48个幸福感爆棚的英语故事

A cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night;it was wonderful to see,wonderful to hear him;he was more contented in shoes,than was any of the seven sages.

一个皮匠从早到晚在唱歌中度过。无论见到他本人或听见他的歌声都使人觉得很愉快。

His neighbor,on the contrary,who was rolling in wealth,sung but little and slept less.he was a banker;when by chance he fell into a doze at day-break,the cobbler awoke him with his song.

他对于制鞋工作比当上了希腊七对还要满足。与此相反，他的邻居是个银行家，拥有万贯家财，却很少唱歌，晚上也睡得不好。他偶尔在黎明时分迷迷糊糊刚入睡，皮匠的歌声便于工作把他吵醒了。

The banker complained sadly that providence had not made sleep a saleable commodity,like edibles or drinkables.having at length sent for the songster,he said to him,"how much a year do you earn,master gregory?"

银行家郁郁寡欢地抱怨上帝没有睡眠也制成一种像食品或饮料那样可以买卖的商品。后来，银行家就叫人把这位歌手请来，问道：“格列戈里师傅，你一年赚多少钱？”

"how much a year,sir?"said the merry cobbler laughing,"i have reckon in that way,living as i do from one day to another;somehow i manage to reach the end of the year;each day brings its meal."

“先生，你问我一年赚多少钱吗？”快乐的皮匠笑道：“我从来不算这笔帐，我是一天一天地过日子，总而言之坚持到年底，每天挣足三餐。”

"well then!how much a day do you earn,my friend?""sometimes more,sometimes less;but the worst of it is,-and,without that our earnings would be very tolerable,-a number of days occur in the year on which we are forbidden to work;and the curate,moreover,is constantly adding some new saint to the list."

“啊，朋友，那么你一天赚多少钱呢？”“有时多一点，有时少一点；不过最糟糕的是一年中总有些日子不准我们做买卖，牧师又常常在圣徒名单上添新名字，否则我们的收入也还算不错的。”

The banker,laughing at his simplicity,said,"in the future i shall place you above want.Take this hundred crowns,preserve them carefully,and make use of them in time of need."

银行家被皮匠的直率逗笑了，他说：“我要你从今以后不愁没钱用。这一百枚钱你拿去，小心放好，需要时拿来用吧。”

The cobbler fancied he beheld all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind.

皮匠觉自己好像看到了过去几百年来大地为人类所需而制造出来的全部财富。

Returning home,he buried his money and his happiness at the same time,no more singin;he lost his voice,the moment he acquired that which is the source of so much grief.

他回到家中，埋藏好硬币，同时也埋葬了他的快乐。他不再唱歌了；从他得到这种痛苦的根源那一刻起，他的嗓子就哑了。

Sleep quitted his dwelling;and cares,suspicions,and false alarms took its place,all day,his eye wandered in the direction of his treasure;and at night,if some stray cat made a noise,the cat was robbing him.at length the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor;"give me back." said he,"sleep and my voice,and take your hundred crowns."

睡眠与他分手；取而代之的却是担心、怀疑、虚惊。白天，他的目光尽朝埋藏硬币的方向望；夜间，如果有只迷途的猫弄出一点声响，他就以为是有人来抢他的钱。最后，这个可怜的皮匠跑到他那富有的邻居家里说：“把你的一百枚钱拿回去，还我的睡眠和歌声来。”

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street， going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.
一位年轻的总裁，以有点快的车速，开着他的新 Jaguar 经过住宅区的巷道。他必须小心游戏中的孩子突然跑到路中央，所以当他觉得小孩子快跑出来时，就要减慢车速。

As his car passed， one child appeared， and a brick smashed into the Jag's side door. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. He jumped out of the car， grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car，shouting， "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?" Building up a head of steam， he went on"That's a new car and that brick you threw is gonna cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"

就在他的车经过一群小朋友的时候，一个小朋友丢了一块砖头打到了他的车门，他很生气的踩了煞车并后退到砖头丢出来的地方。他跳出车外，抓了那个小孩，把他顶在车门上说：「你为什么这样做，你知道你刚刚做了什么吗？接着又吼道：「你知不知道你要赔多少钱来修理这台新车，你到底为什么要这样做？

“Please， mister， please， I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do!”pleaded the youngster. "It's my brother，" he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.

小孩子求着说：「先生，对不起，我不知道我还能怎么办？」 他接着说：「因为我哥哥从轮椅上掉下来，我没办法把他抬回去。」

Sobbing， the boy asked the executive， "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words， the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts， checking to see that everything was going to be okay.
那男孩啜泣着说：「你可以帮我把他抬回去吗？他受伤了，而且他太重了我抱不动。」这些话让这位年轻的总裁深受感动，他抱起男孩受伤的哥哥，帮他坐回轮椅上。 并拿出手帕擦拭他哥哥的伤口，以确定他哥哥没有什么大问题。

"Thank you， sir. And God bless you，" the grateful child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother to the sidewalk toward their home.
那个小男孩感激地说：[谢谢你，先生，上帝保佑你。]，然后他看着男孩推着他哥哥回去。

It was a long walk backs to his Jaguar... a long， slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.
年轻总裁返回 Jaguar 的路变的很漫长，他也没有修他汽车的侧门。他保留着车上的凹痕就是提醒自己

Life whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes， when you don't have the time to listen... Life throws a brick at your head. It's your choice: Listen to the whispers of your soul or wait for the brick! Do you sometimes ignore loved ones because your life is too fast and busy leaving them to wonder whether you really love them?
生活的道路不要走的太匆忙，否则需要其他人敲打自己来注意生活的真谛。当生命想与你的心灵窃窃私语时，若你没有时间，你有两种选择：倾听你心灵的声音或让砖头来砸你！请问你是否曾因为生活太快、太忙碌而忽略了你所爱的人，然后让他们开始开始怀疑起你是不是真的爱他们呢？

