1
Compassion
怜悯之心
My dad works for a food organization that travels to rural areas to offer food, medical assistance as well as entertainment. Recently I went with him to one of their conventions. I was there simply to give people directions, hand them a flyer and send them on their way. It was hot and tiring, and I wasnt having much fun. Honestly, I didn t really care, and ended up doing it halfheartedly.
我爸爸为一个食品组织工作。这个组织经常到偏远地区提供食品、医疗援助和娱乐服务。最近，我跟他一起参加了他们的一次日常工作。我在那儿只是简单地给人指示方向、发传单以及引路。那夭夭气酷热，让人十分疲惫，我一点兴致都没有。坦白地说，我并不是很用心，最后只是敷衍了事。
Then I saw two girls who had I same task I did, but were smiling and happy. They walked up to people who looked lost and asked them if they needed help, instead of waiting for people to find them. An elderly woman wobbled over to one while the other approached a toothless, foul-smelling man with rags draped over his sickly body. saw the first girl talking courteously to the old woman and then smile as she gave her a reassuring hug. Meanwhile the second girl said, "Hello, sir. Is there something I can help you with today ?" SIR? SIR!! She spoke to this man as though he were important! It seemed preposterous. Was I hearing her correctly? Why would she talk to a bum from the street as though he was a colonel in the army?
然后，我看到两个女孩子干着跟我一样的工作，但是却面带笑容，满心欢喜。她们走到看似迷路的人面前，询问他们是否需要帮助，而不是等着别人来找她们。一个老妇人摇摇晃晃地走向其中一个女孩，而另一个女孩则走向一个掉了牙的满身恶臭的男人，那人病恹恹的身子上搭着块破布。我看到第一个女孩彬彬有礼地和那个老妇人交谈，然后笑着给她一个让她安心的拥抱。与此同时，第二个女孩说道你好，先生。今天有什么事情我可以帮你的吗?先生?先生!!她跟这个男人说话人的语气就像他是个重要人物似的!那简直太荒谬了。我没听错主吧?为什么她跟一个街上的流浪汉说话就像他是个军队的上校似的?
She showed compassion. Because she cared about this man and wanted him to feel loved and important, she showed respect. He raised his chin just a lad when she called him "Sir." Rolling his shoulders back, he felt her reaching out to him in that simple phrase, and his tired, wrinkled face sparkled. As for the old woman -I stood awe. Never in my life had I seen a moment that displayed such care and love. Yes, this is what compassion is all about.
她表现出的是怜悯之心。因为她关心这个男人，希望他感觉到被人爱护并且觉得自己很重要。她表现出了尊重。当她叫他"先生"的时候，那男人只是微微抬起下巴。他把肩膀转回去的同时，从那个简单的词中感受到她向他伸出援手，而他疲倦的皱纹满布的面孔溢出光彩。至于老妇人呢我站在那里肃然起敬。在我的生命中，从没有过一个时刻，让我看到这样的关心和爱护。没错，这就是怜悯之心的全部含义。
To love another is not only to recognize the need, but also to express warm sympathy toward that need. It is giving people what they need even when they are too afraid to ask. After seeing the compassion those girls so freely expressed, I knew I could do my job better.
关爱别人并不仅仅是明白他(她)的需要，还要对这种需妥表示出温暖的怜悯之心。关爱别人就是给有需要的人提供所需——甚至在他们大害怕而不敢提出的时候。看到那两个女孩如此直率地展示她们的怜悯之心，我知道我可以做得更好。
A little girl walked over to me, holding her mothers hand. I smiled, because I cared. I cared about what she needed and wanted, about her sorrows and disappointments. I truly cared! It gave me happiness and a glow that can only be felt when you do something right. Happiness grew to perseverance -to keep going because I could do something to impact another. And so I not only experienced the glow, but also kept it burning in my heart.
一个小女孩牵着她妈妈的手向我走来。我面带微笑，因为我关心。我关心她的需要和希望，她的悲伤和失望。我真的关心!那样做让我感到喜悦与暖意-一那是只有你做了正确的事才会感受得到的。喜悦让人坚持不懈——继续干下去，因为我可以做出影响其他人的事情来。也因为这样，我不但体验到了这份暖意，而且还使之在我心中继续燃烧。
Taking time to show compassion in my life has made a difference in my character and who I am. It is definitely the ultimate principle to live by Compassion is the key. Holding it, I open every room to let the sunshine flow in.
