They say friends are forever, but as it turns out, that old adage is actually not quite true.人們都說“友誼地久天長”，科學家卻證明，這條老格言未必十分可信。

More than two thirds of Americans say they have lost at least 90 per cent of the friends they had 10 years ago.美國科學家調查發現，超過2/3的美國人稱，他們在過去的十年中已經和超過90%的朋友失去了聯系。

However, according to a new survey of 1,000 people across the country, BFFs may be more true to their name as 55 per cent of people say they have kept the same best friend over the last decade.不過，一項針對美國全境1000多人的新研究則提出了相反的結論，真正的摯友或許更加名副其實，有超過55%的受調查者稱，自己在過去的十年中一直和自己的摯友保持著聯系。

The poll also shows that you lose more friends when entering into a romantic relationship than when leaving one.研究還證明，戀愛也會讓友誼的小船翻船，與戀人分手會讓你失去一些朋友，但開始新的戀情則會讓你失去更多的朋友。

In fact, entering a relationship is the third biggest cause of losing friends – the top two being moving away to a new city and simply drifting apart. Thirty per cent of respondents admit they have lost friends in a break-up.事實上，開始新的戀情是導致人們與朋友失聯的第三大原因——頭兩大原因分別是搬家到新城市，以及關系逐漸淡化。另外還有30%的參與調查者稱他們曾因為分手而失去朋友。

Americans estimate that they have an average of four close friends. Sadly, eight per cent say that they have no close friends at all.據估算，每個美國人平均擁有四個親密朋友。可悲的事，8%的人稱他們根本沒有交心的朋友。

But, surprisingly, people age 55 and up are nearly twice as likely to have over 15 close friends than those between the ages of 18 and 24.不過，令人驚訝的是，55歲以上的人擁有15個以上親密朋友的概率是18-24歲人群的兩倍。

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