中国网站品牌栏目（频道）
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Recently a question came upon our desks that inquired about DHS or Deferred Happiness Syndrome. This phrase appears to have been originally coined by Clive Hamilton back in May 2004 in a paper published by The Australia Institute, titled, ‘Carpe Diem? Deferred Happiness Syndrome’. The Australia Institute is a think tank that concentrates on developing and conducting research and policy analysis while also promoting public debate. Such groupings of select intellectuals are common in many societies and are often funded by corporations or wealthy sectors of society who believe it is important for the health of a nation to embark on debate and analysis of issues that affect a society’s progress or regress. Now in our situation here the issue concerns whether or not Australian’s are happy and whether or not the excessive desire for material possessions and money is leading to unhappiness. Looking at the title of Hamilton’s essay, Carpe diem is a phrase borrowed from a Latin poem by Horace 65 BC –, 8 BC, a Roman poet, which commonly translates to "seize the day". In modern usage the term refers to a belief or ideal that we shouldn’t waste our time and should try to remain positive, fresh and enthusiastic towards life, always opportunistic and making the most of what life gives us. Now the main thrust of Hamilton’s paper centers on this aspect where many Australians, “persist with life situations that are difficult, stressful and exhausting in the belief that the sacrifice will pay off in the longer term.” And in particular, “The tendency to endure long hours in unsatisfying jobs...” Actually if you think about it such conditions are really experienced everywhere, particularly here in China where parents and even grandparents and other members of the extended family may suffer and struggle for years in an attempt to obtain a better life some time later. Now in response to such stressful situations as DHS comes the notion of Downshifting. Sourcing Wikipedia we can see that the latter phrase refers to individuals living simpler lives trying to balance leisure and work, life goals, personal fulfillment and relationship building. Frankly, sounds like a good idea to me though I think the term – just the very use of the word “down” - implies a negative in this day and age – so I would rephrase it as “upward positive emotional gearing” or UPEG. Now this is of extreme importance here in China and across the whole Asian region where there is a tendency for a very strong work ethic, often at the expense of leisure. For students who have just completed their gaokao or college entrance exams I am sure they can testify to the strain often present in modern Chinese lives. So whether to choose DHS or the new UPEG, I’ll leave that up to you. Related stories:
本文仅代表作者本人观点，与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题，尊重他人，禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。 以上讨论问题来自翻吧（translate.chinadaily.com.cn） |
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About the author: Brendan has taught at universities, high schools and primary schools in Japan,the UK, Australia and China. He is a Qualified Education Agent Counsellor and has extensive experience with International English Language Examinations. In the field of writing Brendan has been published in The Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, Inflight magazines and the Asia News Network. He can be contacted at brendanjohnworrell@hotmail.com. |
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