在生活中我花些时间来展现怜悯之心，让我的性格和自我价值发生了改变。那绝对是我一生妥遵循的基本准则。怜悯之心是其中核心所在。秉持这份怜悯之情，我打开每一间小屋，让阳尤都倾泻进来。
2
A Lesson of Life
生活的一课
"Everything happens for the best," my mother said whenever faced disappointment. "If you can carry on, one day something good will happen. And youll realize that it wouldnt have happened if not for that previous disappointment. " Mother was right, as I discovered after graduating from college in 1932. I had decided to try for a job in radio, then work my way up to sports announcer. I hitchhiked to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station -and got turned down every time.
每当我遇到挫折时，母亲就会说一切都会好的。如采你坚持下去，总有一天会有好事发生。你会认识到，如果没有以前的挫折就不会有现在的一切。"母亲是对的，发现这个是在 1932年，我刚从大学毕业。我已决定试着在电台找个事儿做然后争取做体育节目的播音员。我搭使车到了芝加哥，挨个电台地敲门推销自己——但每次都被拒绝了。
In one studio, a kind lady told me that big stations couldnt risk hiring inexperienced person. "Go out in the sticks and find a small station thatll give you a chance," she said.
在一个播音室里，一位好心的女士告诉我，大的广播电台是不会冒险雇用没经验的新手的。"去乡下找一家给你机会的小电台吧，"她说。
I thumbed home to Dixon, Illinois. While there was no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon, my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department. Since Dixon was where I had played high school football, I applied. The job sounded just right for me. But I wasnt hired.
我搭车来到我的家乡，那是伊利诺斯州的迪克森。在边克森当时还没有电台播音员这样的工作，父亲说，蒙哥马利·沃德开了一家新商店，想在请一个本地的运动员管理店里的体育部。我中学时曾在迪克森打过橄榄球，出于这个原因我去申请了这份工作。工作听起来挺适合我的，但是我没被聘用。
My disappointment must have shown. "Everything happens for the best," Mom reminded me. Dad offered me the car to hunt for a job. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa. The program director, a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur, told me they had already hired an announcer.
我的沮丧心情一定表现出来了。"一切总会好的母亲提醒我说。爸爸给我买了一辆汽车找工作用。我试着到爱荷华州达文波特的woc电台去求职。那里的电台节目总监是一个很棒的苏格兰人，名叫彼得·麦克阿瑟，他告诉我他们已经雇到播音员了。
As I left his office, my frustration boiled over. I asked aloud, "How can a fellow get to be a sport announcer if he cant get a job in a radio station? "
离开他办公室时，我的挫折感达到了极点。我大声地说："一个连在电台都找不到工作的家伙又怎么能成为体育节目的播音员呢?"
I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur calling, "What was that you said about sports? Do you know anything about football? " Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game.
等电梯时，我听到麦克阿瑟喊道你说什么体育? 你懂橄榄球吗? "接着他让我站到麦克风前面，请我解说一场想象中盘的比赛。
On my way home, as I have many times since, I thought of my mothers words: "if you carry on, one day something good will happen. Something wouldnt have happened if not for that previous disappointment" I often wonder what direction my life might have taken if Id gotten the job at Montgomery Ward.
在回家的路上——以后也有很多次，我思考着母亲的那守句话如果你坚持下去，总要一天会有好事发生。如果没有以前的挫折，就不会有现在的一切。"我常想，如果当年我得到蒙理哥马利·沃德的那份工作，我的人生之路又会怎样走呢?
3
Leisure Time
闲暇时间
True to their reputation as leisureloving gourmets，the French spend more time sleeping and eating than anyone else among the worlds wealthy nations, according to a study published on Monday.
法国人不愧被誉为"休闲美食家本周一公布的一项调查表明，与世界其它发达国家相比，法国人花在睡觉和吃饭上的时间最多。
The average French person sleeps almost nine hours every night, more than an hour longer than the average Japanese and Korean, who sleep the least in a survey of 18 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) .
