good about the future of their country. India, Nigeria, Mexico, Kenya and Indonesia reported similar levels of optimism about their countries.
In the U.S., 35 percent of youths and 18 percent of adults reported feeling optimistic about their country. Brazil, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain and France also reported feeling less optimistic.
In response to the sentence, "My generation is better off than my parents were," both Chinese youth (90 percent) and adults (80 percent) were most positive. Nigerian, Indian, Indonesian and Saudi Arabia youths followed in line for youths. Indian, Indonesian, German, Saudi Arabian and Swedish adults in succession said their generation was better off than their parents.
Government or political leaders, and climate change or pollution had the most negative impact on life for both youths and adults.
Both younger and older respondents cited ending poverty and improving education as paramount over other issues, including ending conflicts.
Cancer was the No. 1 health concern universally. HIV/AIDS came in second globally, with greatest concern in Kenya, Nigeria and Mexico.
The "sadness of aging" bummed out everyone, youths and adults, with responses ranking in the negatives, meaning no one was happy about aging.
比爾及梅琳達.蓋茨基金會(Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,BMGF)表示,15 個進行民意調查(poll)的國家中,中國(China)、印度(India)、奈及利亞(Nigeria)、肯亞(Kenya)、印尼(Indonesia)、沙烏地阿拉伯(Saudi Arabia)和墨西哥(Mexico)等國的年輕人(youth)相較於其餘國家的年輕人,對未來抱持著更樂觀的(optimistic)態度。
此份由蓋茨基金會資助,並由益普索公共事務民調中心(Ipsos Public Affairs)進行(conduct)的「全球青年意象調查(Goalkeepers Global Youth Poll)」顯示,這些國家的年輕人更可能認為他們能夠影響(affect)國家的治理(govern),而且比起父母親那一代,他們這一代對世界有更積極的影響力(impact)。
基金會的報告指出,這份民調調查(survey)了超過 4 萬民年齡在 12 歲以上的民眾,詢問他們「對於個人生活的看法(outlook)、社區面臨的挑戰,以及國家發展的方向」等問題。比起年長者,年輕人對國內或全球的前景更為樂觀(optimism)。
這份民調中,澳洲(Australia)、法國(France)、德國(Germany)、英國(Great Britain)、瑞典(Sweden)、美國(United States)和沙烏地阿拉伯(Saudi Arabia)被視為(deem)收入較高的國家。巴西(Brazil)、中國、印度、印尼、肯亞、墨西哥、奈及利亞和俄羅斯(Russia)則被視為收入中等或較低的國家。
在快樂程度的評比(rating)上,調查結果顯示這 15 個國家的人民對生活普遍感到滿足(contentedness),而低收入和中等收入國家的年輕人更展現出有史以來最樂觀的態度。
民調發現,與朋友及家人的關係對個人生活的影響(influence)最為重要,其中又以瑞典人民尤其看重。
就像大多數國家的人民,墨西哥人、肯亞人和美國人也把與他人的關係所帶來的影響排(rank)在前頭,其影響力更勝社群媒體。儘管社群媒體對墨西哥年輕人的影響頗大,但仍低於朋友和家人所造成的正向影響。
民調顯示,健康或幸福(well-being),以及個人財務情況(finances)的重要性僅次於家人和朋友。如果可以任意選擇想要從事的工作,大部分的年輕人想成為醫生,而大部分的成年人則想當個企業家(entrepreneur)。
中國的人民對個人在找到滿意的工作的能力上最為樂觀,而奈及利亞的人民則最不樂觀。大多數國家的人民對此議題的樂觀程度則徘徊(hover)於中間值(midrange)。
民調也發現,全世界大部分的人,無論老少,一致同意「男人和男孩的生活條件較女人和女孩來得有利」,而且認為此情況會持續下去。此外,男性和女性對這項議題的看法並無太大的差異。
調查結果顯示:「印度、沙烏地阿拉伯、墨西哥、美國和巴西尤其存在著這樣的男女差異。」大多數的受訪者認為女性的生活條件(conditions)將會改善。
宗教對印尼、奈及利亞、巴西、瑞典和肯亞的年輕人而言最為重要,但對中國、法國、德國、英國、印度、墨西哥和俄羅斯的年輕人卻最不重要。
中國的年輕人和成年人對國家的未來都抱持著極(overwhelming)為樂觀的態度:90% 的年輕人和 78% 的成年人認為國家的前景良好。印度、奈及利亞、墨西哥、肯亞、印尼等國的人民對於他們國家的未來也以相似的樂觀態度看待。
美國僅有 35% 的年輕人和 18% 的成年人對國家的前景感到樂觀。巴西、瑞典、德國、英國和法國同樣也對國家的前景較不樂觀。
對於民調中所列「我這一代的經濟狀況比我父母那一代更好(better off)」的敘述,中國年輕人(90%)和成年人(80%)都極為認同。而認同比例在中國年輕人之後的依序是奈及利亞、印度、印尼和沙烏地阿拉伯的年輕人。印度、印尼、德國、沙烏地阿拉伯和瑞典的成年人亦紛紛(in succession)表示他們這一代的經濟情況比起父母親那一代來得好。
政府或政治領袖,以及氣候變遷(climate change)或汙染對年輕人和成年人的生活都造成了最負面的影響。
