About 40 years ago, the famous British band The Beatles sang that “money can’t buy me love”. Today, British economists are saying that it perhaps can’t buy you happiness either. This is showed by the happy planet index (HPI, 快乐指数) published recently by the New Economics foundation (NEF) in London.
The index is about how well countries are using their resources. It shows how well they provide people with better health and longer and happier lives, and at what cost to their environment.
It would seem to be a common sense that people in richer countries live happier lies, while those in developing countries are having a harder time.
But the results are surprising, even shocking. The numbers show that some o the so-called developed countries are performing very badly. The United States, for example, ranks number 150.
On the other hand, some little-known developing countries are doing a much better job. A tiny island in the Pacific, Vanuatu, comes in first. There are 178 countries and areas in the index. China ranks number 31.
Countries are graded on the basis of information supplied in response to the following questions. How do people feel about their lives? How long does an average person live? How much of its natural resources does a country need to use to keep its living standard? This is what the index cals the “ecological footprint”.
The NEF found that people from island nations enjoy the highest HPI rankings. The index points out that people in the US and Germany enjoy similar lives. However, Germany’s ecological footprint is only about half that of the US.

About 40 years ago, the famous British band The Beatles sang that “money can’t buy me love”. Today, British economists are saying that it perhaps can’t buy you happiness either. This is showed by the happy planet index (HPI, 快乐指数) published recently by the New Economics foundation (NEF) in London.
大约40多年前，著名的英国乐队披头士唱道：“金钱不能买给我爱”。今天，英国经济学家们说它也买不了快乐。这是从最近伦敦的新经济基金会发布的快乐指数看出的。
The index is about how well countries are using their resources. It shows how well they provide people with better health and longer and happier lives, and at what cost to their environment.
该指数是有关国家对资源的利用的。它显示了国家以牺牲环境的多少成本，怎样提供给人们更好的健康和更快乐的生活。
It would seem to be a common sense that people in richer countries live happier lies, while those in developing countries are having a harder time.
看起来，富裕国家的人们生活的更加快乐，而发展中国家生活的更艰辛是一个常识。
But the results are surprising, even shocking. The numbers show that some o the so-called developed countries are performing very badly. The United States, for example, ranks number 150.
但是结果却是另人吃惊的，甚至震惊。数据显示一些所谓的发达国家表现非常糟糕。举个例子，美国快乐指数排到第150位。
On the other hand, some little-known developing countries are doing a much better job. A tiny island in the Pacific, Vanuatu, comes in first. There are 178 countries and areas in the index. China ranks number 31.
从另一方面说，一些不出名的发展中国家表现更好。太平洋上的一个小岛，瓦努阿图，排名第一。指数排名中有178个国家。中国排第31位。
Countries are graded on the basis of information supplied in response to the following questions. How do people feel about their lives? How long does an average person live? How much of its natural resources does a country need to use to keep its living standard? This is what the index cals the “ecological footprint”.
各国的分数是根据对以下问题的回答的信息得出的：人们对他们的生活感觉怎么样？人平均寿命是多少？一个国家需要多少自然资源来维持它的生活水平？这是指数所称的‘生态足迹’。
The NEF found that people from island nations enjoy the highest HPI rankings. The index points out that people in the US and Germany enjoy similar lives. However, Germany’s ecological footprint is only about half that of the US。
新经济基金会发现岛国的人享有更高的快乐指数排名。指数指出美国和德国的人过着相似的生活。但是，德国的生态足迹大约仅仅为美国的一半。