这项由经合组织对其 18个成员开展的调查表明，普通的法国人每晚的睡眠时间达近 9个小时，比日本人和韩国人长一个多小时，日韩两国人的睡眠时间为受调查国中最短。
Despite their siesta habit, Spaniards rank only third in the poll after Americans, who sleep more than 8.5 hours.
尽管西班牙人有午睡习惯，但他们在该调查中也仅名列第二位，居睡眠时间超过 8.5小时的美国人之后。
And while more and more French people grab a bite at fast-food chains these days or wolf down a sandwich at their desk, they still spend more than two hours a day eating.
虽然如今有越来越多的法国人选择在快餐店就餐或者在办公桌前吃块二明治了事，不过他们每天花在吃饭上的时间仍超过两个小时。
That means their meals are twice as long as those of the average Mexican, who dedicates just over an hour a day to food, the OECDs "Society at a Glance" report on work, health and leisure in Asia, Europe and North and South America found.
这意味着法国人花在吃饭上的时间为墨西哥人的两倍，墨西哥人每天花在吃饭上的时间仅略多于一小时。经合纽织的这项调查报告名为"社会综览"，主要对洲人的工作、健康和休闲生活进行了调查。
The Japanese, Scrimping on sleep and burdened with long commutes and working hours, still manage to spend close to two hours a day eating and drinking, placing them third behind New Zealanders.
尽管日本人睡眠时间少、通勤和工作时间长，但他们每天仍会在吃喝上花上近两个小时，因此日本在该项排名第二位，仅次于新西兰。
Despite the moderate amount of time Americans spend eating each day -about an hour and a quarter -U.S obesity rates are the highest in the 30 members of OECD.
美国人每天花在吃饭上的时间较为适中，约为1小时 15 分钟，但美国的肥胖率在经合组织的 30个成员国中最高。
The Japanese like to spend what remains of their scarce free time watching television or listening to the radio. This takes up 47 percent of leisure time in Japan.
日本人喜欢把他们宝贵的闲暇时光花在看电视或听广播上，这两项占日本人日常休闲时间的 47%。
Turks, on the other hand, spend more than a third of their leisure time entertaining friends.
而土耳其人则有二分之一的休闲时光用在交友上。
Norwegians spend the most time at leisure, just over a quarter of their day, while at the low end, Mexicans spend just 16 percent of their time having fun.
挪威人花在休闲上的时间最多，他们一天中有四分之一的时间用于休闲，而墨西哥人的休闲时间最少，仅用去一天的 16%。
The OECD has 30 members. The survey covers only the countries for which appropriate figures were available.
经合组织共有 30个成员国。该调查的范围仅限于能提供确切数据的国家。
4
The Gettysburg Address
葛底斯堡的演讲
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new conceive in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
八十七年前，我们先辈在这个大陆上创立了一个新国家，它孕育于自由之中，奉行一切人生来平等的原则。
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of the field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
我们正从事一场伟大的内战，以考验这个国家，或者任何一个孕育于自由和奉行上述原则的国家是否能够长久存在下去。我们在这场战争中的一个伟大战场上集会。烈士们为使这个国家能够生存下去而献出了自己的生命，我们来到这里，是要把这个战场的一部分奉献给他们作为最后安息之所。我们这样做是完全应该而且非常恰当的。
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate- we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advance. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.
