Be Happy!

快乐是时刻伴随着我们的，

我们要善于去发现、挖掘它，

它就会来陪伴着我们。

生活需要快乐的心情，

快乐的心情来自生活。

Part One

　　"The days that make us happy make us wise. " said by John Masefield.
  　　When I first read this line by England's Poet Laureate , it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.

Part Two

　　Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.

　　Active happiness——not mere satisfaction or contentment——often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.

Part Three

　　Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you.

　　Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall.

　　Happy, the wall crumbles.

　　The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you-people, thoughts, emotions, pressures-are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion.

　　And here is the beginning of wisdom.

译文赏析

　　“快乐的日子使人聪慧。”约翰·梅斯菲尔德说道。
　　第一次读到英国的桂冠诗人梅斯菲尔德的这行诗时, 我感到惊讶。他想表达什么? 我没有字斟句酌, 总是认定这行诗反过来读才正确。但他镇定自若的表达引人入胜, 令我难以忘怀。
　　终于, 我似乎领会了他的意图, 并意识到这行诗含义深远。 快乐带来的智慧在于敏锐的洞察力, 不会因忧虑而焦灼,也不会因绝望和厌倦而黯然神伤, 更不会因恐惧而一片茫然。
　　积极的快乐-并非单纯的满足-通常不期而至, 就像四月里突然降临的春雨, 或是花蕾不期然的绽放。然后, 你就会发觉与快乐结伴而来的究竟是什么智慧。草地变得更加青翠, 鸟声变得更加甜美, 朋友的缺点也变得更能让人理解、包容。快乐就像一副眼镜, 矫正你的精神视力。
　　快乐的视野不仅限于你周围的事物。但你不快乐时, 你的思维限于情感上的悲哀, 你的眼界就像为一道墙所阻隔, 而当你快乐时, 这道墙就会轰然倒塌。
　　你的眼界变得更加开阔。你脚下的大地, 你周围的世界, 包括人、思想、情感和压力, 都融入了更为广阔的景象之中, 其中每件事物的比例都更加合理。这正是聪慧的开端。

重难点词汇与词组

sober adj. 冷静的，清醒的，未醉的；

perception n. 知觉, 感觉, 看法；

fog  vt. 使模糊, 使困惑；
contentment  n. 满足, 满意；
Poet Laureate 桂冠诗人, 优秀的诗人；

fit into 适合；

(以上图文来源于网络和书籍《典藏一生的心灵美文》，

侵权即删）

文案提供：第二图书借阅室