Previous research found jealousy could be divided into benignand malicious envy. Those with benign envy were motivated to improve themselves, to do better so they could be more like the person they envied. However those with malicious envy wanted to bringthe more successful persondown.

　　之前的研究發現，嫉妒可以分為善意嫉妒和惡意嫉妒兩種。善意嫉妒者會積極提高自己、更好地表現自己以便能更接近自己嫉妒的對象。然而惡意嫉妒者則試圖將比他成功的那個人打垮。

　　The Dutch researchers then set out to question the effect on the target of the envy.

　　於是一些荷蘭研究者們開始討論以上兩類嫉妒者對嫉妒對象的影響。

　　Niels van de Ven of Tilburg University said: 'In anthropology, they say if you are envied, you might act more socially because you try to appease those envious people.' He cited as an example the fisherman who shared his bigger catch around.

　　蒂爾堡大學的尼爾斯 凡 德 馮說：“人類學家認為，如果你受到他人嫉妒的話，你可能會表現得更和善，因為你會試圖安撫那些嫉妒你的人。”他舉例說一個漁民如果釣到更大的魚，他一般都會跟周圍人分享。

　　In lab experiments a group of people were made to feel like they would be maliciously envied by being told they would receive an award of five euros. Sometimes the prize was deserved and was based on the score they were told they had earned on a quiz. But sometimes it was not based on their score at all.

　　在實驗室實驗中，一組人被告知將獲得五歐元的獎勵，以使他們感覺自己可能會遭到惡意嫉妒。這些獎勵有的時候是根據他們所獲知的測驗成績來發放的，是他們應得的；而有時候則完全不是以測驗成績為依據的。

　　The researchers thought that the deserved prize would lead to benign envy, while the undeserved prize would lead to malicious envy.

　　研究人員認為，應得的獎勵會引起善意嫉妒，而那些不應得的獎勵則會招致惡意嫉妒。

　　Then the volunteer was asked to give time-consuming advice to a potentially envious person.

　　然後研究人員讓志願者花費時間給那些潛在的嫉妒者提一些建議。

　　People who had reason to think they would be the target of malicious envy were more likely to take the time to give advice than targets of benign envy.

　　相對於善意嫉妒的對象來說，那些有理由相信自己是惡意嫉妒對象的人們更有可能花費時間來提出建議。

　　In another experiment, an experimenter dropped a number of erasers on the floor as the volunteer was leaving. Those who thought they would be maliciously envied were more likely to help him pick them up.

　　在另外一個實驗中，一位實驗人員在志願者離開時把幾塊橡皮掉到地上。那些認為自己遭到惡意嫉妒的人們更有可能會幫實驗人員把橡皮撿起來。

　　He said: 'This sort of serves a useful group function. We all think better-off people should share with others but that's not something we are inclined to do when we are better off.

　　該實驗人員說：“這種行為從某種程度上說是一種有用的群體功能。我們都認為境況更好的人應該跟其他人分享，但是當我們自己境況變好之後，我們並不願意這樣做。

　　'This fear of envy can encourage us to behave in ways that improve the social interactions of the group.'

　　“而對嫉妒的恐懼可以鼓勵我們改變自己的行為方式，以促進群體中的社交互動。”

　　The findings were published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

　　以上研究成果發表在《心理科學》上，這本雜誌是由心理科學協會發行的。