献言

前言 Introduction 你没看过的中年故事 A New Story of Middle Age

Part Ⅰ 从热带大草原到郊区：为什么中年的重点完全不是变老 FROM SAVANNA TO SUBURBIA: Why middle age has never been about growing old

Chapter One 什么造就了中年人？ What makes middle-aged people?

Chpter Two 什么打击了中年人？ What breaks middle-aged people?

Chapter Three 人类本来只能活到四十岁吗？ Are people really meant to die at forty?

Chapter Four 中年为什么那么重要？（首次尝试回答） Why is middle age so important?（A first attempt at an answer.）

Chapter Five 下垂？皱纹？毛发灰白？为什么？ Saggy? Wrinkly? Grey? Why?

Chapter Six 中年发福很正常，不是吗？ Middle-aged spread is normal, isn’t it?

Part Ⅱ 这么多年了，依旧疯狂：中年头脑的胜利 STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: The triumph of the middle-aged mind

Chapter Seven 巅峰已过，还是人生的全盛期？ Over the hill or prime of life?

Chapter Eight 为什么年纪越大，时间过得越快？ Why does time speed up as you get older?

Chapter Nine 40岁时，心智发展“成熟”了吗？ Is your mind “complete”by the time you’re forty?

Chapter Ten 中年人真的比较抑郁吗？ Do middle-aged people really get sadder?

Chapter Eleven 中年人的心灵脆弱吗？ Is the middle-aged mind fragile?

Chapter Twelve 中年心智活跃的秘诀是什么？ So ... what is the secret of a flourishing middle-aged mind?

Part Ⅲ 年龄越大，胆子越大：40岁之后的恋情、爱、性、婴儿和人生 OLDER AND BOLDER: Romance, love, sex, babies and life after forty

Chapter Thirteen 性事告终？（概论） The end of sex?（An introduction）

Chapter Fourteen 为什么女人的生育力就这么结束了？ Why does women’s reproduction just “switch off”?

Chapter Fifteen 危机？什么危机？ Crisis? What crisis?

Chapter Sixteen 中年人该生孩子吗？ Should middle-aged people have babies?

Chapter Seventeen 真的有“空巢症候群”吗？ Is the “empty-nest syndrome” real?

Chapter Eighteen 明天你还会爱我吗？ Will you still love me tomorrow?

结语 Conclusion 山顶的风景 The View from the Summit

致谢 Acknowledgments

参考文献 Selected Bibliography