Happiness is like a pebble dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples. As Stevenson has said, being happy is a duty.
快乐像一枚鹅卵石,落入水塘会激起一圈圈不断向周围扩散的涟漪。正像史蒂文森说的那样,快乐是一种责任。
There is no way exact definition of the word happiness. Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons. The key is not wealth or physical well-being, since we find beggars, invalids and so-called failures that are extremely happy.
没有明确的概念定义快乐。快乐的人因各种各样的理由而快乐,开启幸福大门的这把钥匙并不是财富或健康。因为我们发现乞丐、残疾人和那些所谓的失败者也同样可以快乐无比的生活。
Being happy is a kind of unexpected dividend. But staying happy is an accomplishment, a triumph of soul and character. It is not selfish to strive for it. It is, indeed, a duty to us and others.
快乐是种意外的收获。保持快乐是一种成功,是灵魂和性格的胜利。追求快乐并不是自私的行为,相反它是对自己和他人的一种责任。
Being unhappy is like an infectious disease; it causes people to shrink away from the sufferer. He soon finds himself alone, miserable and embittered. There is, however, a cure so simple as to seem, at first glance, ridiculous: if you don't feel happy, pretend to be!
伤悲像是一种传染的病毒,人们对患上伤悲病毒的人往往会避而远之。于是他们很快就会感到孤独、可怜和沮丧。但是,有种看起来非常简单的治疗方法,虽然咋看有些荒谬可笑,那就是:如果你感到不快乐,就假装快乐吧。
It works. Before long you will find that instead of repelling people you attract them. You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of wide circles of good will.
这个方法很有效。不久你就会发现,自己会吸引别人,而不是令人讨厌。你还会发现越是深入到更加美好的愿望之中,你的收获就会越大。
Then the make-believe becomes a reality. You possess the secret of peace of mind, and can forget yourself in being of service to others.
然后假装的快乐会变成事实。你便拥有了使心境平和的秘密。在给别人带去快乐的同时,也会忘掉自己的一切烦恼。
Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit, opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged with grateful friends.
一旦我们明白,时常保持快乐是一种责任并会成为习惯,它就能开启那扇神秘花园的大门,那里有着无数心怀感激的朋友。
PS:如果你感到不快乐,就假装快乐吧!这个看似荒谬可笑的办法其实是最有效的。假装的快乐会成为事实。
invalid:残疾者,病弱者
dividend:红利,股息,股利
repel:驱逐,排斥,使厌恶