Early to wed may make marriage happy, survey says	最新研究表明：婚姻幸福與結婚早晚有關
The odds for a happy marriage may favor those who tie the knot between the ages of 23 and 27. Americans are waiting longer to get married, but they shouldn't wait too long: The odds for a happy marriage may favor those who tie the knot between the ages of 23 and 27, says a survey out Thursday. The average age at first marriage in the USA has been inching upward; it's now 26 for women and 27 for men. The survey asked a variety of questions about marriage and divorce, including attitudes toward cohabitation and raising children. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said marriage should be a lifelong commitment. The survey was designed and analyzed by University of Texas sociology professor Norval Glenn for the National Fatherhood Initiative, which advocates marriage and family values. To determine marital satisfaction and success, Glenn says, the answers to a series of questions were calculated according to a statistical index, including adjustments for the length of marriages as well as the age at first marriage. Findings shouldn't create panic among those approaching 30, he says. "Those marriages turned out better but maybe not because of the age," he says. "Some people may be just too picky or too choosy or not extremely desirable." Other researchers worry that the findings, based on a 15-minute national telephone survey of 1,503 men and women ages 18 and older in late 2003 and early 2004, may alarm those unattached and marriage-minded. Andrew Cherlin, a professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says marrying too young or too old carries a greater risk of divorce. But now, "as people wait longer and longer to marry, the definition of what's too old keeps changing." "In the 1950s, 28 was really old to get married. Now it's not so old, which means there are more unmarried people for a 28-year-old to choose from," he says. (Agencies)	美國人往往要經過長久的等待才最終決定結婚，但周四公布的一項調查研究顯示結婚不應該等得太久，幸福的婚姻可能會更偏愛那些在23到27歲間喜結良緣的人。 目前，美國人首次結婚的平均年齡正慢慢上升，現在女性的首次結婚年齡為26歲，而男性為27歲。 這項研究調查了許多有關婚姻和離婚的問題，其中包括對于同居生活和撫育孩子的態度。88%的受訪者表示婚姻應該是一輩子的承諾。 德克薩斯大學社會學教授諾費爾·葛蘭為美國父權行動協會設計了這項調查，并對調查結果進行分析，該協會提倡婚姻和家庭價值觀。 葛蘭說，為了確定婚姻是否幸福和成功，這套調查問卷的答案是根據統計指數來計算的，包括婚姻持續時間和首次結婚年齡。 他說，研究結果不會讓那些將近30歲的未婚者產生恐懼，“那些相對來說更幸福的婚姻可能并不是因為年齡。有些人可能太挑剔、太苛求或者不是特別滿意，”他說。 其他一些研究者擔心該項調查的結果會讓那些未婚和有結婚打算的人產生恐慌。調查者們在2003年底和2004年初對1503名18歲和18歲以上的男女進行了15分鐘的電話調查。 位于美國巴爾的摩的約翰霍普金斯大學社會學和公共政策教授安德魯·切爾林說太早或太晚結婚都有較大的離婚風險。但是現在，“人們結婚的時間越來越晚，什么時候結婚才是太晚很難界定，而且在不斷變化。” “上世紀50年代，28歲結婚就屬于晚婚了，但是現在，28歲結婚還不算太晚，就是說即使到28歲還沒有結婚，還有很多未婚的人可以選擇，”他說。 (中國日報網站薛曉文編譯)