但是，从更广泛的意义上说，这块土地我们不能够奉献，不能够圣化，不能够神化。那些曾在这里战斗过的勇士们，无论活着的和去世的，已经把这块土地圣化了，这远不是我们微薄的力量所能培成的。我们今天在这里所说的话，全世界不太会注意，也不会长久地记住，但勇士们在这里的所作所为，全世界却永远不会忘记。毋宁说，倒是我们这些还活着的人，应该在这里把自己奉献于勇士们已经向前推进但尚未完成的崇高事业。我们应该在这里把自己奉献于仍然摆在我们面前的伟大任务一一我们要从这些光荣的死者身上吸取更多的献身精神，来完成他们投入毕生经历并为之献身的事业;我们要在这里下定最大的决心，不让这些死者白白牺牲;我们要使国家在上帝保佑下自由的新生，要使这个民有、民治、民字的政府永世长存。
5
Companionship of Books 以书为伴
A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or men.通常看一个人读些什么书就可知道他的为人，就像看他同什么人交往就可知道他的为人一样，因为有人以人为伴，也有人以书为伴。无论是书友还是朋友，我们都应该以最好的为伴。A good book may be among the best friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not tum its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.好书就像是你最好的朋友。它始终不渝，过去如此，现在如此，将来也永远不变。它是最有耐心，最令人愉悦的伴侣。在我们穷困潦倒，临危遭难时，它也不会抛弃我们，对我们总是一如既往地亲切。在我们年轻时，好书陶冶我们的性情，增长我们的知识;到我们年老时，它又给我们以慰籍和勉励。Men often discover their affinity to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, "Love me, love my dog." But there is more wisdom in this: "Love me, love my book." The book is truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.人们常常因为喜欢同一本书而结为知己，就像有时两个人因为敬慕同一个人而成为朋友一样。有句谚语说道爱屋及屋"。其实"爱我及书"这句话蕴涵更多的哲理。书是更为真诚而高尚的情谊纽带。人们可以通过共同喜爱的作家沟通思想，交流感情，彼此息息相通，并与自己喜欢的作家思想相通，情感相融。A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a mans life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforts.好书如最精美的宝器，珍藏着人生的思想的精华，因为人生的境界主要就在于其思想的统界。因此，最好的书是金玉良言和崇高思想的宝库，这些良言和思想若铭记于心并多加珍视，就会成为我们忠实的伴侣和慰藉。Books possess the essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through the authors minds ages ago. The only effect of time has been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.书籍具有不朽的本质，是为人类努力创造的最为持久的成果。寺庙会倒塌，神像会朽烂，而书却经久长存。对于伟大的思想来说，时间是无关紧妥的。多年前初次闪现于作者脑海的伟大思想今日依然清新如故。时间唯一的作用是淘汰不好的作品，因为只有真正的佳作才能经世长存。Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive, we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them, their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.书籍介绍我们与最优秀的人为伍，使我们置身于历代伟人巨匠之间，如闻其声，如观其行，如见其人，同他们情感交融，悲喜与共，感同身受。我们觉得自己仿佛在作者所描绘的舞台上和他们一起粉墨登场。The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens.即使在人世间，伟大杰出的人物也永生不朽。他们的精神被载入书册，传于四海。书是人生至今仍在黔听的智慧之声，永远充满着活力。
6
If I Rest, I Rust
如果我休息，我就会生锈
The significant inscription found on an old key - "If I rest, I rust." - would be an excellent motto for those who are afflicted with slightest bit of idleness. Even the most industrious person might adopt it with advantage to serve as a reminder that, if one allows his faculties to rest, like the iron in the unused key, they will soon show signs of rust and, ultimately, cannot do the work required of them.
在一把旧钥匙上发现了一则意义深远的铭文——如果我休息，我就会生锈。对于那些懒散而烦恼的人来说，这将是至理名言。甚至最为勤勉的人也以此作为警示:如果一个人有才能而不用，就像废弃钥匙上的铁一样，这些才能就会很快生锈，并最终无法完成安排给自己的工作。
Those who would attain the heights reached and kept by great men must keep their faculties polished by constant use, so that they may unlock the doors of knowledge, the gates that guard entrances to the professions, to science, art, literature, agriculture-every department of human endeavor.
有些人想取得伟人所获得并保持的成就，他们就必须不断运用自身才能，以便开启知识的大门，即那些通往人类努力探求的各个领域的大门，这些领域包括各种职业:科学，艺术，文学，农业等。
Industry keeps bright the key that opens the treasury of achievement. If Hugh Miller, after toiling all day in quarry had devoted his evenings to rest and recreation, he would never have become a famous geologist. The celebrated mathematician, Edmund Stone would never have published a mathematical dictionary, never have found the key to science of mathematics, if he had given his " moments to idleness. Had the little Scotch lad, Ferguson, had allowed the busy brain to go to sleep while he tended sheep on the hillside, instead of calculating the position of the stars by a string of beads, he would never become a famous,astronomer.
