48个幸福感爆棚的英语故‪事‬ 落羽听雪

A cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night;it was wonderful to see,wonderful to hear him;he was more contented in shoes,than was any of the seven sages.

一个皮匠从早到晚在唱歌中度过。无论见到他本人或听见他的歌声都使人觉得很愉快。

His neighbor,on the contrary,who was rolling in wealth,sung but little and slept less.he was a banker;when by chance he fell into a doze at day-break,the cobbler awoke him with his song.

他对于制鞋工作比当上了希腊七对还要满足。与此相反，他的邻居是个银行家，拥有万贯家财，却很少唱歌，晚上也睡得不好。他偶尔在黎明时分迷迷糊糊刚入睡，皮匠的歌声便于工作把他吵醒了。

The banker complained sadly that providence had not made sleep a saleable commodity,like edibles or drinkables.having at length sent for the songster,he said to him,"how much a year do you earn,master gregory?"

银行家郁郁寡欢地抱怨上帝没有睡眠也制成一种像食品或饮料那样可以买卖的商品。后来，银行家就叫人把这位歌手请来，问道：“格列戈里师傅，你一年赚多少钱？”



"how much a year,sir?"said the merry cobbler laughing,"i have reckon in that way,living as i do from one day to another;somehow i manage to reach the end of the year;each day brings its meal."

“先生，你问我一年赚多少钱吗？”快乐的皮匠笑道：“我从来不算这笔帐，我是一天一天地过日子，总而言之坚持到年底，每天挣足三餐。”

"well then!how much a day do you earn,my friend?""sometimes more,sometimes less;but the worst of it is,-and,without that our earnings would be very tolerable,-a number of days occur in the year on which we are forbidden to work;and the curate,moreover,is constantly adding some new saint to the list."

“啊，朋友，那么你一天赚多少钱呢？”“有时多一点，有时少一点；不过最糟糕的是一年中总有些日子不准我们做买卖，牧师又常常在圣徒名单上添新名字，否则我们的收入也还算不错的。”

The banker,laughing at his simplicity,said,"in the future i shall place you above want.Take this hundred crowns,preserve them carefully,and make use of them in time of need."

银行家被皮匠的直率逗笑了，他说：“我要你从今以后不愁没钱用。这一百枚钱你拿去，小心放好，需要时拿来用吧。”

The cobbler fancied he beheld all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind.

皮匠觉自己好像看到了过去几百年来大地为人类所需而制造出来的全部财富。

Returning home,he buried his money and his happiness at the same time,no more singin;he lost his voice,the moment he acquired that which is the source of so much grief.

他回到家中，埋藏好硬币，同时也埋葬了他的快乐。他不再唱歌了；从他得到这种痛苦的根源那一刻起，他的嗓子就哑了。

Sleep quitted his dwelling;and cares,suspicions,and false alarms took its place,all day,his eye wandered in the direction of his treasure;and at night,if some stray cat made a noise,the cat was robbing him.at length the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor;"give me back." said he,"sleep and my voice,and take your hundred crowns."

睡眠与他分手；取而代之的却是担心、怀疑、虚惊。白天，他的目光尽朝埋藏硬币的方向望；夜间，如果有只迷途的猫弄出一点声响，他就以为是有人来抢他的钱。最后，这个可怜的皮匠跑到他那富有的邻居家里说：“把你的一百枚钱拿回去，还我的睡眠和歌声来。”

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street， going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.
一位年轻的总裁，以有点快的车速，开着他的新 Jaguar 经过住宅区的巷道。他必须小心游戏中的孩子突然跑到路中央，所以当他觉得小孩子快跑出来时，就要减慢车速。

As his car passed， one child appeared， and a brick smashed into the Jag's side door. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. He jumped out of the car， grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car，shouting， "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?" Building up a head of steam， he went on"That's a new car and that brick you threw is gonna cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"

就在他的车经过一群小朋友的时候，一个小朋友丢了一块砖头打到了他的车门，他很生气的踩了煞车并后退到砖头丢出来的地方。他跳出车外，抓了那个小孩，把他顶在车门上说：「你为什么这样做，你知道你刚刚做了什么吗？接着又吼道：「你知不知道你要赔多少钱来修理这台新车，你到底为什么要这样做？



“Please， mister， please， I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do!”pleaded the youngster. "It's my brother，" he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.