Years of storms had taken their toll on the old windmill. Its wheel, rusted and fallen, lay silent in the lush bluegrass. Its once animated silhouette was now a tall motionless steeple in the twilight sun.
多年的风雨毁坏了古老的风车。车轮已经锈了，倒了，静静地躺卧在茂盛的六月禾丛中。在落日的衬托下，曾经散发着生气的风车如今如耸立的尖塔般冰冷、生硬。

I hadn‘t walked across our old farm in fifteen years. Yet the sensations came flooding back. I could smell the freshness of new mown alfalfa. I could feel the ping of the ice cold summer rain, and the sun‘s sudden warmth on my wet shoulders when it reappeared after a brisk July thunderstorm.
我已经有十五年没有走过我们的农场了。然而，那些感觉又汹涌而至。我仿佛闻到了新割的苜蓿的清新气息，感觉到了冰冷夏雨敲打在身上，还有七月的雨后阳光照射在湿漉漉的身上骤然传来的暖意。

Rain or shine, I used to walk this path each day to see Greta. She always made me smile, even after Sis and I had just had a big squabble. I would help Greta with her chores. Then we would visit over a generous helping of her delicious homemade chocolate cookies and ice cream. Being confined to a wheel chair didn‘t stop Greta from being a fabulous cook.
无论雨天或晴天，我曾经天天沿着这条小径去探望葛丽塔。即使我刚和姐姐大吵了一场，她也总能使我舒怀微笑。我会帮葛丽塔做些家务。然后，我们会大快朵颐，品尝她亲手做的巧克力曲奇饼和冰淇淋。以轮椅代步并不妨碍她成为一名出色的厨师。

Greta gave me two of the greatest gifts I‘ve ever received. First, she taught me how to read. She also taught me that when I forgave Sis for our squabbles, it meant I wouldn‘t keep feeling like a victim. Instead, I would feel sunny.
Mr. Dinking, the local banker, tried to foreclose on Greta‘s house and land after her husband passed away. Thanks to Pa and Uncle Johan, Greta got to keep everything. Pa said that it was the least he could do for someone talented enough to teach me to read!
在葛丽塔的丈夫去世后，当地的银行家丁肯先生曾经要收取她抵押给了银行的房子。幸亏有爸爸和约翰叔叔的帮忙，葛丽塔才保住了一切。爸爸说，对一位聪明得能教会我认字的人，这只是他力所能及的一件小事！

Soon folks were coming from miles around to buy Greta‘s homemade cakes, pies, breads, cookies, cider, and ice cream. Hank, the grocery store man, came each week to stock his shelves and bring Greta supplies.
很快，方圆数英里的人们都来买葛丽塔做的蛋糕、馅饼、面包、曲奇饼、苹果酒和冰淇淋。每周，杂货店老板汉克都会给她送来材料，并从她那里进货。
Greta even had me take a big apple pie to Mr. Dinking who became one of her best customers and friends. That‘s just how Greta was. She could turn anyone into a friend!
葛丽塔甚至让我给丁肯先生送去一个大苹果馅饼。他也成为了她的顾客和朋友。这就是葛丽塔。她可以把任何人都变成朋友！

Greta always said, "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!" No matter how terrible my day started, I always felt sunny walking home from Greta‘s house-even beneath the winter starlight.
葛丽塔常说：“亲爱的，记得要走在阳光里！” 每天，不管一开始怎么糟糕，从葛丽塔的小屋走回家时，即使是披着冬夜的星光，我都会感觉心情舒畅。

I arrived at Greta‘s house today just after sunset. An ambulance had stopped a few feet from her door, it‘s red lights flashing. When I ran into the old house, Greta recognized me right away.
这天，太阳刚下山我就来到葛丽塔家了。她门前几尺外已然停着一辆救护车。车上的红灯闪烁不停。当我冲入那所旧房子时，葛丽塔立刻认出了我.

She smiled at me with her unforgettable twinkling blue eyes. She was almost out of breath when she reached out and softly touched my arm. Her last words to me were "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!"
她冲我微微一笑，令人难忘的那双蓝眼睛闪着光芒。当她伸手轻抚我的手臂时，她已经奄奄一息了。她最后对我说的话是：“亲爱的，记得要走在阳光里！”

I‘m sure that Greta is walking in the brightest sunshine she‘s ever seen. And, I‘m sure that she heard every word I read at her memorial service.
我肯定葛丽塔此时正漫步在她所见过的最明媚的阳光里。我也肯定她听见了我在她的追悼仪式上所念的每一个字。

I chose a beautiful verse by Leo Buscaglia. It‘s one that Greta taught me to read many years ago…
我选了利奥·巴斯卡格里亚的一首优美的诗，正是那首葛丽塔多年前教我念的诗。

"Love can never grow old. Locks may lose their brown and gold. Cheeks may fade and hollow grow. But the hearts that love will know, never winter‘s frost and chill, summer‘s warmth is in them still."
“爱能历久常新。华发或会失去原有的光彩。双颊或会日显消瘦黯淡。然而，有爱的心中，从无寒冬霜冰，只有夏之温热。”

One of my patients, a successful businessman, tells me that before his cancer he would become depressed unless things went a certain way. Happiness was "having the cookie." If you had the cookie, things were good.
我有一位病人，他是一个成功的商人，告诉我，在他患癌症之前，凡事如果没有确定下来他就忧心忡忡。对他而言，幸福是“拥有小甜饼”。

If you didn't have the cookie, life wasn't worth a damn. Unfortunately, the cookie kept changing.
如果你拥有了小甜饼，一切都一帆风顺。如果你没有小甜饼，生活就一文不值。

