The general belief is we want to live for as long as we possibly can - maybe even reaching triple figures. Advances in medicine, science and technology are extending our life expectancy every day.
人們普遍認為大家都想活得盡可能長久，甚至可能希望活到100歲以上。科技和醫學的進步每天都在延長我們的預期壽命。

But many are scared of the effects of ageing - with the thought of dementia striking terror into the hearts of most adults.
但是也有許多人對衰老帶來的一系列后果感到恐懼，比如，大多數成年人想到以后可能會得癡呆就十分害怕。

And a new study has discovered the fear of becoming old may actually outweigh the fear of dying.
一項新研究發現，衰老比死亡更讓人恐懼。

More than one in six people would prefer to die before they turn 80 - less than the average life expectancy, scientists found.
科學家發現，有六分之一的人更希望在八十歲前死去。這個年齡比現在的平均預期壽命還要低。

Hispanics have the highest preference for a shorter life while African-American people are more likely to want to live for 100 or more years, a new study suggests.
研究表明，拉美裔的美國人最傾向于擁有一個較短暫的人生，而非裔美國人更愿意活到100歲或更久。

But despite women living around five years longer than men, gender had no difference in how long people wanted to live for.
盡管女性的平均壽命比男性多五歲，但在想要活多久的問題上男女的想法并無差異。

Age and education were also found to be unrelated - despite those with formal education tending to live longer.
年齡和教育也沒有關聯，雖然受過正規教育的人都希望活得久一點。

The study is one of the first to investigate how younger adults perceive and anticipate their own ageing.
這項研究首次調查了年輕成人對衰老的認識以及對老年生活的設想。

Researchers from the Columbia Aging Center quizzed 1,600 adults aged 18 to 64 in a telephone survey.
哥倫比亞老年化中心的研究員們通過電話調研了1600名18-64歲的成年人。

They were on average 42 years old, half were women and 33 percent were university graduates.
被調查者的平均年齡為42歲，其中一半是女性，有33%是大學畢業生。

One in three would prefer to live until they are at least 80 years old, researchers discovered.
研究人員發現，有三分之一的人希望自己至少能活到80歲。

While a quarter of adults would prefer to live into their 90s - somewhat longer than expected.
四分之一希望活到90歲，超過了預期壽命。

The remaining people said they hoped to live to 100 or more years.
其他的人們希望活到100歲，甚至更久。

In the UK, the average life expectancy is 81.5 years, while in the US it is 78.7.
英國的平均預期年齡是81.5歲，美國為78.7歲。

Professor Vegard Skirbekk, from the Columbia Aging Center said: 'We were particularly interested in whether how long people want to live would be related to their expectations about what their life in old age will be like.
哥倫比亞老年化中心的韋加爾?希爾貝克教授說：“人們希望活多久和他們對老年生活的期望之間是否有關？我們對這一點尤其感興趣。”

'For many, it seems that the fear of becoming old may outweigh the fear of dying.'
“對于許多人來說，對變老的恐懼超過了對死亡的恐懼。”

The results confirmed those who had fewer positive expectations of growing old preferred to die earlier, before reaching average life expectancy.
研究結果也證實，對老年生活沒有太多正面預期的人更希望早點死去，不愿活到平均預期壽命。

And conversely, those who had fewer negative expectations of old age wanted their lives to go on for longer.
相反的，對老年生活的負面預期較少的人們希望活得更久。

Joint author Dr Catherine Bowen said: 'Having rather bleak expectations of what life will be like in old age seems to undermine the desire to live up to and beyond current levels of average life expectancy.
研究報告的共同作者凱瑟琳?鮑文博士說：“對老年生活的悲觀預期會削減想要活得長久以及超過平均預期壽命的渴望。”

'People who embrace the "better to die young" attitude may underestimate their ability to cope with negative age-related life experiences as well as to find new sources of well-being in old age.'
“有‘寧愿早死’態度的人可能低估了自己處理衰老帶來負面影響的能力和年老時找到保健新方法的能力。”

The findings were published online in the journal Ageing and Society.
這些研究結果都發表在《老齡化與社會》雜志的網站上。

英文來源：每日郵報
翻譯：王慧雯（中國日報網愛新聞iNews譯者）
編審：Helen/yaning