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Loneliness has been linked to depression and other health problems.Now，a study says it can also spread.A friend of a lonely person was 52%more likely to develop feelings of loneliness.And a friend of that friend was 25%more likely to do the same.Earlier findings showed that happiness，fatness and the ability to stop smoking can also grow like infections within social groups.The findings all come from a major health study in the American town of Framingham，Massachusetts.
The study began in 1948 to investigate the causes of heart disease.Since then，more tests have been added，including measures of loneliness and depression.
The new findings involved more than 5，000 people in the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study.The researchers examined friendship histories and reports of loneliness.The results established a pattern that spread as people reported fewer close friends.
For example，loneliness can affect relationships between next-door neighbors.The loneliness spreads as neighbors who were close friends now spend less time together.The study also found that loneliness spreads more easily among women than men.
Researchers from the University of Chicago，Harvard and the University of California，San Diego，did the study.The findings appeared last month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The average person is said to experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year.The study found that having a lonely friend can add about 17 days.But every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about 5%，or two and a half days.
Lonely people become less and less trusting of others.This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends—and more likely that society will reject them.
John Cacioppo at the University of Chicago led the study.He says it is important to recognize and deal with loneliness.He says people who have been pushed to the edges of society should receive help to repair their social networks.
The aim should be to aggressively create what he calls a“protective barrier”against loneliness.This barrier，he says，can keep the whole network from coming apart.
重点词汇：
loneliness 孤独（n.）
depression 压抑；萧条（n.）
infection 感染（n.）
investigate 调查（v.）
additional 额外的；富余的（adj.）
aggressively 强有力地；有敌意地（adv.）
barrier 障碍（n.）(https://www.daowen.com)
难句分析：
①Earlier findings showed that happiness，fatness and the ability to stop smoking can also grow like infections within social groups.
【结构分析】主干为findings showed that，that引导宾语从句，从句的主语为并列结构happiness，fatness and the ability，ability后面的动词不定式做后置定语，从句的谓语为can also grow。
②This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends—and more likely that society will reject them.
【结构分析】本句中的it为形式宾语，to make friends为真正的宾语，for them中的them是make friends的逻辑主语。and more likely是与more and more difficult并列的成分。
③The aim should be to aggressively create what he calls a“protective barrier”against loneliness.
【结构分析】句子主干为the aim should be to create，what引导的名词性从句做create的宾语从句，he calls的意思是“他所谓的；他所说的”。
全文翻译：
孤独感会引发抑郁症以及其他疾病。而现如今，一项研究表明孤独感也会传染。孤独人士的朋友有52%的可能会产生孤独感。同时，这个朋友的朋友有25%的可能会有相同感觉。早期的发现表明：幸福感、肥胖症以及戒烟能力会像传染病一样在社会群体内传播。这些发现都出自一项在美国马萨诸塞州弗雷明汉镇展开的主要健康研究。
这项旨在调查心脏病起因的研究开始于1948年。从那时开始，更多的试验被列入其中，包括孤独感和抑郁症的测定。
这项新发现调查涉及5000多人，这些人都是弗雷明汉镇心脏病研究受众的子女。研究人员调查了他们的友谊史以及关于孤独感的记录。研究结果建立了一个模式——孤独感在仅拥有较少朋友的人当中传播。
比如：孤独感会影响邻里之间的关系。当曾经是亲密友人的邻居逐渐疏远时，孤独感会蔓延。研究还表明，比起男性，孤独感更容易在女性中传播开。
来自芝加哥大学、哈佛大学以及加州大学圣地亚哥分校的研究人员进行了这项研究。研究结果于上个月发表在《人格与社会心理》杂志上。
据说，普通人一年有48天会产生孤独感。研究发现，拥有一个孤独的朋友，孤独感会增加17天。但是，每多一个朋友，可以消除约5%或者是两天半的孤独感。
孤独的人变得越来越不信任其他人。这让他们交朋友变得越来越难——而这个社会也更有可能与他们格格不入。
来自于芝加哥大学的约翰·卡乔波是这项研究的领头人。他说，认识并处理好孤独感是很重要的。他认为曾被社会所孤立的人们应该接受帮助以修复他们的社会关系。
目标应该是积极创建他所称的用来抵制孤独的“防护栏”。他说，防护栏可以保护整个社会关系不会瓦解。