Some of the time it was money, sometimes power, sometimes sex. At other times, it was the new car, the biggest contract, the most prestigious address.
不幸的是，小甜饼总是不断变换着，有时是金钱，有时是权力，有时是欲望。在其他时候，它是一辆新车、一份数额最大的合同、或者一个享有声望的通讯地址。

A year and a half after his diagnosis of prostate cancer he sits shaking his head ruefully. "It's like I stopped learning how to live after I was a kid.
在他被诊断出患有前列腺癌的一年半之后，他坐在那里，悲天悯人地摇着头，说：“长大以后，我好像就不知道怎样生活了。

When I give my son a cookie, he is happy. If I take the cookie away or it breaks, he is unhappy.
当我给我儿子一个小甜饼时，他心花怒放。如果我拿走甜饼或者是小甜饼碎了，他就闷闷不乐。

But he is two and a half and I am forty-three. It's taken me this long to understand that the cookie will never make me happy for long.
不同的是，他只有两岁半，而我已经 43 了。我花了这么长的时间才明白小甜饼并不能使我长久感到幸福。

The minute you have the cookie it starts to crumble or you start to worry about it crumbling or about someone trying to take it away from you.
从你拥有小甜饼的那一刻，它就开始破碎，或者你就开始担心它会破碎，抑或你开始担心别人拿走它。

You know, you have to give up a lot of things to take care of the cookie, to keep it from crumbling and be sure that no one takes it away from you.
为了守护你的小甜饼，为了防止它破碎或者确定别人不会从你手中夺走它，你不得不放弃许多东西。

You may not even get a chance to eat it because you are so busy just trying not to lose it.
你忙于不让自己失去它，甚至没有时间享受它。

Having the cookie is not what life is about." My patient laughs and says cancer has changed him.
拥有小甜饼并不是生活的全部内容。”我的病人笑着说癌症已经改变了他。

For the first time he is happy. No matter if his business is doing well or not, no matter if he wins or loses at golf. "
不论他的生意是否一帆风顺，不论他在打高尔夫球时是输是赢，他有生以来第一次感到幸福。

Two years ago, cancer asked me, 'Okay, what's important? What is really important?' Well, life is important.
“两年前，癌症问我‘什么重要？什么才真正的重要？’对，生命重要。

Life. Life any way you can have it, life with the cookie, life without the cookie. Happiness does not have anything to do with the cookie; it has to do with being alive. Before, who made the time?" He pauses thoughtfully. "Damn, I guess life is the cookie."
生命。生命，无论如何你拥有生命。有小甜饼也罢，没有小甜饼也罢，幸福与小甜饼并非息息相关，而是与生命的存在有关。可是，时光一去不复返，谁又能让时光倒流呢？”他停顿了一下，若有所思，说：“该死，我觉得生命就是那块小甜饼”。

Life is good, really good. Sometimes I feel like the good karma train picked me up, and simply refuses to let me off.
生活不错，很不错。有时我觉得仿佛坐上了一列善有善报 的列车，想下车都不行。
I have an amazing wife, a teenage son that makes me glow with pride, good health, a wonderful family and the best friends a guy could ask for. I have a lot to be grateful for.
我有个人人夸好的妻子，有个给我脸 上增光的十几岁的儿子，我们身体健康，家庭美满和睦，还有 一帮世上最棒的朋友。我有好多值得感恩的东西。
For many years now, “thank you” has become my meditation as I start each day.
多年来，“感 谢老天” 经成了我开始每一天的默祷词。
But the truth is, life was not always this good. It wasn’t all that long ago, when the resume’ of my life looked radically different.
可是事实上，生活并不总是这么美好。就在不久前，我的 人生简历看上去还是迥然不同。
At one time, my life was filled with nearly everything people try to avoid.
曾经一度，我的生活充满了令 每个人都想躲避的东西。
Experiencing everything from unhappy relationships to financial struggles, poor health, depression, and an endless stream of negative habits was a part of my daily life.
从让人沮丧的婚姻,到困窘的经济状况， 糟糕的健康，抑郁的心情和无穷无尽的坏毛病，都是我每天生 活的一部分。

It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, happiness was constantly eluding me and disappointment became my shadow.
似乎不管我怎么努力，快乐总是躲着我走，而失 望则如影随形。
It also seemed as if I was paving the way for a future that sadly resembled my father’s…until he took his own life at the age of 54.
而且似乎我在亦步亦趋地把日子过成父亲那样， 他在54岁的时候自杀了。
This was a defining moment for me. Once the shock of losing my father began to fade, clarity and a new sense of purpose became the dominant force in my life.
那一刻成了我人生的转折点，一度失 去父亲所受的打击开始消退，慈善和生活的目标感开始支配我 的生活。
I remember feeling as if I had “met myself” for the very first time while also becoming conscious of my life’s true purpose.
我觉着好像有生以来第一次发现了自己，认识到了生 命的真正目的。
It was in that moment that I had made a major decision. Not only would I change my own life, but I would also make a difference in the lives of others.
从那一刻起，我便做了一个重大决定。我不仅 要改变自己的生活，而且要令别人的生活改观。