勤奋使开启成功宝库的钥匙保持光亮。如果休·米勒在采石场劳作一天后，晚上的时光用来休息消遣的话，他就不会成为名垂青史的地质学家。著名数学家爱德蒙·斯通如果闲暇时无所事事，就不会出版数学词典，也不会发现开启数学之门的钥匙。如果苏格兰青年弗格森在山坡上放羊时，让他，那思维活跃的大脑处于休息状态，而不是借助一串珠子计算星星的位置，他就不会成为著名的天文学家。
Labor vanquish all-not inconstant, spasmodic or ill-directed labor; but faithful, unremitting daily effort toward a well-directed purpose. Just as truly as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, So is eternal industry the price of noble and enduring success.
劳动征服一切。这里所指的劳动不是断断续续的，间歇性的或方向偏差的劳动，而是坚定的，不懈的，方向正确的每日劳动。正如要想拥有自由就要时刻保持警惕一样，要想取得伟大的，持久的成功，就必须坚持不懈地努力。
7
In Life We are Happiest When...
生活中，我们最幸福时……
A man and his girlfriend were married. It was a large celebration.
一个男士和他的女朋友结婚，并举行了一场盛大的结婚庆典。
All of their friends and family came to see the lovely ceremony and to partake of the festivities and celebrations. All had a wonderful time.
所有的朋友和家人都来到结婚典礼上参加欢宴和庆抗活动。大家都过得很开心。
The bride was white wedding gown and the groom was very dashing in his black tuxedo. Everyone could tell that the love they had for each other was true.
穿着白色婚纱的新娘漂亮迷人，穿着黑色礼服的新郎英俊潇洒。每个人都能看出他们彼此的爱是真诚的。
A few months later, the wife came to the husband with a proposal, "I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can strengthen our marriage," she offered. "Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we can fix them together and make our lives happier together...
几个月后，妻子走近丈夫提议说我刚才在杂志上看到一篇文章，说的是怎样巩固婚姻。"她说我们两个人都各自把对方的小毛病列在一张纸上，然后我们商量一下怎样解决，以便使我们的生活更幸福。"
The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and wrote down what they came up with.
丈夫同意了。于是他们各自走向不同的房间去想对方的缺点。那一天余下的时间里，他们都在思考这个问题，并且把他们想到的都写下来。
The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they would go over their lists.
第二天早上，吃早饭的时候，他们决定谈谈彼此的缺点。
"Ill start," offered the wife. She took out her list. It had many items on it, enough to fill 3 pages. In fact, as she started reading the list of the little annoyances she noticed that tears were starting 10 appear in her husbands eyes.
"我先开始吧。"妻子说。她拿出她的单子，上面列举了很多条，事实上，足足写满了三页。当她开始念的时候，她注意到丈夫眼里含着泪花。
"Whats wrong? she asked. "Nothing," the husband replied, "keep reading your list."
"怎么啦?她问。"没什么"丈夫答道，"继续念吧。"
The wife continued to read until she had read all three pages to her husband. She neatly placed her list on the table and folded her hands over the top of it."Now, you read your list and then well talk about the things on both of our lists," she said happily.
妻子又接着念。整整三页都念完之后她把单子整齐地放在桌上，两手交叉放在上面。"现在该你念了，然后我们谈谈所列举的缺点。"她高兴地说。
Quietly the husband slated, "I dont have anything on my list. I think that you are perfect the way that you are. I dont want you to change anything for me. You are lovely and wonderful and I wouldnt want to try and change anything about you.
丈夫平静地说："我什么也没写，我觉得像你这样就很完美了，我不想让你为我改变什么。你很可爱迷人，我不想让你改变。"
The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his love for her and his acceptance of her, turned her head and wept.
妻子被丈夫的诚实和对她深深的爱和接纳感动了，她转过头去哭起来。
In life, there are enough times when we are disappointed, depressed and annoyed. We dont really have to go looking for them. We have a wonderful world that is full of beauty, light and promise. Why waste time in this world looking for the bad, disappointing or annoying when we can look around us, and see the wondrous things before us?
生命中我们有很多的失望、沮丧和烦恼，我们根本不需要寻找。我们美妙的世界充满了美丽、光明、希望。但是，当我们放眼四周时，为什么浪费时间寻找不快、失望和烦恼，而看不到我们面前的美好事物呢?