小孩子求着说：「先生，对不起，我不知道我还能怎么办？」 他接着说：「因为我哥哥从轮椅上掉下来，我没办法把他抬回去。」

Sobbing， the boy asked the executive， "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words， the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts， checking to see that everything was going to be okay.
那男孩啜泣着说：「你可以帮我把他抬回去吗？他受伤了，而且他太重了我抱不动。」这些话让这位年轻的总裁深受感动，他抱起男孩受伤的哥哥，帮他坐回轮椅上。 并拿出手帕擦拭他哥哥的伤口，以确定他哥哥没有什么大问题。

"Thank you， sir. And God bless you，" the grateful child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother to the sidewalk toward their home.
那个小男孩感激地说：[谢谢你，先生，上帝保佑你。]，然后他看着男孩推着他哥哥回去。

It was a long walk backs to his Jaguar... a long， slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.
年轻总裁返回 Jaguar 的路变的很漫长，他也没有修他汽车的侧门。他保留着车上的凹痕就是提醒自己

Life whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes， when you don't have the time to listen... Life throws a brick at your head. It's your choice: Listen to the whispers of your soul or wait for the brick! Do you sometimes ignore loved ones because your life is too fast and busy leaving them to wonder whether you really love them?
生活的道路不要走的太匆忙，否则需要其他人敲打自己来注意生活的真谛。当生命想与你的心灵窃窃私语时，若你没有时间，你有两种选择：倾听你心灵的声音或让砖头来砸你！请问你是否曾因为生活太快、太忙碌而忽略了你所爱的人，然后让他们开始开始怀疑起你是不是真的爱他们呢？

Years of storms had taken their toll on the old windmill. Its wheel, rusted and fallen, lay silent in the lush bluegrass. Its once animated silhouette was now a tall motionless steeple in the twilight sun.
多年的风雨毁坏了古老的风车。车轮已经锈了，倒了，静静地躺卧在茂盛的六月禾丛中。在落日的衬托下，曾经散发着生气的风车如今如耸立的尖塔般冰冷、生硬。

I hadn‘t walked across our old farm in fifteen years. Yet the sensations came flooding back. I could smell the freshness of new mown alfalfa. I could feel the ping of the ice cold summer rain, and the sun‘s sudden warmth on my wet shoulders when it reappeared after a brisk July thunderstorm.
我已经有十五年没有走过我们的农场了。然而，那些感觉又汹涌而至。我仿佛闻到了新割的苜蓿的清新气息，感觉到了冰冷夏雨敲打在身上，还有七月的雨后阳光照射在湿漉漉的身上骤然传来的暖意。

Rain or shine, I used to walk this path each day to see Greta. She always made me smile, even after Sis and I had just had a big squabble. I would help Greta with her chores. Then we would visit over a generous helping of her delicious homemade chocolate cookies and ice cream. Being confined to a wheel chair didn‘t stop Greta from being a fabulous cook.
无论雨天或晴天，我曾经天天沿着这条小径去探望葛丽塔。即使我刚和姐姐大吵了一场，她也总能使我舒怀微笑。我会帮葛丽塔做些家务。然后，我们会大快朵颐，品尝她亲手做的巧克力曲奇饼和冰淇淋。以轮椅代步并不妨碍她成为一名出色的厨师。