Enlightenment and epiphanies can show up in some pretty strange ways. The Buddha found it under a Boddhi tree, Nelson Mandela in prison and spiritual guru Ram Dass through psychedelic drugs.
令人茅塞顿开的灵光会以相当奇特的方式出现。佛祖在菩 提树下悟道；纳尔逊?曼德拉在狱中觉醒；灵魂大师瑞姆?达; 斯则在致幻剂中获得升华。
Little did I know, mine would arrive in the form of a hard-shelled reptile simply trying to cross the road -- a turtle.
我从未曾料到，我的启示会以一只 试图穿越马路的硬壳爬行动物的形象出现，它是一只乌龟。
But this wasn’t just any turtle, this was the world’s most optimistic one. He was tenaciously determined to cross twenty feet of tar as cars zoomed by at 55 mph.
但这可不是一只普通的乌龟，这是世上最乐观的一只乌龟。 它不屈不挠地打算穿越一条宽20英尺的柏油马路，路上是川流 不息的以时速55英里行驶的车辆。
But today was his lucky day.
可是今天是它的幸运日。
My wife’s quick reflexes not only ensured that “turtle soup” would not be for dinner that night, but her act of kindness would eventually become the foundation for everything I teach today.
我 妻子的快速反应不仅保证了它不会以“乌龟汤”的形式成为今 晚的餐桌一景，而且她接下来的善举还成就了我今天要讲述的 一切的基础。
As unusual as this sounds, the simple act of pulling our car over, removing this little turtle from harms way, and placing him back into the wild, caused something extraordinary to happen inside of me.
这听上去要多玄有多玄，一个简单的将车停到路边， 把这只小乌龟救离险境并将之归还给大自然的举动引发了我内 心深处一场惊天动地的变革。
As I stood there holding this tiny creature in my hands, a wave of pure joy came over me. It was that warm, teary-eyed sensation that we feel during life’s greatest moments; like falling in love or the birth of a child.
当我站在那里,手捧着这个小生命， 一种纯粹的喜悦感席卷了我。那是一种温暖的催人泪下的感觉， 往往发生在人生最伟大的时刻，比如坠入爱河，比如婴儿降生。
I honestly felt as if my heart was completely opening up as everything stood still around me. In no way would I have described it as “enlightenment”, but there was no doubt about it—helping this little turtle just felt so damn good! But why? After all, it’s just a turtle, right?
我真的觉得我的心完完全全地向着我周围静止的万物开启。我 不想把这称之为“启示”，但它又千真万确就是一一帮助这只小 乌龟感觉真是太棒了！可是，为什么会这样？它终究不过是一只乌龟嘛，是吧？
And then it hit me. I finally realized what was happening. At that point, a flood of inspiring thoughts surged through me.
然后事情发生了。我终于明白自己顿悟到了什么。彼时彼刻， 思想的潮水汹涌而至。
I walked back to the car, opened my journal and wrote eight words that would later prove to be life changing for me: “kindness creates happiness” and “live a life of kindness”. It was the answer I had been looking for. The secret to inner peace and lasting happiness was kindness.
我走回车里，打开笔记本，写下8个字， 事后证明这8个字成为了我的人生转折点：“善生乐”，以及“人 生须行善”。这就是我孜孜以求的答案。内心宁静和永远快乐的 奥秘就是善?
Not “random acts of” or simply being nice, but rather as...a way of life. I had already known the benefits of kindness through studying many eastern philosophies, but I had never actually considered it as a lifestyle.
不是“偶尔为之”或简单发发善心，而是变成一 种生活方式。我已经通过研究许多东方哲学知道了善的妙处， 但从没想过要把它变成一种生活方式。
But, this day was just beginning…
可是，这一天来临了。
Just thirty minutes after my mini-epiphany, my wife and I arrived at our original destination—a country garden show. After walking around for just a few minutes, a gentle faced 60-something looking man waved me over to the front porch of his farmhouse, for no apparent reason.
就在我小小顿悟完毕的30分钟后，我和妻子到了原定的目 的地，那是一个乡村花园展览所。四处走了一小会儿 一个60 岁左右的慈眉善目的男人在他的农舍门前向我挥手，好像没什 么明显的理由。
The entire setting was like a scene out of an old movie -- weathered rocking chairs -- the smell of cookies baking -- and a coon cat that looked as old as the farmhouse itself. “Let her look around, come and sit with me” he said.
这一幕完全像是老电影中的场景：老旧的摇椅， 烘烤糕点的气息，一只看上去和农舍一样老的长毛猫。“让她随 意走走，你过来坐坐。”他说，
I had no idea what to expect, but as I sunk into the large wicker chair beside him, I couldn’t help feeling that he was going to say something profound.
我不知道将要发生什么，但当我坐进他身旁那张宽大的藤 椅里，不由觉得他会对我说些意味深长的话。
After all, if a turtle can change my life, why not a wise old farmer? After a brief hello and a polite introduction, we simply sat in silence and let the sunlight warm our faces.
毕竟，要是一只 乌龟都能改变我的人生，为什么一个睿智的老农不能呢？
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke. “You know” he said, “I’ve often thought that the meaning of life is making things a little bit easier for those around us , what do you think?”.
简单 寒暄之后，我们都静静地坐着，阳光温暖地照着脸庞。好像过 了—辈子那么久，他终于开□了。“你瞧，”他说，“我常以为， 生命的意义是让周围的人过得好一点，你说呢？”
I was speechless. It felt like I had just been hit on the head again with life’s big karma stick.
我哑口无言。 好像脑袋上又挨了人生的一记闷棍。
He went on to tell me his version of “the secrets to life” and how “true happiness can only be found by loving and serving others”.
他继续跟我说起他理解的“人生奥秘”，和“真正的快乐只能从关爱和服务他人中获得'
Finally he finished with, “oh, and don’t forget…you really gotta’ love the one you’re with...yourself ”.
最后他说，“喚，别忘了……你必须得爱你与之相伴的那个人, 就是你自己”。
Life was obviously trying to tell me something. In the days and weeks that followed, the world looked completely different to me.
显然，生活会让我领悟到些什么。随后的几天和几个星期， 整个世界在我眼中完全变了模样。
The more I studied and tested my “kindness creates happiness” theory, the more I was blown away by its life-changing power.
我越是研究和验证我的“善生 乐”理论，我越是为它那改变人生的力量所倾倒。
I realized that most of my disappointments in life were simply because I had been unkind to others and especially to myself.
我发现生活中 绝大多数失望都是源于我对别人的不善，尤其是对自己的不善。
After spending much of my life thinking “what’s in it for me”, my new inner mantra became; “Am I being kind?”. This one simple question changed my life. So, whenever I feel the need to disagree with my wife, lash out at a rude employee in the mall or even before I shove ten cookies into my mouth, I go within and ask; “am I being kind?”. These four little words have become my source to inner peace.
花了大半辈子琢磨人生的意义，我的新灵魂咒语变成，“我 有没有为善？”这个简单的问题改变了我的生活。当我想和妻子 争论的时候，当我想对粗鲁的商店售货员训斥的时候，甚至当 我想往嘴巴里狂塞饼干的时候，我都会自问，“我有没有为善广 这几个字成为我内心平静的源泉。
It has created many positive changes in me such as recycling and acting more “green” and consciously respecting all of life. I even stopped setting the mousetraps in the garage. (My wife is going to kill me when she reads that last one).
它在我内心生出许多好的变 化，比如循环再利用资源，做环保人士，而且有意识地尊重一 切事物。我甚至不再在车库里安置捕鼠器（我妻子要是读到这 最后一句可能会杀了我)。
Another big change in my life was the irresistible urge to perform “spontaneous acts of kindness”. Things like buying coffee for strangers and giving money to the homeless just seemed natural. Each kind act felt like a blissful surge of energy through my chest.
另一个大变化是我控制不住地要去做 “自然而然的善行”。比如给陌生人买咖啡，把零钱给流浪汉等， 这样的行为做起来是那么自然。每个蕃行都好似一股幸福的能 量在我胸膛里汹涌澎湃。
But what became even more exhilarating were the intense feelings of warmth towards everyone around me -- especially difficult people. Whether there was someone who acted rude in traffic or an inconsiderate person in line at the grocery store, I no longer felt anxious or offended -- I simply wished for their happiness. That’s when I realized what it truly meant to be living kindness.
但最让人愉快的是对我周围每一个人 的强烈的亲切感，尤其是对那些坏脾气的人。不管是粗野无礼 的司机，还是食品店排队加塞的家伙，我不再觉得焦灼不安或 是怒不可遏，我只是希望他们能快乐。那是当我明白了人生须 行蕃的真意之后。
All thanks to an unexpected turtle crossing the street, that one day.
所有这一切，都要归功于那天的一只不期而至穿过马路的乌龟。

