For many years, studies have shown that birth order affects personality, but new research confirms that whether you’re an older, middle or younger child bears an impact on career path too. 多年研究显示，出生顺序影响性格，但最新研究得出结论称，出生顺序还对职业道路有影响。 Led by psychologist Emma Kenny, the researchers found significant evidence to support the theory that birth order has a tangible and marked effect on career paths. 研究人员发现了能够支持出生顺序对职业道路有实质且明显的影响这一理论的重要证据。研究小组负责人由心理学家艾玛-肯尼担任。 In order to reach their conclusions, a team of statisticians analysed a random sample of over 500 of the most successful individuals from 11 different career groups to identify statistically significant patterns. 为得出这一结论，一组统计学家分析了超过500位最成功人士的随机样本，以确定具有统计意义的模型。这些人士来自11种不同的职业群体。 One of the most clear findings was that middle children are 30 percent more likely to become company CEOs than their siblings. 最明显的发现之一是，出生顺序位于中间的子女成为公司首席执行官的概率比兄弟姐妹高出30%。 The researchers suggested that this could be because having to fight for attention results in middle children developing personality traits such as competitiveness, flexibility and diplomacy, which then makes them suited to high-flying roles which require tactful thinking and high levels of management. 研究人员表示，这可能是因为他们需要博取关注，这导致他们发展出竞争性、灵活性和善于交际的性格特征。这也使其更适合成为具有雄心壮志的领导角色，担任这种角色需要机智的思考和较高的管理水平。 Mark Zuckerberg, Lord Alan Sugar and Bill Gates are all middle children. 马克-扎克伯格、艾伦-休格爵士和比尔-盖茨出生顺序都位于中间。 In encouraging news for middle children across the world, the study also found that they’re 41 percent more likely to be Olympic athletes. 对全球出生顺序位于中间的子女来说还有个好消息，研究人员还发现，他们成为奥运会冠军的概率也要高出41%。 “The research conducted over the last month has shown that birth order is a significant factor in determining employment role types between siblings - overall there are far more typical cases than exceptions,” Kenny explains. 肯尼解释说：“上月开展的这项研究显示，出生顺序对于子女不同的职业角色类型有重要影响，总体来看较为典型的案例远超一些例外。” Interestingly, the researchers found that the majority of astronauts are first-born children - Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong are prime examples. 有趣的是，研究人员发现大多数航天员都是家中最年长的子女，最著名的例子要数巴兹-奥尔德林和尼尔-阿姆斯特朗。 Eldest children are also most likely to become scientists or engineers like Stephen Hawking and Tim Berners Lee. 年长的子女还更可能成为科学家和工程师，比如史蒂芬-霍金和蒂姆-伯纳斯-李。
Youngest children like Johann Sebastian Bach and Mozart were found to be 50 percent more likely to have careers in classical music, possibly for their “sensitive and idealistic personality traits,” the researchers suggest. 家中最年幼的子女从事古典音乐相关职业的可能性要高出50%，比如约翰-塞巴斯蒂安-巴赫和莫扎特，这可能是因为他们“性格敏感，理想主义”。 As for only children, the study suggests they’re more likely to become artists due to their “perfectionist and mature personality traits.” 研究结果称，独生子女更可能成为艺术家，因为他们“是完美主义者，性格成熟”。 The average UK family has 2.44 children, but the researchers found that family size does play a part - scientists were found to come from much larger families than average. 平均每个英国家庭有2.44名子女，但研究人员发现家庭规模的大小确实有影响，科学家更多地来自大家庭，而不是规模一般的家庭。