精美英文欣赏:快乐之门

Happiness is like a pebble¹ dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples².

快乐就像一块为了激起阵阵涟漪而丢进池塘的小石头。

As Stevenson has said, being happy is a duty.

正好史蒂文森所说，快乐是一种责任。

There is no exact definition of the word happiness.

快乐这个词并没有确切的定义，

Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons.

快乐的人快乐的理由多种多样。

The key is not wealth or physical well-being³,

快乐的关键并不是财富或身体健康，

since we find beggars, invalids⁴ and so-called failures, who are extremely happy.

因为我们发现有些乞丐，残疾人和所谓的失败者也都非常快乐。

Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend⁵.

快乐是一种意外的收获，

But staying happy is an accomplishment⁶, a triumph of soul and character.

但保持快乐却是一种成就，一种灵性的胜利。

It is not selfish to strive for it.

努力追寻快乐并不自私，

It is, indeed, a duty to ourselves and others.

实际上，这是我们对自己和他人应尽的责任。

Being unhappy is like an infectious disease.

不快乐就像传染病，

It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer.

它使得人们都躲避不快乐的人。

He soon finds himself alone, miserable⁷ and embittered⁸.

不快乐的人很快就会发现自己处于孤独，悲惨，痛苦的境地。

There is, however, a cure so simple as to seem,

然而，有一种简单得看似荒谬的治病良方：

at first glance, ridiculous; if you don't feel happy, pretend to be!

如果你不快乐，就假装你很快乐！

It works. Before long you will find that instead of repelling⁹ people, you attract them.

这很有效。不久你就会发现，别人不再躲着你了，相反，你开始吸引别人了。

You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of wider and wider circles of good will.

你会发觉，做一块能激起好意涟漪的小石头有多么值得。

Then the make-believe becomes a reality.

然后假装就变成了现实。

You possess the secret of peace of mind, and can forget yourself in being of service to others.

你拥有了使心灵平静的秘密，会因帮助他人而忘我。

Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit,

一旦你认识到快乐是一种责任并使快乐成为习惯，

opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged¹⁰ with grateful friends.

通向不可思议的乐园的大门就会向你敞开，那里满是感激你的朋友。

1 pebble   

n.卵石，小圆石

参考例句：

• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。
• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。

2 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

3 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

4 invalids   

病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The invention will confer a benefit on all invalids. 这项发明将有助于所有的残疾人。
• H?tel National Des Invalids is a majestic building with a golden hemispherical housetop. 荣军院是有着半球形镀金屋顶的宏伟建筑。

5 dividend   

n.红利，股息；回报，效益

参考例句：

• The company was forced to pass its dividend.该公司被迫到期不分红。
• The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.第一季度的股息增长了近 4%。

6 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

7 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

8 embittered   

v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• These injustices embittered her even more. 不公平使她更加受苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The artist was embittered by public neglect. 大众的忽视于那位艺术家更加难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 repelling   

v.击退( repel的现在分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开

参考例句：

• He saw himself standing up and repelling a charge. 他仿佛看见自己挺身而起，打退了敌人的进攻。 来自辞典例句
• Promote the healthy entertainment styles. Repelling the superstition, gambling, drugs and obscenity. 提倡健康娱乐。抵制封建迷信活动，拒绝黄、赌、毒。 来自互联网

10 thronged   

v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mourners thronged to the funeral. 吊唁者蜂拥着前来参加葬礼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The department store was thronged with people. 百货商店挤满了人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》