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead.

好几次了,我女儿打电话来说：“妈妈，你务必得在那些水 仙花凋谢之前来看看它们。”我是想去，可从拉古娜到箭头湖要开两个小时的车。

“I will come next Tuesday,” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

“那我下周二去吧。”在她第三次打来电话时，我极不情愿 地答应道。

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there.

到了那个周二，清晨很冷又下着雨，不过既然答应了， 我还是开车去了。

When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said,

等我终于到了卡罗琳家，拥抱问候过我的外 孙们，说:

“Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!”

“卡罗琳，别想那水仙了！天阴又有雾，路都看不清。 这世上除了你和这些孩子，没有什么能让我为想去看他们再开一 步车了！ ”

My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, mother.”

女儿平静地笑着说：“妈妈，我们一直都在这种天气里开车 的呀！ ”

“Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears, and then I’m heading for home!” I assured her.

“那反正你甭想让我再开车上路了，除非天晴了，然后我就 直接开车回家！ ”我重申道。

“I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car.”

“我本来指望你能开车捎我去修车厂取我的车呢！ ”

“How far will we have to drive?”

“我们得开多远啊？ ”

“Just a few blocks,” Carolyn said. “I’ll drive, I’m used to this.”

“就几条街，”卡罗琳说，“我来开，反正我习惯了这种天气。”

After several minutes, I had to ask, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage!”“We ‘re going to my garage the long way,” Carolyn smiled, “by way of the daffodils.”

过了几分钟，我不得不问：“我们这是去哪儿啊？这不是去修车厂的路啊！ ”卡罗琳笑了，“我们要去的那个修车厂很远， 要经过水仙花。”

“Carolyn,” I said sternly, “please turn around.”

“卡罗琳，”我严厉地说，“请你掉头回去。”

“It’s all right, mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”

“没事的，妈妈，我保证。如果你错过了这次经历，你永远不会原谅自己的。”

After about 20 minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, “Daffodil Garden.”

大概过了 20分钟，我们转到了一条碎石小路上，我看到一个小教堂。在教堂的稍远一侧，我看见一个手写的牌子，上面写着：“水仙花园”。

We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

我们走下车，一人领着一个孩子。我跟着卡罗琳顺小道而行， 转到小道的一角，我抬头一看，惊住了。

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

在我面前是极为壮观的 景象，看上去仿佛有人把一大缸金子倾倒下来，覆盖了峰顶和山 坡。那些花栽种成宏伟的漩涡图案——宽宽窄窄的条纹有很多颜 色，有深橘、白、柠檬黄、橙红、番红和乳黄。每种不同色系的 多种颜色种植为一组，这样看上去每组都用自己独特的色调一圈 圈地在自己的河流中流淌。那有五亩花。

“But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn.

“这是谁种的呢？”我问卡罗琳。

Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in nidst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline.

“就一个女人，”卡罗琳回答，“她就以这片花为生。那是 她的家。”卡罗琳指着一个整修得很好的A字形房子，在一片 壮丽的景象当中，这房子看起来小而朴素。我走到房子跟前’ 在院子里，我看到一张海报，标题是“答案-我知道你要问的这些问题”。

The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs,” it read.

第一个答案很简单，写着：“50，000株”。

The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain.”

第二个答案是：“一次种一株，一个女人，两只手，两只脚，不需多动脑”

The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”

第三个答案是：“开始于1958年”

There it was. The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than 35 years before, had begun—one bulb at a time—to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top.

