A：志愿服务为各个年龄段的人带来了社会、精神和身体上的益处。这些益处在老年人身上体现得很明显，他们通常有更多可支配的时间，但运动量不大，参与的社区活动比一般人少。我读过一篇报道，说多参加志愿服务的人寿命更长。因为志愿活动能带来很多好处。 B: Yes. M

A: Volunteering has its social, mental, and physical benefits for people of all ages. These benefits truly reveal themselves for elderly folks, who often have more time on their hands, are less physically active, and engage less with the community2 than the average resident. I read a report saying that volunteers live longer because of a culmination of all the benefits.
B：是的，我有一位朋友，叫苏珊，今年81岁，已经退休。她丈夫刚去世不久，她自己有糖尿病，病情也没有好转，所以患上了抑郁症，想寻找改善自己病情的方法。在考虑了不同的选择之后，她决定参加志愿者工作。
A: As we age, there’s an increase in the likelihood of someone developing cognitive issues, memory loss issues, and motor function diseases. One thing that can help slow the advancements of these diseases is staying active and using your brain. Volunteering provides opportunities to keep conversation flowing, constantly stimulate the brain, and help overall cognitive functions stay active.
B：除此之外，志愿活动还能让老年人有一定的运动量，这对老年人至关重要，无论是帮助修建社区花园，还是其他志愿活动。研究表明，在65岁至74岁之间的人群中，只有不到三分之一的人进行锻炼。75岁以上的人群中只有不到六分之一。随着年龄的增长，缺乏运动可能会导致心脏方面的疾病、骨质疏松、关节疼痛、肥胖和其他健康问题。出去做志愿者可以帮助应对这些问题。
A: Volunteering is also a great way to learn a new skill that your previous decades of work wouldn’t allow. For instance, maybe you had a passing interest in aquatics and sea life. You could volunteer at an aquarium to find out more information about animals you never knew about. All of this learning is good for cognitive health we mentioned before.
B：我的朋友苏珊参观了一个老年人中心，然后就开始参与社区活动，并帮助她的同龄人活动起来、加入进来。她说：“当志愿者让我能够享受老年生活，通过帮助我的客户做一些小事情，我能体会到自己的价值。”志愿活动确实给了我朋友苏珊一个全新的生活。