Money may not buy you happiness, but having a happy childhood can make you lots of money.

　　錢可能買不來快樂，不過若有個快樂的童年，長大後成為富翁的機會會更大。

　　A study has found that children with a sunny disposition go on to earn more as adults, even if their parents were not educated or high earners. And within the same family, it is the happiest siblings who tend to earn the most.

　　一項研究表明：童年性格開朗的小孩，長大以後賺錢更多；無論其出生在富貴還是清貧人家。並且，在同一個家族中，最快樂的孩子長大以後賺的最多。

　　It will come as no surprise to self-made billionaire Sir Richard Branson, who has said in the past he was ‘extremely lucky’ to have had such a happy childhood with ‘wonderful, understanding’ parents.

　　這項研究結果對白手起家的億萬富翁Richard Branson爵士（維京集團創始人）來説毫不意外。他自己曾説過，童年的自己是個非常幸運的孩子，因為他有一對善解人意的父母。

　　The study examined the happiness levels of 90,000 children and young adults in the U.S., and compared the data to their levels of income as adults. Even when other factors were taken into account, the economists carrying out the study found that happiness levels when young clearly determined higher earnings in later life.

　　該研究測試了美國9萬個青少年的快樂程度，並與他們成年後的收入相比較。雖然研究裏也含有其他影響因素，但經濟學家們發現，年少時的快樂指數顯著地決定了成年的收入水平。

　　For example, those whose life satisfaction increased by one point on a scale of one to five at the age of 22 were likely to earn ?1,200 more a year by the age of 29.

　　舉個例子：那些22歲時快樂指數上升了1個點（量表範圍從1到5）的人們，在29歲時能多賺1200英鎊。

　　Professor Andrew Oswald of Warwick University, the study’s co-author, said: ‘This research provides yet another reason for the need to create an emotionally healthy home environment.’

　　來自英國名校華威大學的Andrew Oswald教授是該研究的合作者，説道：“這項研究表明了建立一個健康家庭環境的必要性。”

　　Economists have long recognised that those with higher incomes tend to be happier, but this is the first study which shows the economic benefits of being happy when young.

　　經濟學家們很早就提出“人越有錢越快樂”的論點，但這項研究第一次向我們表明了：小時候越快樂，長大就越有錢。

　　The authors said happier people tended to be more productive which may explain why they were promoted more quickly than their more pessimistic colleagues.

　　研究者們認為，更快樂的人傾向於更高效，而這也許可以解釋為什麼快樂的員工往往比消極的同事更容易升職。