这就是“水仙定律”。对于我，那一刻是一次改变生活的经历。我在琢磨这个我从未谋面的女人，她，在35年前，开始一次种一株——给她自己带来了美的景象和花满山顶的快乐。

Just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

就这样一次种一株，年复一年，这个不知名的女人永远地 改变了她所居住的世界，她创造了无法形容的壮丽、美好和感动。

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is , learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time—often just one baby-step at a time—and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.

在这个水仙花园中得出的定律是值得庆祝的最伟大的定律 之一。那就是，懂得向我们的目标迈进，只求一步一个脚印——懂通常一次就一小步——懂得去热爱正在做的事，懂得利用时间的 积累。

When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magenificent things. We can change the world.

当我们把时间的碎片叠加，再加上每天的一点努力，我们 会发现我们也能成就辉煌。我们也能改变这个世界。

It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

“这让我在某种意义上有点丧气。”我跟卡罗琳说，“如果我 35年前有一个宏伟的目标，然后也像这样，次种一株’地做 下去，这些年我会有什么成就呢？想想我到底能做成什么！ ”

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

女儿直截了当地总结了那天的收获。她说：“从明天开始。”

Once there lived a king of great strength and wealth.Yet he was not happy.

从前有一位国王，很有权力和财富，然而他并不快乐。

He told his servants to find him things to make him happy,but each came back saying

他告诉仆人去找可以使他快乐的东西，但是每个回来的人都说：

"Noting in the world can match the wonderful things you have already."

“世界上没有什么比得上你已经拥有的极好的东西。”

Then in that land,there lived a poor man with a patch over one eye and a crutch to help him walk.Although he had little,he was always happy.

当时那个国家住着一个穷人，他一个眼睛戴着眼罩并靠拐杖走路。虽然他拥有的很少，但是他总是很快乐。

When the king heard of this,he asked the man to teach him his secret. "I never push." the man replied,"and I never rush.

当国王听说这件事的时候，他要求这个人教他快乐的秘决。 “我从来不强迫，”这个人答道，“而且我从不匆忙。

Most of all,I never wish for too much."Then he smiled and was gone.

最重要的是，我从不希望得到太多。”然后，他笑着离开了。

If you would make a man happy,do not add to his possessions but subtract from his desires.

如果你想使一个人快乐，不要增加他的财产，而是要减少他的欲望。

When I was 11, I found out I had a brain tumor. I had surgery to remove it, but the size and location of the tumor caused my optic nerve to atrophy. For three years afterward, I had partial sight, but my ophthalmologist told me that eventually I would go blind.

11岁那年，我被诊断患有脑瘤。手术切除了脑疱.但肿瘤 的大小和位置却导致了我的视觉神经萎缩。3年后，我还能看见 一点点东西，但眼科医生说我最终会失明。

At the end of my 14th year, doctors pronounced me legally blind and said there was nothing that could be done. I had a 5 percent chance of surviving the tumor, and I did, but somehow I could never deal with the fact that I was going blind. I tried to behave as if everything were just fine. When it happened, I was devastated.

快过完14岁时，医 生断言我已经完全失明，并且亳无办法治疗，当时，我患上脑 瘤后，存活的几率只有5%，结果我活了下来，但对于即将失 明的现实，我却无能为力。我努力表现得一切正常，但当它真正 成为现实时，我却绝望了。

My dad left us when I was 15, and I took that really hard. Because of that, and because I was blind on top of it, my greatest fear was that no one was ever going to love me, that I would never get married and have kids and a full life. I was afraid of being alone, and I guess that is what I thought blindness meant.

15岁那年，父亲离开了我们，这简直令我无法承受。正因 为如此，再加上处于失明最痛苦的时期，我最大的恐惧是没有人 再爱我，我永远都不能结婚，不能有自己的孩子和一个完整的生 话。我害怕孤独，我想，这些就是我当时对失明的理

Ten years later, on Nov. 16 of last year, I was cooking dinner and leaned over to kiss my guide dog, Ami. I lost my balance and hit my head on the corner of my coffee table and then on the floor. It wasn't unusual. When you are blind, you hit yourself all the time. I got up, finished making dinner and went to bed.

10年过去了，去年11月16曰，我正在做晚餐?弯腰亲吻 我的导肓犬阿米时，突然失去重心，一头捶在了咖啡桌的一角，然后又摔在地这没什么大不了的，要是你失明了，你也总会 撞伤自己。我爬起来，继续做完晚餐，然后上床睡觉。

When I woke up, I could see. Light was coming through my window, and the curtains were drawn. Of course, I was shocked, but not scared, not like when I lost my sight. There is a big mirror in my bedroom, but I didn't look at myself right away. I wanted to wash my hair and put on makeup first.

当我醒来时，我能看见了。阳光从拉着窗帘的窗户透进来。 当然，我大吃一惊，但并不像失明时那样恐慌。卧室里挂着一 面大镜子，我并没有立刻去照。

I do not look good in the morning, and I didn't want to be frightened. As I was showering, I caught my reflection . And just that left me speechless, really.

我想先洗头，化妆，早展的模 样并不好看，我不想让自己受到惊吓。洗澡的时候，我看见了 自己的影子。顿时说不出话来，真的。

The last time I saw myself, I had short hair, a pale complexion and features that didn't show because I had such light eyebrows and eyelashes. I looked awful, like a teenage girl, I suppose.

最后一次见到自己时，我留着短短的头发，脸色苍白，面 容黯淡。因为我的眉毛和睫毛都很淡，看起来像一个十几岁的 小女孩，糟糕极了。

Now, all of a sudden, I realized that it was true what people told me, that I was an attractive woman. When I stood in front of the mirror, I reached to touch my face.

但是，现在，我突然意识到，别人跟我说 的都是真的，我是一个漂亮的女人。我站在镜子前，触摸着自 己的脸。

That is what I had been doing for 10 years -- it was how I understood -- so it was a natural impulse. It was not until I saw myself that I realized how much my memory had faded of things I once could see.