8
The World as I See It
我的世界观
How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose be knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy.
我们这些总有一死的人的命运多么奇特!找们每个人在这个世界上都只作一个短暂的逗留;目的何在，却无从知道，尽管有时自以为对此若有所感。但是，不必深思。只要从日常生活就可以明白:人是为别人而生存的——首先是为那样一些人，我们的幸福全部依赖于他们的喜悦和健康;其次是为许多我们所不认识的人，他们的命运通过同情的纽带同我们密切结合在一起。
A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. I am strongly drawn to a frugal life and am often oppressively aware that I am engrossing an undue amount of the labor of my fellow-men. regard class distinction as unjustified and, in the last resort, based on force. I also believe that a simple and unassuming life is good for everybody, physically and mentally.
我每天上百次的提醒自己:我的精神生活和物质生活都是以别人(包括生者和死者)的劳动为基础的，我必须尽力以同样的分量来报偿我所领受了的和至今还在领受着的东西。我强烈地向往着俭朴的生活。并且时常发觉自己占用了同胞的过多劳动而难以忍受。我认为阶级的区分是不合理的，它最后所凭借的是以暴力为根据。我也相信，简单淳朴的生活，无论在身体上还是在精神上，对每个人都是有益的。
My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I am truly a "lone traveler" and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friend, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude-feelings which increase with the years. One becomes sharply aware, but without regret of the limits of mutual understanding and consonance with other people. No doubt, such a person loses some of his innocence and unconcern; on the other hand, he is largely independent, of the opinions, habits, and judgments of his fellows and avoids the temptation to build his inner equilibrium upon such insecure foundations.
我有强烈的社会正义感和社会责任感。但我又明显地缺乏与别人和社会直接接触的要求，这两者总是形成古怪的对照。我实在是一个"孤独的旅客我未曾全心全意地属于我的国家、我的家庭、我的朋友，甚至我最为接近的亲人;在所有这些关系面前，我总是感觉到一定距离而且需妥保持孤独——而这种感受正与年俱增。人们会清楚地发觉，同别人的相互了解和协调一致是有限度的，但这不值得惋惜。无疑，这样的人在某种程度上会失去他的天真无邪和无忧无虑的心珑;但另一方面，他却能够在很大程度上不为别人的意见、习惯和判断所左右，并且能够避免那种把他的内心平衡建立在这样一些不可靠的基础之上的诱惑。
9
Never Want too Long
莫待花谢时
Each spring brings a new blossom of wildflowers in the ditches along the highway I travel daily to work.
每年春天的时候，在我每天去工作的高速公路旁边的沟渠里面，都会盛开着一簇鲜艳的花朵。
There is one particular blue flower that has always caught my eye. Ive noticed that it blooms only in the morning hour, the afternoon sun is too warm for it. Every day for approximately two weeks, see those beautiful flowers.
有一簇十分蔚蓝的花朵总会引起我的注意。我早已觉察到了它只有在早晨的时候才会盛开，(这也许是因为)下午的温度太高了。
This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard. I can look out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. Ive often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers.
今年春天，我在自己的院子里面开辟了一块野花园。我能在清洗碟盘的时候就从厨房的窗户看到外面的花朵。我已经思考了许多次，要是那沟渠里那美丽的蔚蓝花簇也移栽在花床中并和其他野花放置到一起，那样会非常好看。
Everyday I drove past the flowers thinking, "Ill stop on my way home and dig them." "Gee, I dont want to get my good clothes dirty..." Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband even gave me a folding shovel for my trunk to be used for that expressed purpose.
每天我开车路过那簇蔚蓝色花朵的时候都在想着，"回家的时候我就去把它们挖走带回家吧。""哎，我不想把自己漂亮的衣服弄脏了…"不管是什么理由吧，我始终没有停下车来去把它们挖走。为了那个想法，我丈夫甚至给我的货车上装了一副折叠铲。
One day on my way home from work, I was saddened to see that the highway department had mowed the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, "Way to go, you waited too long. You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring."
