美文阅读
Be Happy!

“The days that make us happy make us wise.”----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.

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.

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.

参考译文
快乐

“快乐的日子使人睿智。”
--- 约翰·梅斯菲尔德

第一次读到英国桂冠诗人梅斯菲尔德的这行诗时，我感到十分震惊。他想表达什么意思？我以前从未对此仔细考虑，总是认定这行诗反过来才正确。但他冷静而又胸有成竹的表达引起了我的注意，令我无法忘怀。

终于，我似乎领会了他的意思，并意识到这行诗意义深远。快乐带来的睿智存在于敏锐的洞察力之间，不会因忧虑而含混迷惑，也不会因绝望和厌倦而黯然模糊，更不会因恐惧而造成盲点。

积极的快乐 – 并非单纯的满意或知足 – 通常不期而至，就像四月里突然下起的春雨，或是花蕾的突然绽放。然后，你就会发觉与快乐结伴而来的究竟是何种智慧。草地更青翠，鸟吟更甜美，朋友的缺点也变得更能让人理解，宽容。快乐就像是一副眼镜，可以矫正你的精神视力。

快乐的视野并不仅限于你周围的事物。当你不快乐时，你的思维陷入情感上的悲哀，你的眼界就像是被一道墙给阻隔了，而当你快乐时，这道墙就会砰然倒塌。

你的眼界变得更为宽广。你脚下的大地，你身边的世界，包括人，思想，情感和压力，现在都融入了更为广阔的景象之中，其间每件事物 的比例都更加合理。而这就是睿智的起始。

词汇释义

1.Poet Laureate n.桂冠诗人

例句：
He was awarded the poet laureate by the queen.
他被女王封为桂冠诗人。

2.startle v. 吃惊,使...惊愕

例句：
The least noise would startle the timid child.
最小的响声也会吓着这个胆小的孩子的。

3.sober adj. 清醒的,稳重的

例句：
A funeral is a sober event.
葬礼是件严肃的事情。

4.arresting adj. 醒目的,引人注意的,有趣的

例句：
the quality of being arresting or highly emotional.
引人注意的、极其富有情感的特性。

5.fog vt. 以雾笼罩

例句：
Steam has fogged the bathroom mirror.
水蒸气把浴室里的镜子遮住了。

6.dim vt. 使暗淡, 使失去光泽

例句：
Old age hasn't dimmed her memory.
她虽然年事已高，但记忆并未模糊。

7.boredom n. 厌烦,厌倦,令人厌烦的事物

例句：
He found the boredom scarcely endurable.
他觉得这种厌烦难以忍受

8.unfolding 伸展, 退褶合, 演变

例句：
The lotus leaves are unfolding.
荷叶舒眉展目着。

9.bud n. 芽,花蕾

例句：
The roses are in bud.
玫瑰花正含苞待放。

10.crumble v. 崩溃,弄碎,减亡

例句：
He crumbled the bread in his fingers.
他用手指把面包捏碎了。