十年来，我一直这样做一我只是这样理解的一所 以这是一种自然冲动。直到我看见自己，才意识到曾经看见的 记忆^已经在很大程度上消退了。

It was about four hours before I told anyone. I stayed with Ami. We looked at each other and played outside in the yard. I just wanted to be alone, and take it in. It was so much.

大约四个小时后，我才告诉 其他人。我和阿米在一起，我们注视着对方，在外面的院子里 的玩儿。我只想独自接受这一事实，它对我的意义太大了。

The strange thing was that I knew it was going to happen. About a week before, I was walking Ami and suddenly saw blue dots in front of my left eye, the one I would regain my sight in.

奇怪的是，我很早就知道自己会复明。大概一个星期前， 我带着阿米散步，突然看见左眼前面有蓝色的圆点。后来正是这 只眼睛复明了。

I told my mum because I found it funny; blue had been my favorite color and was the easiest color for me to see when I had partial sight. I took it as a sign.

我告诉了妈妈，因为很有趣的是，我一直最喜欢 蓝色，这也是我还有部分视力时最容易看到的颜色。我把它当成 了某种信号。

People don't treat me differently now. I was always completely independent. I lived in Auckland, New Zealand, in my own flat with my dog. I would have parties and go clubbing. I would listen to the beat of the music and go with it and hope for the best.

现在，我不再享有人们的特殊对待了，我一直独立生活， 带着小狗住在新西兰奥克兰市自己的公寓里。我以前会参加聚 会，去俱乐部玩，会听着音乐,打着节拍，祈求最佳状态。

When your friends grab you and point you in the other direction because they are actually over there, that is when you remember you're blind. I also loved movies. Going to the movies blind was like someone telling you a really good story with great sound effects, and you make up all the images in your head.

当我 和朋友们一起疯玩时，只有当他们抓住我的手，指着另一个方向，告诉我，其实他们在那边时，我才想起自己是个盲人。我也喜欢看电影，盲人看电影就好像在听别人给你讲一个 非常好的故事，伴着精彩的^^响效果，你可以在脑海中想象所有 的情形。

I haven't been back since I regained my sight. But I've been able to see my favorite soap, ''Shortland Street.'' And my friends took out magazines and pointed out Pamela Lee Anderson and Brad Pitt. The biggest surprise was Brad Pitt. I just thought, What is everyone going on about? The best was seeing my boyfriend.

自从复明后，我还没有去看过电影，却在看我最喜欢的 肥皂剧《苏特兰街》。朋友们翻弁杂志，指着帕梅拉?李?安德 森和布拉德?皮特给我看，布拉德?皮特最令我吃惊，我只是想， 他有什么值得人们反复谈论的呢？最美妙的事是见到我的男朋 友。

He rode the ferry over, and I knew him the moment I saw him. He was as sexy as I had imagined. I am not surprised that things are pretty much the same in my life. I didn't expect anything more than what I have now. I worked very hard to surround myself with genuine people and to create a normal life for myself.

他坐渡船过来，我一眼就认出了他，和我想象中的一样性感4 我并不感到惊奇，生活还和以前一样。现在拥有的一切已 经让我感到很满足，我并不期望更多。我努力工作，置身于这些 诚恳的人群中，为自己创造正常的生活。

I am still the same person. It just means that physically, perhaps, I can share more and put the two together: the feelings I had, with sight.

我还是以前的那个人， 也许复明只是意味着，’我能从身体上分享更多的东西，而且，能 把以前的感受和现在的结合起来。;

The same doctor who told me I would never see again told me I had regained 80 percent of the vision in my left eye. To be able to look him in the eye and tell him I could see again -- honestly, that felt pretty damn good.

曾经说我再也不能复明的那个医生，现在又告诉我，我左 眼的视力已经恢复了 80%。能够看着他，说我又能看见了。老实说，这感觉简直再好不过了。

He ran all the tests and made me read the eye chart, but he has no explanation. He said himself, and still says, that once the optic nerve is damaged, it cannot regenerate.

他给我做了所有的测试，让我 读视力检查表，却没有做出任何解释，他依然像以前那样，自言 自语道，视觉神经已经损坏了，不可能再生的。

I don't think the knock on the head had anything to do with it. If others want to believe that is how it happened, that is fine. But I consider this a miracle. There is no other way to describe it.

我并不认为这和我那天撞到头有什么关系，如果别人要这 样认为，那也没关系。但我认为这是一个奇迹，除此之外，再也 没有其他方式可以形容了。

Some things just cannot be explained. Of course, some people are skeptical . For me, it is precious. I try not to think about the possibility of going blind again. But my recovery would be no less a miracle even if I lost my sight tomorrow.

有些事情就是无法解释。当然，有些 人会很怀疑，但对我来说，它无比珍贵。我努力不去想可能还会 失明，就是明天再度失明，我的恢复也依然是一个奇迹。

As an airport skycap checked through a customer at curbside, he accidentally knocked over the man's luggage.

一个机场行李搬运员在航站楼边帮一个旅客搬行李时无意 中撞翻了这个人的箱包。

He quickly collected the fallen bags and apologized for the mishap. Unappeased, the traveler burst into an angry tirade, raging and swearing at the skycap for his clumsiness.

他赶快收拾起掉落的行李，并且为他的 过失道歉。然而那个旅客一点不领情，他大发脾气，言辞激烈， 粗暴地骂那个行李员笨拙。

Throughout the traveler's rant, the baggage handler simply apologized and smiled. The angry man continued to berate the skycap, until he finally headed off to catch his plane.

叫骂过程中，那个行李员始终都是微 笑道歉。那个暴怒的旅客一直不停地训斥那个行李员，直到最后 他去赶飞机。

Even then the baggage handler remained calm and passively smiled.

