世界上最幸福城市排行榜 The world's happiest citi
第一名，Rio de Janeiro，Brazil。
Popular perception of the city is infused with images of starry-eyed youngsters dancing into the dusk, backed by imposing mountains and dark sea.
Famous for its annual Carnaval festival (starting Feb. 13 next year), the second-largest metropolis in South America finished first among 50 cities in a recent survey conducted by Simon Anholt, an author and policy adviser.
"Brazil is associated with all these qualities of good humor and good living and Carnaval," says Anholt. "Carnaval is very important--it's the classic image that people have of Rio, and it's an image of happiness."
第二名 Sydney, Australia
Known for balmy weather, friendly locals and an iconic opera house, Sydney fared well in Anholt's survey because of its association with a popular brand--Australia.
"It's where everybody would like to go," he says. "Everybody thinks they know Australia because they've seen Crocodile Dundee. There's this image of this nation of people who basically sit around having barbecues."
第三名，Barcelona, Spain
第四名，Amsterdam, Netherlands,，
"know you can smoke dope in the bars";
第五名Melbourne, Australia
which makes the list simply because it's in Australia.
"People know it's in Australia, and that it's full of Australians," says Anholt. "Therefore, it must be fun."
第六名，Madrid， spain
Spain's capital and largest city makes the list due to its vibrant culture and high standard of living. That comes as something of a surprise to Anholt, considering the absence of Italian cities like Milan. "It's interesting that the Spanish are perceived as being happier than the Italians," he says. "I find the Spanish rather gloomy."
第七名，San Francisco, USA
The lone American metropolis, San Francisco makes the list because it's perceived by foreigners as the "most fun" of America's major cities. "It's associated with gay pride," says Anholt. "That's a happy image unless you're a raging homophobe."
第八名，Rome, Italy
Ancient history meets modern sophistication in Rome, and the rest of the world loves it. "Generally speaking, people associate Italy with being laid-back and stylish," says Anholt. "People think the Italians are always happy, always in a party mood."
第九名，Paris, France
Paris, je t'aime! Most people agree. "Paris is the most adored city on the planet," says Anholt. "People think it's so beautiful, so lovely, it must be happy."
第十名，Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina's largest city makes the cut in part for its relative proximity to the first city on this list. "It's a slightly diluted version of Rio," says Anholt. "I suspect people know far less about Buenos Aires than Rio. They may not know it's in Argentina, but they know it's in Latin America."
Happiness Behind the Numbers
The data Anholt provided for our list is part of his Nation Brands Index, which he developed in 2005. The latest incarnation, the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index, was released in June. The data was compiled from online interviews with 10,000 respondents in 20 countries.
Happiness is difficult to quantify, and Anholt acknowledges that his data is less an indicator of where local populations are happiest than a reflection of respondents' thinking about where they could imagine themselves happy.
"This is a survey of perception, not a survey of reality," he says. "People write me all the time and say 'that's not true.' It probably isn't true, but it's what people think. The gap between perception and reality is what interests city governments."
The French historian Fernand Braudel wrote that "Happiness, whether in business or private life, leaves very little trace in history." But a perception of happiness leaves a strong trace on the balance sheets of cities that depend on conventions, tourism and an influx of talent.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Anholt notes that the results of his survey reflect the longstanding reputation of Mediterranean and Latin American cities as non-stop party locales.
"It's pretty much the expected bunch," says Anholt. "Though I'm a little surprised about Spain outdoing Italy. It's interesting that the Spanish are perceived as being happier than the Italians--I find the Spanish rather gloomy."
Still, Barcelona--Spain's highest-ranked city--has plenty of supporters.
"The beauty of the city and its environs, along with affordable housing and business opportunities, is the fantastic lifestyle," says Michelle Finkelstein, a vice president at travel agency Our Personal Guest. "There's not the stress of getting a child into the best preschool--the public ones are good and close by. And they have the top soccer team and some of the best weather in Europe."
Other places in the world that lack the metropolitan flair of the cities on this list are often identified with the notion of happiness. "Anyone lucky enough to visit the magical Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan would know that there is no competition: There can be no happier place," says Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. "This small Buddhist nation of incredibly stunning beauty follows a unique guiding philosophy of GNH--Gross National Happiness. You can see it in their open faces--they smile from the heart. Barcelona has nothing on them."
Global rivalries notwithstanding, Anholt notes that his findings more or less support historical trends, with one notable exception.
"The cities on this list would probably be the same if I'd been running this survey in 1890, aside from Sydney and Melbourne," he says. "Australia is kind of a branding miracle."
Not bad for a former penal colony.
以上节选自yahoo新闻