英语名篇诵读 快乐之道

The Way to Be Happy

快乐之道

For a long time, being happy was considered something that just happened, and there was

nothing special about it. Now we know that getting along with other people is something that we

can work at. It is possible to act in such a way that other people will like us better. One way is

being unselfish, not wanting everything from our friends. Another way is to look for good points,

not bad ones in other people. It is surprising how successful this treasure hunt can be.

You don't have to be spineless in order to be popular. In fact, you will be liked and

respected if you are not afraid to stand up for your rights . But do it politely and pleasantly.

Being friendly and polite to your group, to other people and to strangers and especially to those

who do not look important or do not interest you is one way to develop a good character.

You can not expect to be perfect, and you must learn not to be unhappy when you make

mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is to be blamed unless he refuses to learn from

them. Many young people become discouraged¹ when they know in themselves qualities that

they do not like — selfishness², laziness, and other unpleasant³ qualities. Just remember that we all

have some of these faults and have to fight against them.

At the same time, it is important to remember that, while you are probably no worse than

others, the best way to be happy is to think yourself above other people. When something is

wrong, it is good sense to try to make it right. Perhaps you don't like a teacher or a classmate. Try

to see why, and look at yourself, too, to be sure that you are not doing anything to make that

person dislike you. Some day, things may turn out all right and then you will have to learn to get

along the best with situation, without thinking too much about it. Worrying never helps in a

situation you can't change.

长久以来，快乐被看作是自然而然就产生的，并无什么特别之处。现在我们知道，与

他人相处，也是大有学问的。以一种让别人更喜欢我们的方式做事，这是可能的。一种方

式是不自私，不样样东西都向朋友索求。另一种方式是看到他人的长处，而不是短处。这

种探宝的方式出奇的成功。

你不必为讨人喜爱而卑躬屈膝。事实上，如果你敢于捍卫自己的权利，你将会受到人

们的喜爱和尊重。但要做得彬彬有礼，要做得漂亮。友好而客气地对待你的熟人、他人、

陌生人，尤其是那些看上去无足轻重或你不感兴趣的人，这是一种培养你优秀品格的方

法。

你不能指望自己十全十美，必须学会犯错误时自己也不懊恼。每个人都会犯错误，除

非拒绝从错误中吸取教训，谁也不应受到指责。许多年轻人知道了自身有他们不喜欢的特

性——自私、懒惰和别的不良品性——就灰心丧气。切记，我们大家都有这些毛病，都得

同它们做斗争。

同时，记住这一点很重要：虽然你也许不比别人差，快乐的最好方法就是把自己想得

比别人强。某些事情出了错，明智的做法是纠正错误。也许你不喜欢一位老师或一个同班

同学。设法弄清楚原因，也审视一下自己，确保自己不再做任何让那人不喜欢你的事情。

有一天，情况也许会好转，你得学会以最佳的状态适应环境，而不必顾虑太多。身处你不

能改变的境地，担忧从来无济于事。

1 discouraged   

a.泄气的，沮丧的

参考例句：

• She tactfully discouraged their uninvited guests from staying longer. 她巧妙地使这些不请自到的客人知趣儿，没有再呆下去。
• Husbands are discouraged from voting as proxy for their wives. 不主张丈夫代妻子投票。

2 selfishness   

n.自私；自我中心；利己主义；任性

参考例句：

• Love is the antithesis of selfishness. 爱是自私的对立面。
• He was angered by the selfishness of the others. 他被别人的自私激怒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 unpleasant   

adj.使人不愉快的，使人厌恶的，煞风景的

参考例句：

• A very unpleasant thing has happened.一件令人很不愉快的事发生了。
• The kind advices are often unpleasant to the ear.好言常常不入耳。