I don't believe it: Actor Richard Wilson dressed as mean-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

It's the lesson Scrooge learned the hard way - and now a study has revealed the moralbehind Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol may be true after all.

New research has revealed the do-gooders amongst us live longer than the meaner, less charitable people.

The figures also showed people who volunteer to help others have an increased lifespan than those who do it for personal satisfaction.

Scientists studied a random group of 10,317 college students from their graduation in 1957 until the present day.

In 2004, respondents reported whether they had volunteered within the past ten years and how regularly.

Researchers found that four years later 4.3 percent of 2,384 non-volunteers were dead.

A similar number - four percent - of volunteers with more self-orientated motives were also dead.

However, only 1.6 percent of those volunteers whose motivations were more focused on others were dead four years later.

The study's lead author Dr Sara Konrath, of the University of Michigan, said: 'This could mean people who volunteer with other people as their main motivation may be bufferedfrom potential stressors associated with volunteering, such as time constraints and lack of pay.

'We recommend that people pay attention to their reasons for volunteering, and try to focus on how their behaviour can positively impact others.

'It does not appear that volunteering for self-serving reasons does actual harm, and it can still do your community good.'

(Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

点击查看更多双语新闻

(Agencies)

这是斯克鲁奇历经苦难才学到的东西，如今一项研究揭示，狄更斯的经典作品《圣诞颂歌》背后的寓意也许是正确的。

新研究发现，行善者比那些不慷慨、不宽容的人活得更长。

数据还显示，那些主动帮助他人的人比那些为满足自己而帮助他人的人寿命更长。

科学家随机抽取了10317名大学生作为研究对象，并跟踪调查了他们从1957年毕业后到现在的情况。

2004年，被调查者们报告了他们在过去十年内是否曾主动帮助他人以及这样做的频繁程度。

研究人员发现，四年之后，那些不曾主动帮助他人的2384名被调查者中，有4.3%已经去世。

那些为了自身利益去主动帮助他人的人也有4%去世，人数和前者相近。

然而，那些更多地为对方考虑的自愿助人者只有1.6%的人在四年后去世。

该研究的主要作者、密歇根大学的萨拉康拉斯博士说：“这可能意味着那些以他人利益为主要出发点的助人者也许可以免受和自愿助人相关的潜在压力的困扰，例如时间有限、薪酬不足。

“我们建议人们注意一下自己帮助他人的原因，并试着去关注自身行为怎样能给他人带来正面影响。

“这并不表示为了自身利益而帮助他人是有害的，这么做还是可以造福你的社区。”

来源：中国日报网英语点津   编辑：许银娟