保持快乐 Be Happy

“The days that make us Happy make uswise.”----John Masefield

快乐的日子使人睿智。” --- 约翰•梅斯菲尔德 

when I first read this line by England’s PoetLaureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about itmuch, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurancewas arresting. I could not forget it. 

第一次读到英国桂冠诗人梅斯菲尔德的这行诗时，我感到十分震惊。他想表达什么意思？我以前从未对此仔细考虑，总是认定这行诗反过来才正确。但他冷静而又胸有成竹的表达引起了我的注意，令我无法忘怀。 

Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning andrealized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makespossible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despairand boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear. 

终于，我似乎领会了他的意思，并意识到这行诗意义深远。快乐带来的睿智存在于敏锐的洞察力之间，不会因忧虑而含混迷惑，也不会因绝望和厌倦而黯然模糊，更不会因恐惧而造成盲点。

Active happiness---not mere satisfaction orcontentment ---often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of abud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass isgreener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of your friends are moreunderstandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglassescorrecting your spiritual vision. 

积极的快乐 – 并非单纯的满意或知足 – 通常不期而至，就像四月里突然下起的春雨，或是花蕾的突然绽放。然后，你就会发觉与快乐结伴而来的究竟是何种智慧。草地更为青翠，鸟吟更为甜美，朋友的缺点也变得更能让人理解，宽容。快乐就像是一副眼镜，可以矫正你的精神视力。

Nor are the insights of happiness limited towhat is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon youremotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wallcrumbles.

快乐的视野并不仅限于你周围的事物。当你不快乐时，你的思维陷入情感上的悲哀，你的眼界就像是被一道墙给阻隔了，而当你快乐时，这道墙就会砰然倒塌。

The long vista is there for the seeing. Theground at your feet, the world about you----people, thoughts, emotions,pressures---are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairerproportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom. 

你的眼界变得更为宽广。你脚下的大地，你身边的世界，包括人，思想，情感和压力，现在都融入了更为广阔的景象之中，其间每件事物的比例都更加合理。而这就是睿智的起始。