为何女性通常比男性更长寿？

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🤔️小作业：

1. Which of the following best describes how the author organizes the article?

A) The article first presents a widely accepted belief, then introduces contradictory evidence, and finally supports an alternative explanation.

B) The article begins with a statement of the problem, then explores multiple possible explanations, and concludes with a synthesis of these factors.

C) The article follows a chronological order, describing how scientific research on longevity has evolved over time.

D) The article primarily argues for a single explanation of why women live longer and supports it with multiple studies.

无注释原文：

Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

From: The New York Times

Women outlive men, by something of a long shot: In the United States, women have a life expectancy of about 80, compared to around 75 for men.

This holds true regardless of where women live, how much money they make and many other factors. It's even true for most other mammals.

But the reasons women live longer are complicated and less established.

Scientists are trying to uncover the reasons men and women age differently in the hopes of extending life span and health span for both.

A growing body of research suggests that the XX set of female sex chromosomes (which, along with other chromosomes, carry our DNA) may impact longevity, though it's not clear exactly how. For example, a 2018 study conducted by Dr. Dubal's lab looked at genetically manipulated mice with different combinations of sex chromosomes and reproductive organs. Those with two X chromosomes and ovaries lived longest, followed by mice with two X chromosomes and testes. Mice with XY chromosomes had shorter life spans.

Scientists haven't yet examined this in humans, but Dr. Dubal said the fact that we have the same hormones and sex chromosomes, and similar reproductive systems, suggests that the findings could be similar in people.

Researchers are also investigating the role of sex hormones like estrogen in longevity, and are especially interested in the effect they have on the immune system. “There's decent data showing that, at least before menopause, the female immune system tends to be better, more on it and better able to mount responses,” Dr. Benayoun said. In general, males “tend to do much worse in response to infection,” which in turn could shorten their life spans; they're also more likely than women to die of sepsis, she said.

Behavioral patterns play a key role in the disparity. Women are generally less likely than men to smoke or drink heavily — behaviors that contribute significantly to mortality, said Kyle Bourassa, a psychologist and a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development at Duke University.

Ultimately, it's a combination of all these factors that determines the life span gap, said Alan Cohen, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. “There's probably a thousand ways that that's happening.”

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为纽约时报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

From: The New York Times

Women outlive men, by something of a long shot: In the United States, women have a life expectancy of about 80, compared to around 75 for men.

女性的寿命远远超过男性：在美国，女性的预期寿命在80岁左右，而男性约为75岁。

outlive /ˌaʊtˈlɪv/ 表示“比…活得长；比…待续时间长”，英文解释为“to live or exist longer than someone or something”举个🌰：He outlived all of his brothers. 他比他所有的兄弟都活得长。

life expectancy表示“（尤指人的）预期寿命”，英文解释为“the length of time that a living thing, especially a human being, is likely to live”举个🌰：Life expectancy in Europe increased greatly in the 20th century. 欧洲人的预期寿命在20世纪大幅增长。

This holds true regardless of where women live, how much money they make and many other factors. It's even true for most other mammals.

无论女性生活在哪里、赚多少钱以及其他诸多因素如何，这一现象都始终成立。对大多数其他哺乳动物而言亦是如此。

mammal /ˈmæm.əl/ 表示“哺乳动物”，英文解释为“any animal of which the female feeds her young on milk from her own body. Most mammals give birth to live young, not eggs.”举个🌰：Humans, dogs, elephants, and dolphins are all mammals, but birds, fish, and crocodiles are not. 人、狗、大象和海豚都是哺乳动物，而鸟、鱼和鳄鱼则不是。

But the reasons women live longer are complicated and less established.

但是，女性寿命更长的原因很复杂，也不太明确。

complicated /ˈkɒm.plɪ.keɪ.tɪd/ 表示“复杂的；麻烦的；费解的”，英文解释为“involving a lot of different parts, in a way that is difficult to understand”如：complicated instructions 复杂的指令。

established /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃt/ 形容词，1）可以表示“（因为优秀而）被认可的，著名的”，英文解释为“used for describing someone who is known for doing a job well, because they have been doing it for a long time”如：an established artist/star 著名艺术家/明星。

2）表示“（因长期存在而）已确立的；被承认的；既定的”，英文解释为“accepted or respected because of having existed for a long period of time”举个🌰：There are established procedures for dealing with emergencies. 处理紧急情况有一些既定程序。

Scientists are trying to uncover the reasons men and women age differently in the hopes of extending life span and health span for both.

