美文欣赏

拥有万贯家财，也许是件很体面可以炫耀于人前的事情。但是，这又有什么可以炫耀的呢？财富可能遮望眼，可能迷心灵，让人看不到更体会不到生活的另一边的美好。那种美好金钱买不到，却可以由乐观的生活态度得到。所以，必须养成正确的财富观。

How Poor We Really Are

One day a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to the country so he could have his son see how poor country people were.

They stayed one day and one night in the farmhouse of a very humble farm. On the way back home at the end of the trip the father asked the son, "What did you think of the trip?"

The son replied, "Very nice, Dad."

The father then asked, "Did you noticed how poor they were?"

The son replied, "Yes, I guess so."

The father then added, "And what did you learn?"

To this question, the son thought for a moment and answered slowly, "I learned that we have one dog in the house and they have four. We have a fountain in the garden and they have a stream that has no end.

"We have fancy lanterns in our garden, while they have the stars. Our garden goes to the edge of our yard, but for their back yard they have the entire horizon!"

At the end of the son's reply, the rich father was speechless. His son then added: "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we really are."

Isn't it true that all depends on the lens you use to see life?

If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything! You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!

参考译文

我们是多么贫穷

一天，一个富有的爸爸带着儿子做了一次乡村之旅，他想让儿子明白乡下人是多么的贫穷。

他们在一个农家的寒酸的农场上呆了一天一夜。在旅程结束回家的路上，爸爸问儿子：“你觉得这次旅行怎么样？”

儿子回答：“非常好，爸爸。”

爸爸接着问：“你有没有注意到他们是多么贫穷啊？”

儿子答道：“是的，或许是吧。”

爸爸追问道：“那你都是学到了些什么？”

关于这一问题，儿子想了一会儿，慢条斯理地回答道：“我学到我们家只有一只狗，而他们却有四只。我们花园里有一个喷水池，而他们却有一条没有尽头的小河。”

“我们花园里有色彩夺目的灯笼，而他们却有无数闪亮的星星。我们院子的尽头就是花园，而他们的后院却有开阔的视野。”

儿子说完后，这个富有的爸爸无言以对。儿子还说道：“谢谢你，爸爸，让我明白了我们是多么贫穷。”

一切在于看待问题的方式，难道不是吗？

如果你拥有了爱情、朋友、家庭、健康、幽默和积极的态度，你就拥有了一切。这些东西是金钱买不到的。你可以拥有你想象中的任何物质财富和为将来做的储备，但假若你精神贫乏，还是一无所有。

词汇释义

1. farmhouse n. 农舍，农家

2. fountain n. 喷水池，喷泉

3. fancy adj. 别致的，色彩夺目的

4. lantern n. 灯笼

5. horizon n. 视野，眼界

6. speechless adj. 哑口无言的，无言以对的