Millennials are the happiest generation, and that may be because they know how to take care of themselves. Recent research takes an even closer look at one seriously intriguing way that millennials are nurturing themselves: teddy bears.

千禧一代是最幸福的一代，这也许是因为他们知道如何照顾自己。最近的一项研究甚至还认真调查了千禧一代鼓励自己的一种特别有趣的方式：那就是泰迪熊。

In a survey of 2,000 adults conducted by Build-a-Bear-Workshop, it was revealed that 99 percent of all adults had a stuffed animal as a child. That's not too surprising because, according to Shefali Tsabary, a clinical psychologist : “For children, a stuffed animal symbolizes warmth, comfort and playfulness.” But what might be more striking is that at least 53 percent of the adults surveyed still have at least one stuffed animal, either at their home or at their parents' homes.

熊宝宝工作坊对2000名成年人进行了调查。据透露，99%的成年人在童年的时候拥有一只毛绒玩具。这并不太令人惊讶，因为一位临床心理学家谢法利·沙巴利表示：“对孩子而言，毛绒玩具象征着温暖、舒适和乐趣。”不过，可能更令人惊讶的是受访者中至少有53%的成年人起码拥有一只毛绒玩具，他们或者是把玩具放在自己家里，或者是放在父母的家里。

The survey discovered that one in three adults who have a stuffed animal today plan on continuing to do so indefinitely. And millennials form a large contingent among those: One in four sleeps with a stuffed animal—they report that it provides them with feelings of comfort and security. And ten percent of all men in their 20s admitted to still sleeping in bed with a stuffed animal.

这项调查发现，目前拥有一只毛绒玩具的成年人中有三分之一打算一直留着自己的毛绒玩具。在这些人中，千禧一代占大多数：他们之中有四分之一还抱着毛绒玩具睡觉。这部分人表示，毛绒玩具使他们感受到了舒适和安全感。20岁左右的男性中有10%承认自己还抱着毛绒玩具睡觉。

More than half of the adults who have stuffed animals say they’ve been holding onto them for at least 20 years. “Stuffed animals can hold memories that are extremely special for us and can remind us of an ideal time period in our life,” Dr. Shefali explains. “A teddy bear’s comfort may have helped us get through a difficult time, so it continues to represent an object that served an important role in our lives.”

拥有毛绒玩具的成年人中有一半多表示自己已经拥有它们至少20年了。“毛绒玩具能留住那些对我们而言非常特别的记忆，而且会使我们想起自己人生中的完美时刻，”谢法利解释道。“一只泰迪熊的安慰可能会帮助我们度过困难时期，所以它在我们的生活中一直扮演着重要的角色。”

If you don't have a stuffed animal already, it's not too late. Even with a new one, the soothing benefits remain, Dr. Shefali says. “It’s symbolic of childhood, a time where we felt special and secure. For this reason, old or new, the relationship continues to hold a special place in the adult’s life.”

如果你还没有一只毛绒玩具，这也不晚。即使是新的毛绒玩具，它也依然具有安慰性，谢法利说道。“这是童年的一个象征，在当时使我们感受到了与众不同和安全感。因此，在成年人的生活中，不管是旧的还是新的，毛绒玩具依然占据着特殊的地位。”

（翻译：Dlacus）