有一天，在我下班回家的路上，注意到路政处已经把那沟渠修整一番，使我沮丧的是那里漂亮的蔚蓝花簇也已经不见了。我自己思索着，"早该动手了，只是我等太久没开始罢了。我也许真该在春天里第一次看到它们的时候就把它们带回家去了。"
A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a terminal brain tumor. She is 20 years older than my husband and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven t been as close as we all would have liked.
一个礼拜前，我们得知嫂子患了晚期脑瘤后很震惊也为她感到难过。她年长我丈夫20岁而且由于年龄和居住的一些理由，很遗憾的是，彼此之间并不像我们曾期待的那样关系亲密。
I couldnt help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my husbands sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us. And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet Ill stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden.
我不禁想到，自己与这些漂亮蓝花和我们同嫂子的关系。我相信上帝年年都会给我们一定的时间去播种那些美好的记忆。而且我深信，如果重来一次，我要是能再看到那些蔚蓝花朵的话，不用说，我肯定会停下车来，然后把它们移栽到我的野花园里。
10
Love is the Best Legacy 最好的遗产是爱
As a young man, Al was a skilled artist, a potter. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his oldest son developed a severe stomachache. Thinking it was only some common intestinal disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But the malady was actually acute appendicitis and the boy died suddenly that night.年轻时， Al就已经是一个技艺精湛的陶艺艺术家了。他有了妻子和两个健壮的儿子。但是一天夜里，他大儿子肚子疼得厉害，他想这也只不过是普通的肠道疾病，就没太在意，他妻子也是这样认为。然而那种病却是急性阑尾炎，这个男孩那天夜里就这么死了。
Knowing the death could have been prevented if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Als emotional health deteriorated under the enormous burden of his guilt. To make matters worse his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Al could handle, and he turned to alcohol to help him cope. In time Al became an alcoholic.如果他那时意识到情况的严重性，孩子的死本来是可以避免的，一想到这些 Al内心就无比愧疚，情绪也一天比一天糟糕。更糟的是，不久他的妻子抛弃了他，把他们6岁的小儿子留给了他。丧子之痛加上妾离之苦让Al无法喘息，他开始斟酒来麻痹自己，最后他成了一个名副其实的酒鬼。As the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he possessed-his home, his land, his art objects, everything. Eventually Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room.就这样喝酒度日，Al慢慢地失去了他所拥有的一切——房子，土地，艺术作品等等，最后孤独地在旧金山的一个汽车旅馆里死去。When I heard of Al s death, I reacted with the same disdain the world shows for one who ends his life with nothing material to show for it. "What a complete failure! " I thought. "What a totally wasted life! "当我听说 Al的死讯时，我的反应和世人一样，都视他没有留下什么财产。"多失败啊!" 我思索着完全没有意义的一生。"As time went by, I began to reevaluate my earlier harsh judgment. You see, I knew Als now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had lo come from somewhere.随着时间的流逝，我开始重新审视从前我对Al刻薄的评价。你们知道，我认识Al已成年的儿子，Ernie。他是我认识的最善良、懂得关心人、最有爱心的男人了。每每看着他和他的孩子们，我都能感觉到他们之间爱的自然流动。我意识到这种善良和关心一定有所渊源。I hadnt heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to defend an alcoholic. One day I worked up my courage to ask him. "Im really puzzled by something," I said. "I know your father was basically the only one to raise you. What on earth did he do that you became such a special person?"Ernie很少提及他的父亲，毕竟他就是想为父亲辩驳也很难。一天，我鼓起勇气问了他有些事情让我很疑惑我说道，"我知道事实上可以说是你父亲一个人抚养你成人，但是他是怎样把你培养成这么特别的一个人呢?"Ernie sat quietly and reflected for a few moments. Then he said, "From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, I love you, son.Ernie坐在那里沉思了一会，说道从我还是孩子时最早的回忆到 18岁离开家， Al每天晚上都会来到我的房闭，吻我一下然后对我说:‘我爱你，儿子’"。Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any material possessions behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known.听到这些，我抑制不住自己，眼泪涌出来了，我认识到自己是多么的愚蠢，居然认为Al是个失败的人。他确实没留下什么物质遗产，但是他曾经是一个很有爱心的父亲，是我认识的最好的、最有爱心的人。