Greta gave me two of the greatest gifts I‘ve ever received. First, she taught me how to read. She also taught me that when I forgave Sis for our squabbles, it meant I wouldn‘t keep feeling like a victim. Instead, I would feel sunny.
Mr. Dinking, the local banker, tried to foreclose on Greta‘s house and land after her husband passed away. Thanks to Pa and Uncle Johan, Greta got to keep everything. Pa said that it was the least he could do for someone talented enough to teach me to read!
在葛丽塔的丈夫去世后，当地的银行家丁肯先生曾经要收取她抵押给了银行的房子。幸亏有爸爸和约翰叔叔的帮忙，葛丽塔才保住了一切。爸爸说，对一位聪明得能教会我认字的人，这只是他力所能及的一件小事！

Soon folks were coming from miles around to buy Greta‘s homemade cakes, pies, breads, cookies, cider, and ice cream. Hank, the grocery store man, came each week to stock his shelves and bring Greta supplies.
很快，方圆数英里的人们都来买葛丽塔做的蛋糕、馅饼、面包、曲奇饼、苹果酒和冰淇淋。每周，杂货店老板汉克都会给她送来材料，并从她那里进货。
Greta even had me take a big apple pie to Mr. Dinking who became one of her best customers and friends. That‘s just how Greta was. She could turn anyone into a friend!
葛丽塔甚至让我给丁肯先生送去一个大苹果馅饼。他也成为了她的顾客和朋友。这就是葛丽塔。她可以把任何人都变成朋友！

Greta always said, "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!" No matter how terrible my day started, I always felt sunny walking home from Greta‘s house-even beneath the winter starlight.
葛丽塔常说：“亲爱的，记得要走在阳光里！” 每天，不管一开始怎么糟糕，从葛丽塔的小屋走回家时，即使是披着冬夜的星光，我都会感觉心情舒畅。

I arrived at Greta‘s house today just after sunset. An ambulance had stopped a few feet from her door, it‘s red lights flashing. When I ran into the old house, Greta recognized me right away.
这天，太阳刚下山我就来到葛丽塔家了。她门前几尺外已然停着一辆救护车。车上的红灯闪烁不停。当我冲入那所旧房子时，葛丽塔立刻认出了我.

She smiled at

One of my patients, a successful businessman, tells me that before his cancer he would become depressed unless things went a certain way. Happiness was "having the cookie." If you had the cookie, things were good.
我有一位病人，他是一个成功的商人，告诉我，在他患癌症之前，凡事如果没有确定下来他就忧心忡忡。对他而言，幸福是“拥有小甜饼”。

If you didn't have the cookie, life wasn't worth a damn. Unfortunately, the cookie kept changing.
如果你拥有了小甜饼，一切都一帆风顺。如果你没有小甜饼，生活就一文不值。

Some of the time it was money, sometimes power, sometimes sex. At other times, it was the new car, the biggest contract, the most prestigious address.
不幸的是，小甜饼总是不断变换着，有时是金钱，有时是权力，有时是欲望。在其他时候，它是一辆新车、一份数额最大的合同、或者一个享有声望的通讯地址。

A year and a half after his diagnosis of prostate cancer he sits shaking his head ruefully. "It's like I stopped learning how to live after I was a kid.
在他被诊断出患有前列腺癌的一年半之后，他坐在那里，悲天悯人地摇着头，说：“长大以后，我好像就不知道怎样生活了。

When I give my son a cookie, he is happy. If I take the cookie away or it breaks, he is unhappy.
当我给我儿子一个小甜饼时，他心花怒放。如果我拿走甜饼或者是小甜饼碎了，他就闷闷不乐。

But he is two and a half and I am forty-three. It's taken me this long to understand that the cookie will never make me happy for long.
不同的是，他只有两岁半，而我已经 43 了。我花了这么长的时间才明白小甜饼并不能使我长久感到幸福。

The minute you have the cookie it starts to crumble or you start to worry about it crumbling or about someone trying to take it away from you.
从你拥有小甜饼的那一刻，它就开始破碎，或者你就开始担心它会破碎，抑或你开始担心别人拿走它。

