How To Be Beautiful

美容之道

(Originally in Chinese)

Our beauty comes from inside. Of course the outside should be neat too, but just looking reasonably good is enough in this aspect! I have promised to teach you how to be a good wife, how to make-up and dress up beautifully in five minutes so you can go out immediately, even to a dinner party. But then I thought again, where should we begin to beautify ourselves? Beauty is not just your face. Most important is the warm feeling between a husband and a wife, the atmosphere of understanding each other, helping each other, and protecting each other.

我们的美是从里面发出来的，当然外面要整齐，相当好就可以了！我已经答应要教你们怎样当太太，在五分钟内打扮得漂亮、好看，马上可以出门，连去赴宴会也可以。不过我再想一想，从哪里开始呢？美容不是那张脸啊！最重要的是夫妻温暖的感情，互相了解、帮助，互相保护的气氛。

The outside beautiful appearance looks good at first sight, but it will not look good after you look at it for a long time. In cases of illness or accidents, the outside beautiful appearance disappears in a short time. Having only a beautiful appearance but no joy and warmth inside, both husbands and wives cannot bear that after looking at each other for a long time. For instance, some have a half-dead appearance or a face that looks like a kind of reincarnated Buddha -- a bitter-melon-face Quan Yin Bodhisattva, etc... (Audience laughs.) These people must reflect upon themselves.

美丽的容貌有时候看一眼会觉得很漂亮，不过看久以后就不好看，有时候生病，或是遭到意外，外在美很快就会消失。如果我们有美丽的容貌，不过心里面不欢喜、不热情的话，先生和太太看久了也受不了，半死半活的，或是一副佛祖再世的神态，苦瓜脸的观音菩萨等等（大众笑），要检查自己，穿好看的衣服。

Dressing beautifully does not mean wearing expensive clothes, but putting on a smiling face and having a welcoming atmosphere. These are the most beautiful 'garments.' Try putting them on! (Audience applauds.)

不是指贵的衣服，而是穿上笑容的脸、戴起欢迎的气氛，那才是最好的衣裳，你们穿穿看！（大众鼓掌）

The outside appearance is not very important. Sometimes we think we are not pretty, but be gentle and cordial - always smile when seeing your husband. When the husband is angry, you just smile saying, "What displeased you? Please tell me!" and comfort him, hug him. He then will be pacified. But if you both get angry, even God cannot do anything good!

外表并不是很重要，有时候我们认为自己不好看，不过个性很温柔、很亲切，看到先生笑嘻嘻的，先生生气的时候就笑着说：「什么事让你不高兴？请告诉我！」安慰他一下，抱一抱他就消气了，如果两个一起生气的话，上帝也挡不了！

Likewise, when a wife is angry, her husband should comfort her with a smile, hug her, and ask her what's wrong. Talk soothingly, then she will calm down. Being a good wife does not only depend on your face. Originally, I was going to teach you how to dress nicely and how to please your husbands. Now I'll forget about that. Not knowing where to start, it is very hard to teach sometimes.

太太生气的时候，先生也要笑着安慰她、抱抱她，问她有什么事？讲一讲就消气没事了！当好太太不是光靠那张脸啊！本来要教你们怎么穿得好看，让先生高兴，我看算了！不知道从那里教起？而且有时候很难教。

A beautiful appearance will come naturally. Just react according to your family situation; don't just depend on your face. But the face is also important, it is part of the criteria of being a good wife. Every morning, your face is the first thing your husband sees when he wakes up. If your face is terrible, he will have bad day-dreams all day in his office (Audience laughs.) Coming home in the evening, the last face he sees is also yours. If you again give him a long face, he will have even more nightmares all night. We should have merciful hearts. (Audience laughs and applauds.)

美丽的容貌自然会有，看家庭的情况随机反应处理，不是靠那张脸而已！不过那张脸也很重要，是好太太的一部份条件。早上一大早起来，你是先生第一张看到的脸孔，如果脸很恐怖的话，他整天在办公室会做白日恶梦（大众笑）。等他晚上回来，他看的最后一张脸也是你，如果你又拉长脸的话，他晚上更会做恶梦，我们要有慈悲心。（大众笑又鼓掌）
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