Some diseases are contagious，like colds, flu, and chicken pox. But what about loneliness? Loneliness may not be a disease, at least not in the same way that chicken pox is. But loneliness can be contagious. How so? The same way that many emotions can be infectious. Being around someone who’s really happy can put you in a good mood. While hanging around someone who’s depressed can be, well, depressing. The same goes for loneliness. According to one study, the average person feels lonely about forty-eight days per year. Having a lonely friend adds around seventeen extra days of lonely feelings.

【生词注释】
contagious adj. 传染性的

chicken pox 水痘

loneliness n. 孤独, 寂寞

emotion n.情感

infectious adj. 有传染性的; 有感染力的

hang around 聚在……附近

【句子讲解】
Being around someone who’s really happy can put you in a good mood.
这是个复合句，主语是一个定语从句，who’s really happy做定语修饰someone,翻译时要将定语放在先行词前，翻译成“在一个快乐的人的周围”。mood 是名词，意为“心情”，put sb in a good mood 也就是 “让某人有好心情”的意思。

【参考译文】
有些病是传染性的。比如感冒，流感和水痘。但是寂寞也会传染给他人吗？寂寞并不是病，至少和水痘的病理不一样。但是寂寞也能传染。如何传染的,和许多情感一样传染。在快乐的人周围会使你有好心情。在压抑的人身旁会使你压抑。寂寞也是如此。根据一项研究，大多数人平均每年有48天感到寂寞。如果有一个寂寞的朋友，这会让你额外增加17天感到孤独的日子。