即使这样，那个行李员依然保持着平静和微笑。

The next customer in line witnessed the incident and marveled at the skycap's professionalism and control.

排队等候的另一位顾客目睹了整个事件，对行李员的职业 水准和控制力赞叹不已。

"I have never seen such restraint and humility," he said. "How do you keep your cool when somebody is attacking you so viciously?"

“我从没见过如此的克制与谦卑。”他说， “当别人这么恶毒的攻击你时，你是怎么保持冷静的？”

"It's easy," the skycap answered. "He's going to Denver, but his bags are going to Detroit."

“很简单。”行李员答道：“他要去丹佛，但是他的行李会 去底特律。”

That is certainly ONE way of managing attitudes, but here is a more constructive approach. Have you heard of the A-B-C method of managing your attitude? It's simple and effective.

这当然是一种处事的态度，但我们还有更富建设性的方法。你听说过一个叫“A-B-C”的处事方法吗？这是个简单而 有效的方法。

"A" stands for the "Activating Event." Let's say you get stuck in traffic. The traffic jam is the activating event.

“A”表示“引发亊件”。比如说你遇到交通堵塞，塞车就是 那个引发事件。

"B" stands for your "Belief System." You believe that traffic is only getting worse and you'll have more and more days like this ahead.

“B”表示你的“信念系统”。你相信交通会越来越糟，以后 像这样的日子会越来越多，

"C" stands for the "Consequence of the Event." You become angry. You want to honk your horn. Your stomach is tied in knots and you bang the dashboard with your fist.

“C”代表“事件结果”。你开始生气，你想要鸣汽车喇叭, 你的胃扭成了一团，你用拳头使劲砸仪表盘。

The problem is...most people jump directly from "A" to "C." They get stuck in traffic and become angry. They think the traffic jam made them upset. They don't realize that they didn't HAVE to get angry. They skipped an important step!

问题是……很多人会从“A”直接跳到“C”。他们遇到塞车 就暴怒，他们认为塞车让他们难受，他们认识不到他们根本没必 要愤怒，他们漏掉了最重要的一步。

Let's try it again:

我们来再试一追：

"A" - you get stuck in traffic.

“A” 一你遇到塞车。

"B" - you believe that you were given some unexpected and extra time to spend in solitude, to listen to a great tape or to plan your day.

“B” 一一你认为你得到了意外的或额外的时间可以一个人^ 待会儿，听听动听的音乐，或者计划一下一天的时间，

"C" - the consequence is that you feel gratitude for the gift of time.

“C”——结果就是你会感激这份时间的礼物。

I have a friend who is fond of saying, "A traffic jam has no power to make us angry. It just stops our car." He is aware that between the activating event and the consequence is something that we control: our beliefs about what is happening.

我有个朋友总喜欢说：“塞车本身没有让我们发怒的鹰力， 它只是让车子停下来而已。”他知道在引发事件和结果之间的东 西是我们所能控制的，即对于正在发生的事情的看法。

The next time you have a problem -- at home or at work, big or small -- decide to manage your attitude toward it. Practice the A-B-C method.

下次你遇到问题——无论在家里还是在单位，也无论大 小——先决定你对这件事要采取什么态度。

You probably can't change "A," the activating event. But try changing "B," your beliefs about the problem. When you change your beliefs, you also change "C," the consequences of the situation.

试试这个“A-B-C” 法，也许你改变不了 “A”，那个引发事件，但是试着把握“B”， 你对这个问题的信念。当你改变了信念，你也就改变了 “C”， 亊情的结果。

It's as simple as A-B-C. Manage your beliefs, and you'll manage to be a lot happier!

像A-B-C—样简单，掌握了你的信念，你就能获得更多的 快乐！

The railroad station was jammed. Students from Lafayette College were crowding onto the train platform eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Carlisle Indian School's track and field squad.

火车站挤得水泄不通。拉斐德学院的学生们一齐拥上站台，热切地等待着卡莱尔印地安人学校田径队的到来。

NO one would have believed it a few months earlier.

倘若在几个月前，准没有人相信，

A school that nobody had heard of was suddenly beating big， famous colleges in track meets.

一个谁也没听说过的学校，会在田径场上突然大败许多有名的大学。

Surely these Carlisle athletes would come charging off the train， one after another，like a Marine battalion .

不用说。这些卡莱尔的运动员抵达后，准会象一营海军陆战队队员那样，一个接一个冲下火车。

The train finally arrived and two young men——one big and broad，the other small and slight——stepped onto the platform.

火车终于到站了，两个年轻人——一位，个儿高，体态魁梧；另一位，个儿矮，长相瘦弱——踏上了站台。

“Where is the track team？” a Lafayette student asked.“This is the team，” replied the big fellow.

“田径队在哪儿？”一位拉斐德的学生问道。“就在这儿，”大个子回答道。

“Just the two of you？”“Nope， just me，”said the big fellow.“This little guy is the manager.”

“就你们两个？”“不，就我一个，”大个子说。“这位小兄弟是领队。”

The Lafayette students shook their heads in wonder.

拉斐德的学生们诧异地摇摇头。

Somebody must be playing a joke on them.

一定有人在和他们开玩笑。

If this big fellow was the whole Carlisle track team， he would be competing against an entire Lafayette squad.

如果卡莱尔田径队就只有大个子一人，那他就得和整个拉斐德田径队比试高低了。

He did. He ran sprints， he ran hurdles， he ran distant races.He high-jumped， he broad-jumped.He threw the javelin and the shot.

确实如此。他短跑、跨栏、长跑、跳高、跳远。他又投标枪又掷铅球。

Finishing first in eight events， the big fellow beat the whole Lafayette team. The big fellow was Jim Thorpe， the greatest American athlete of modern times.

大个子赢得八项第一，一个人击败了整个拉斐德田径队。这位大个子就是美国现代最伟大的运动员吉姆索普。