英语美文背诵 开启快乐之门

The Happy Door

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

快乐好似扔入池子里的一颗石头，会激起不断扩散的阵阵涟漪。

As Stevenson has said，being happy is a duty.

正如史蒂文森所言:“快乐是一种责任。”

There is no exact definition of the word happiness.

快乐这个字眼并没有精确的定义。

Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons.

快乐的人可以因种种理由而快乐。

The key is not wealth or physical well一being，since we find beggars, invalids³ and so called failures who are extremely happy.

其关键并非财富或健康，因为我们可以发现有些乞丐、病弱的人与所谓的失败者他们却是非常快乐。

Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend⁴.

能快乐就是一种意想不到的好处。

But staying happy is an accomplishment⁵, a triumph of soul and character.

而能保持快乐却是一项成就，也是心灵与品德上的胜利。

It is not selfish to strive for it.

努力追求快乐不算是自私。

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

事实上，追求快乐不仅是对自己也是对别人的一种责任。

Being unhappy is like an infectious disease;it causes people to shrink away from the sufferer.

郁闷不乐就像是一种传染病;得了这种病的人大家都避之如蛇蝎。

He soon finds himself alone, miserable⁶ and embittered⁷.

他很快就会发现自己孤单、痛苦、难过。

There is，however, a cure so simple as to seem，at first glance, ridiculous: If you don't feel happy, pretend to be!

不过，有一种很简单的治疗方法，乍看之下似乎很可笑:那就是如果你觉得不快乐，就假装快乐吧!

It works.

这个方法很有效。

Before long you will find that instead of repelling⁸ people，you attract them.

你很快就会发现自己非但不会赶人走，反而还能吸引人。

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

你会发现能成为广结善缘的中心人物，这是多么值得的事。

Then the make一believe becomes a reality.

于是原本的假快乐就变成了真快乐。

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

你拥有心灵平静的秘诀，能够忘情于服务人群之中。

Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit，opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged⁹ with gratefuls friends.

一旦快乐被当作一种责任来履行并养成习惯时，它就会开启大门引领我们进入想像不到的花园，而里面都是满怀感激的朋友。

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 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。

4 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%。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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》

8 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

9 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》