日本的“长寿国”桂冠不保了

For years Japan has dominated the league table for world life expectancy. The streak triggered much research into the reasons behind this, so others could hopefully snatch some of that longevity for themselves.

多年以来，日本在预期寿命方面一直占据世界主导地位，同时也引发了大量针对其背后原因的研究，以便其他人也可以找到延长寿命的方法。

According to the Independent, a study in 2016 found it’s largely down to the Japanese diet.

据英国《独立报》报道，2016年的一项研究发现，其秘诀主要在于日本人的饮食习惯：

‘[The Japanese] eat diets high in certain carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits as well as fish and meat. Such foods make for a diet low in saturated fats, processed foods and high in carbohydrates gained from both rice and vegetables.’

「『日本人』的饮食多为特定碳水化合物、蔬菜、水果、以及鱼类与肉类。这种饮食习惯可以减少饱和脂肪、加工食品的摄入，并能从大米与蔬菜中摄取大量碳水化合物。」

Other reasons brought up by studies and articles on the subject include a hygiene-conscious culture, an accessible health service and the active lifestyle of older Japanese people who often continue working past retirement age.

关于日本人长寿的研究与文章则提出了其他理论，其中包括卫生意识、医疗服务、以及日本老年人经常在退休年龄之后还继续工作的积极生活方式。

However, as written in the Guardian, Japan could be about to lose their crown to another country. If current trends continue, by 2040, Spain will top the league tables, breaking Japan’s streak. The average age in Spain is predicted to become 85.8 years, with Japan lagging behind by just 0.1 year.

然而，正如《卫报》近期所报道的那样，日本可能即将把长寿王冠输给另一个国家。如果照目前的趋势继续下去，到2040年时，西班牙将位居长寿国榜首，并打破日本的连胜纪录。届时西班牙的平均年龄预计可达到85.8岁，而日本仅落后其0.1岁。

According to the article, the answer lies once again in what the population eat, as the Spanish reap the benefits of the famous Mediterranean diet and keep alcohol consumption down.

该报道还表示，西班牙即将制霸的秘诀同样在于饮食习惯。因为西班牙人正享受著名的地中海饮食所带来的好处，并且还在持续减少酒精消耗量。

Japan’s predicted fall from number 1 to a still very respectable second place, seems to be down to Japanese men in particular. Rates of obesity have risen for men but not women, and smoking could also be a factor.

而日本之所以预计从第一名下降到仍然非常可观的第二名，或许主要归咎于日本男性。据悉，日本男性的肥胖率正在上升，而女性的肥胖率则无变化。此外，吸烟也可能是一个重要因素。