雙語短文 · 快樂之門

The Happy Door　快樂之門

◎ Mildred Cram


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.
There is no 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, who are extremely happy.
Being happy is a sort 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 ourselves and others.
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!
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 wider and wider circles of good will.
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.
Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit, opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged with grateful friends.



快樂就像一塊為了激起陣陣漣漪而扔進池塘的鵝卵石。正如斯蒂文森所說，快樂是一種責任。
快樂這個詞并沒有確切的定義?？鞓返娜丝梢砸蚍N種理由而快樂?？鞓返年P(guān)鍵并不是財富或健康，因為我們發(fā)現(xiàn)有些乞丐、殘疾人和所謂的失敗者，也都非?？鞓?。
快樂是一種意外的收獲。但保持快樂卻是一種修養(yǎng)，一種靈性的勝利。努力追尋快樂并不自私，實際上，這是我們對自己和他人應盡的責任。
郁郁寡歡就像一種傳染病。它使人唯恐避之不及。不快樂的人很快就會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己處于孤獨、悲慘和痛苦的境地。然而，有一種簡單得看似荒謬的治病良方：如果你不快樂，就假裝快樂吧！
這很有效。不久你就會發(fā)現(xiàn)，別人不再躲著你了，相反，你開始吸引他們。你會發(fā)覺，做一塊能激起好意漣漪的小石頭是多么值得。
然后假裝就變成了現(xiàn)實。你擁有了使心靈平和的秘訣，會因幫助他人而忘我。
一旦你認識到快樂是一種責任并使快樂成為習慣，通向不可思議的樂園的大門就會向你敞開，那里滿是感激你的朋友。