科学家们正在努力揭示男女衰老方式不同的原因，希望借此延长两性的寿命和健康寿命。

lifespan /ˈlaɪf.spæn/ 表示“寿命；可持续年限，有效期”，英文解释为“the length of time for which a person, animal, or thing exists”举个🌰：The average human lifespan in the developed countries has increased over the last hundred years. 发达国家的人均寿命在过去的100年间延长了。

A growing body of research suggests that the XX set of female sex chromosomes (which, along with other chromosomes, carry our DNA) may impact longevity, though it's not clear exactly how. For example, a 2018 study conducted by Dr. Dubal's lab looked at genetically manipulated mice with different combinations of sex chromosomes and reproductive organs. Those with two X chromosomes and ovaries lived longest, followed by mice with two X chromosomes and testes. Mice with XY chromosomes had shorter life spans.

越来越多的研究表明，女性的性染色体XX（与其他染色体一起携带着我们的DNA）可能会影响寿命，尽管目前尚不清楚具体机制。例如，杜巴尔的实验室在2018年进行的一项研究中，对具有不同性染色体和生殖器官组合的基因改造小鼠进行了观察。拥有XX染色体和卵巢的小鼠寿命最长，其次是拥有XX染色体和睾丸的小鼠。拥有XY染色体的小鼠寿命则较短。

chromosome /ˈkrəʊ.mə.səʊm/ 表示“染色体”，英文解释为“any of the rod-like structures found in all living cells, containing the chemical patterns that control what an animal or plant is like”如：X and Y chromosomes X染色体和Y染色体。

longevity /lɒnˈdʒev.ə.ti/ 表示“长寿，长命，持久”，英文解释为“living for a long time”举个🌰：To what do you attribute your longevity? 你的长寿归功于哪些因素？

genetically /dʒəˈnet.ɪ.kəl.i/ 表示“遗传地”，英文解释为“in a way that relates to genes (= units of DNA received by an animal or plant from its parents) ”举个🌰：The brain's response to pain is, at least in part, genetically determined. 大脑对疼痛的反应，至少部分由遗传决定。

manipulate /məˈnɪp.jə.leɪt/ 1）表示“操纵，控制”，英文解释为“to control something or someone to your advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly”举个🌰：Throughout her career she has very successfully manipulated the media. 她在整个职业生涯中非常成功地控制了媒体。

2）表示“（用手）操纵，控制”，英文解释为“to control something using the hands”举个🌰：The wheelchair is designed so that it is easy to manipulate. 轮椅设计得很容易用手控制。

类似的还有一个词rig.

📍rig表示“（采取不正当的手段）操纵；对…做手脚”，英文解释为“to arrange dishonestly for the result of something, for example an election, to be changed”举个🌰：He said the election had been rigged. 他说选举被人操纵了。

reproductive /ˌriː.prəˈdʌk.tɪv/ 表示“生殖；生育；繁殖”，英文解释为“relating to the process of reproduction”

Scientists haven't yet examined this in humans, but Dr. Dubal said the fact that we have the same hormones and sex chromosomes, and similar reproductive systems, suggests that the findings could be similar in people.

科学家尚未在人类身上进行此类研究，但杜巴尔表示，鉴于人类与小鼠拥有相同的激素、性染色体以及相似的生殖系统，这些发现或许在人类身上也能得到类似的结果。

hormone /ˈhɔːməʊn/ 表示“激素；荷尔蒙”，英文解释为“a chemical substance produced in the body or in a plant that encourages growth or influences how the cells and tissues function; an artificial substance that has similar effects”，如：growth hormones 生长激素。

Researchers are also investigating the role of sex hormones like estrogen in longevity, and are especially interested in the effect they have on the immune system. “There's decent data showing that, at least before menopause, the female immune system tends to be better, more on it and better able to mount responses,” Dr. Benayoun said. In general, males “tend to do much worse in response to infection,” which in turn could shorten their life spans; they're also more likely than women to die of sepsis, she said.