較年輕和較年長的回答者(respondent)皆表示,在包括終止戰爭(conflict)在內等眾多議題中,終結貧窮(poverty)和改進教育最為重要(paramount)。
癌症普遍(universally)是各國首重的健康問題。其次受全球重視的是人類免疫缺乏病毒(Human Immunodeficiency Virus,HIV)和愛滋病(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,AIDS)的問題,又以肯亞、奈及利亞及墨西哥等國的情況最令人擔憂。
「年華老去(aging)的憂愁」讓所有人,無論老少,都感到悲傷(bum . . . out),對老化的反應偏向不好的一面(negative),這意味著沒有人樂見衰老。
Language Notes
poll [pol] (v) 對 . . . . . . 進行民意調查 * 本字亦指「(候選人等)獲得(若干票數)」;也可作名詞,意即「民意測驗,民意調查」
foundation [faʊn`deʃən] (n) 基金會 * 本字也常指「創建;建立」、「基礎;根據」或「(化妝打底用的)粉底霜」 * found [faʊnd] (v) 創建;創立;創辦
survey [sɚ`ve] (v) 調查;向 . . . . . . 作調查 * 注意本字重音在第 2 音節;亦可作名詞,指「調查;調查報告;民意調查(測驗)」,重音在第 1 音節
outlook [`aʊt͵lʊk] (n) 觀點,看法 * 本字常接介系詞片語 "on . . . ",意即「對 . . . . . . 看法」;另一常見意思為「前景;展望」,常接介系詞片語 "for . . . . . . ",意即「. . . . . . 的前景」,例如:"The outlook for the economy is bleak."「經濟前景暗淡。」
optimism [`ɑptəmɪzəm] (n) 樂觀;樂觀主義 * optimistic [͵ɑptə`mɪstɪk] (adj) 樂觀的;樂觀主義的;樂天的
deem [dim] (v) 認為,以為;視作
rating [`retɪŋ] (n) 等級,級別;程度;評比
contentedness [kən`tɛntɪdnəs] (n) 滿足;知足;滿意 * 本字由形容詞 "contented"「滿足的;滿意的」和名詞字尾 "-ness" 組成
rank [ræŋk] (v) 把 . . . . . . 分等級;確定 . . . . . . 的地位(或等級);具有 . . . . . . 的地位(或等級) * 本字也可作名詞,意即「等級;級別」或「職位;官階;軍銜」
well-being [wɛl`biɪŋ] (n) 幸福;安康;福利,福祉
finances [faɪ`nænsɪz] (n) 資金;(個人或公司的)財源,財力;(國家的)歲入;財務情況 * 注意本字指「資金;財源;財務情況」時,為複數形
entrepreneur [͵ɑntrəprə`nɝ] (n)(尤指涉及風險的)企業家,創業者 * 注意本字重音在最後一音節
hover [`hʌvɚ] (v)(在某一個標準附近)徘徊 * 本字常接介系詞片語 "at / around / between . . . ",意即「在 . . . . . .(標準、數值等附近)徘徊」;另一常見意思為「(鳥等)盤旋,翱翔;(直升機)停留在空中」
midrange [mɪd`rendʒ] (a) 中等的;平均的 * 本字另一拼法為 "mid-range"
overwhelming [͵ovɚ`(h)wɛlmɪŋ] (a) 巨大的,極大的 * 本字亦有「難以抵擋的;無法抗拒的」之意
better off (adj phr) 境況較佳的;更有餘裕;經濟狀況較以前(或較大多數人)好的
in succession (prep phr) 接連地,連續地;紛紛;先後 * succession [sək`sɛʃən] (n) 連續,接續
paramount [`pærə͵maʊnt] (a) 至高無上的;最重要的;主要的
conflict [`kɑnflɪkt] (n) 戰鬥,戰爭;鬥爭 * 本字另一常見意思為「矛盾,衝突;分歧;爭論」;亦可作動詞,重音在第 2 節,指「不一致;發生抵觸;相矛盾;衝突」
universally [͵junə`vɝsəlɪ] (adv) 普遍地;一般地;處處,到處 * universal [͵junə`vɝsl̩] (a) 普遍的;全體的;共同的
bum somebody out (v phr) 使 . . . . . . 感到悲傷(或失望)
negative [`nɛgətɪv] (n) 不好的方面 * 本字也常作形容詞,指「壞的;有害的」或「負面的,消極的」
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden answers.
1. Community satisfaction and attachment was found to be relatively low, hovering around 50 percent.
2. Volleyball Monthly ranked the team third in the nation.
3. The Bay Area is full of entrepreneurs hoping to make money on the Internet.
4. The negatives outweigh the positives on this issue.
5. Southwest Junior High is surveying parents about their children wearing uniforms.
6. Benefits will have to become more targeted at specific need rather than being universally available.
7. Nearly 60% of the voters who were polled did not recognize Bronson's name.
8. While some musical ability is necessary, it is not the paramount concern.
9. His outlook on life is largely a result of his strict education.
10. Andy doesn't like others to control him, so when his parents give him a list of chores, it bums him out!
11. This survey is deemed to be a reliable barometer of public opinion.
12. There has been overwhelming public support for the proposed shopping development.
編譯:黃筠婷
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