You know, you have to give up a lot of things to take care of the cookie, to keep it from crumbling and be sure that no one takes it away from you.
为了守护你的小甜饼，为了防止它破碎或者确定别人不会从你手中夺走它，你不得不放弃许多东西。

You may not even get a chance to eat it because you are so busy just trying not to lose it.
你忙于不让自己失去它，甚至没有时间享受它。

Having the cookie is not what life is about." My patient laughs and says cancer has changed him.
拥有小甜饼并不是生活的全部内容。”我的病人笑着说癌症已经改变了他。

For the first time he is happy. No matter if his business is doing well or not, no matter if he wins or loses at golf. "
不论他的生意是否一帆风顺，不论他在打高尔夫球时是输是赢，他有生以来第一次感到幸福。

Two years ago, cancer asked me, 'Okay, what's important? What is really important?' Well, life is important.
“两年前，癌症问我‘什么重要？什么才真正的重要？’对，生命重要。

Life. Life any way you can have it, life with the cookie, life without the cookie. Happiness does not have anything to do with the cookie; it has to do with being alive. Before, who made the time?" He pauses thoughtfully. "Damn, I guess life is the cookie."
生命。生命，无论如何你拥有生命。有小甜饼也罢，没有小甜饼也罢，幸福与小甜饼并非息息相关，而是与生命的存在有关。可是，时光一去不复返，谁又能让时光倒流呢？”他停顿了一下，若有所思，说：“该死，我觉得生命就是那块小甜饼”。

Life is good, really good. Sometimes I feel like the good karma train picked me up, and simply refuses to let me off.
生活不错，很不错。有时我觉得仿佛坐上了一列善有善报 的列车，想下车都不行。
I have an amazing wife, a teenage son that makes me glow with pride, good health, a wonderful family and the best friends a guy could ask for. I have a lot to be grateful for.
我有个人人夸好的妻子，有个给我脸 上增光的十几岁的儿子，我们身体健康，家庭美满和睦，还有 一帮世上最棒的朋友。我有好多值得感恩的东西。
For many years now, “thank you” has become my meditation as I start each day.
多年来，“感 谢老天” 经成了我开始每一天的默祷词。
But the truth is, life was not always this good. It wasn’t all that long ago, when the resume’ of my life looked radically different.
可是事实上，生活并不总是这么美好。就在不久前，我的 人生简历看上去还是迥然不同。
At one time, my life was filled with nearly everything people try to avoid.
曾经一度，我的生活充满了令 每个人都想躲避的东西。
Experiencing everything from unhappy relationships to financial struggles, poor health, depression, and an endless stream of negative habits was a part of my daily life.
从让人沮丧的婚姻,到困窘的经济状况， 糟糕的健康，抑郁的心情和无穷无尽的坏毛病，都是我每天生 活的一部分。

It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, happiness was constantly eluding me and disappointment became my shadow.
似乎不管我怎么努力，快乐总是躲着我走，而失 望则如影随形。
It also seemed as if I was paving the way for a future that sadly resembled my father’s…until he took his own life at the age of 54.
而且似乎我在亦步亦趋地把日子过成父亲那样， 他在54岁的时候自杀了。
This was a defining moment for me. Once the shock of losing my father began to fade, clarity and a new sense of purpose became the dominant force in my life.
那一刻成了我人生的转折点，一度失 去父亲所受的打击开始消退，慈善和生活的目标感开始支配我 的生活。
I remember feeling as if I had “met myself” for the very first time while also becoming conscious of my life’s true purpose.
我觉着好像有生以来第一次发现了自己，认识到了生 命的真正目的。
It was in that moment that I had made a major decision. Not only would I change my own life, but I would also make a difference in the lives of others.
从那一刻起，我便做了一个重大决定。我不仅 要改变自己的生活，而且要令别人的生活改观。