研究人员还正在研究雌激素等性激素在寿命中的作用，尤其是它们对免疫系统的影响。贝纳永表示：“有可靠的数据显示，至少在更年期之前，女性免疫系统往往更好，更有效，并且更能做出反应。”总的来说，男性“对感染的反应往往要差很多”，这反过来又可能会缩短寿命；她说，男性也比女性更有可能死于败血症。

英式 oestrogen 美式 estrogen 表示“雌激素”，英文解释为“a female hormone that causes development and change in the reproductive organs (= organs involved in producing babies)”

1）表示“有免疫力”，英文解释为“cannot catch or be affected by a particular disease or illness”举个🌰：Adults are often immune to German measles. 成人往往对风疹有免疫力。

2）表示“不受影响”，英文解释为“not affected by sth”举个🌰：You'll eventually become immune to criticism. 你终究会不用在乎批评了。

3）表示“受保护；免除；豁免”，英文解释为“protected from sth and therefore able to avoid it”举个🌰：No one should be immune from prosecution. 任何人都不应免于被起诉。

表示“正派的；体面的，正经的；像样的，相当不错的”，英文解释为“socially acceptable or good”举个🌰：It was very decent (= kind) of you to help. 你能帮忙，真是个大好人啊。

mount /maʊnt/ 作动词，1）表示“准备；安排；组织；开展，发动”，英文解释为“If you mount a campaign or event, you organize it and make it take place.”举个🌰：The National Gallery mounted an exhibition of American painting. 国家美术馆举办了美国画展。

2）表示“逐步增加；增长，上升”，就是increase的高级版，举个🌰：The death toll continues to mount. 死亡人数持续增加。

📍2019年9月，美国电子烟巨头Juul的CEO辞职时，经济学人的文章中用到了As concerns mount这一表达：Juul replaced its chief executive, as concerns mount about the health risks of e-cigarettes.

3）表示“安放，安装；镶嵌；裱贴”，英文解释为“to fix something to a wall, in a frame, etc., so that it can be looked at or used”举个🌰：The surveillance camera is mounted above the main door. 闭路电视的摄像机安装在大门的上方。

4）熟词僻义，作动词，表示“骑上（马、自行车等）”，英文解释为“to get on a horse, bicycle, etc.. in order to ride”举个🌰：She mounted her horse and rode off. 她骑上马走了。

mounting /ˈmaʊn.tɪŋ/ 作形容词，表示“增加的；加剧的”，英文解释为“gradually increasing”如：mounting anxiety/excitement 不断增长的焦虑/兴奋。

📺美剧《美国恐怖故事》（American Horror Story）中的台词提到：But there's mounting evidence that this man is a war criminal. 但是有大量的证据显示这人是个战犯。

sepsis表示“败血症”，指的是机体对感染的严重反应，可能导致器官衰竭甚至死亡。Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to an infection causes widespread inflammation, potentially leading to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

Behavioral patterns play a key role in the disparity. Women are generally less likely than men to smoke or drink heavily — behaviors that contribute significantly to mortality, said Kyle Bourassa, a psychologist and a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development at Duke University.

行为模式是造成这种差异的关键因素。杜克大学老龄化与人类发展研究中心高级研究员、心理学家凯尔·博拉萨表示，女性吸烟或酗酒的几率通常低于男性，这些行为对死亡率有显著影响。

disparity /dɪˈspærɪtɪ/表示“（尤指不公正的）不同，差异”，英文解释为“a difference between two or more things, especially an unfair one”，如：a disparity between the rates of pay for men and women 男性与女性在工资水平上的差异。

相反的：

📍parity表示“（尤指薪金、权利或权力的）相同，相等，同等”，英文解释为“the state of being equal, especially having equal pay, rights, or power”举个🌰：Women workers are demanding parity with their male colleagues. 女职工在要求与男同事享有同等的待遇。

还可以指两个不同国家的货币单位的“平价，等价”(equality between the units of money from two diffe-rent countries）；

📍2019年「妇女节」联合国秘书长发表讲话时，就提到：We now have gender parity among those who lead our teams around the world, and the highest-ever numbers of women in senior management. 目前在世界各地，我们已在许多团队的领导层中实现性别均等，高级管理层中的妇女人数比以往任何时候都多。

📍在2018年报告中，居民收入增长和经济增长基本同步；就处理为：Basic parity in personal income growth and economic growth.

mortality /mɔːˈtælɪtɪ/ 表示“死亡数量；死亡率”，英文解释为“the number of deaths in a particular situation or period of time”。

区分：

📍morbidity /mɔːˈbɪdɪtɪ/ 表示“发病（率）”，英文解释为“the morbidity of a disease is how many people have it in a particular population”。

Ultimately, it's a combination of all these factors that determines the life span gap, said Alan Cohen, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. “There's probably a thousand ways that that's happening.”

哥伦比亚大学梅尔曼公共卫生学院环境健康科学副教授艾伦·科恩说，归根结底，是所有这些因素的结合决定了寿命差距。“这些因素可能有上千种的组合。”

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