Enlightenment and epiphanies can show up in some pretty strange ways. The Buddha found it under a Boddhi tree, Nelson Mandela in prison and spiritual guru Ram Dass through psychedelic drugs.
令人茅塞顿开的灵光会以相当奇特的方式出现。佛祖在菩 提树下悟道；纳尔逊?曼德拉在狱中觉醒；灵魂大师瑞姆?达; 斯则在致幻剂中获得升华。
Little did I know, mine would arrive in the form of a hard-shelled reptile simply trying to cross the road -- a turtle.
我从未曾料到，我的启示会以一只 试图穿越马路的硬壳爬行动物的形象出现，它是一只乌龟。
But this wasn’t just any turtle, this was the world’s most optimistic one. He was tenaciously determined to cross twenty feet of tar as cars zoomed by at 55 mph.
但这可不是一只普通的乌龟，这是世上最乐观的一只乌龟。 它不屈不挠地打算穿越一条宽20英尺的柏油马路，路上是川流 不息的以时速55英里行驶的车辆。
But today was his lucky day.
可是今天是它的幸运日。
My wife’s quick reflexes not only ensured that “turtle soup” would not be for dinner that night, but her act of kindness would eventually become the foundation for everything I teach today.
我 妻

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead.
好几次了,我女儿打电话来说：“妈妈，你务必得在那些水 仙花凋谢之前来看看它们。”我是想去，可从拉古娜到箭头湖要开两个小时的车。
“I will come next Tuesday,” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.
“那我下周二去吧。”在她第三次打来电话时，我极不情愿 地答应道。
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there.
到了那个周二，清晨很冷又下着雨，不过既然答应了， 我还是开车去了。
When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said,
等我终于到了卡罗琳家，拥抱问候过我的外 孙们，说:
“Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!”
“卡罗琳，别想那水仙了！天阴又有雾，路都看不清。 这世上除了你和这些孩子，没有什么能让我为想去看他们再开一 步车了！ ”
My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, mother.”
女儿平静地笑着说：“妈妈，我们一直都在这种天气里开车 的呀！ ”
“Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears, and then I’m heading for home!” I assured her.
“那反正你甭想让我再开车上路了，除非天晴了，然后我就 直接开车回家！ ”我重申道。
“I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car.”
“我本来指望你能开车捎我去修车厂取我的车呢！ ”
“How far will we have to drive?”
“我们得开多远啊？ ”
“Just a few blocks,” Carolyn said. “I’ll drive, I’m used to this.”
“就几条街，”卡罗琳说，“我来开，反正我习惯了这种天气。”
After several minutes, I had to ask, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage!”“We ‘re going to my garage the long way,” Carolyn smiled, “by way of the daffodils.”
过了几分钟，我不得不问：“我们这是去哪儿啊？这不是去修车厂的路啊！ ”卡罗琳笑了，“我们要去的那个修车厂很远， 要经过水仙花。”
“Carolyn,” I said sternly, “please turn around.”
“卡罗琳，”我严厉地说，“请你掉头回去。”

“It’s all right, mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”
“没事的，妈妈，我保证。如果你错过了这次经历，你永远不会原谅自己的。”
After about 20 minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, “Daffodil Garden.”
大概过了 20分钟，我们转到了一条碎石小路上，我看到一个小教堂。在教堂的稍远一侧，我看见一个手写的牌子，上面写着：“水仙花园”。
We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.
我们走下车，一人领着一个孩子。我跟着卡罗琳顺小道而行， 转到小道的一角，我抬头一看，惊住了。
It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
在我面前是极为壮观的 景象，看上去仿佛有人把一大缸金子倾倒下来，覆盖了峰顶和山 坡。那些花栽种成宏伟的漩涡图案——宽宽窄窄的条纹有很多颜 色，有深橘、白、柠檬黄、橙红、番