品茗经典-Unit 03 Be Happy 快乐起来

Be Happy

Lloyd Morris (1613-1680)

 

“The days that make us happy make us wise.”

--John Masefield

 

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

 

Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom¹, and without the blind spots caused by fear.

 

Active happiness not mere² satisfaction or contentment—often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener, bird songs are sweeter, the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.

 

Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes³, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles⁴.

 

The long vista⁵ is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you—people, thoughts, emotions, pressures—are now into large scene. Every thing assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.

 

“快乐的日子，使我们聪明。”

--约翰•梅斯菲尔德

 

第一次读到英国桂冠诗人梅斯菲尔德着行诗的时候，我非常惊讶，它真正的寓意是什么呢？不仔细考虑的话，我一直认为这句诗倒过来才对。不过他的冷静与自信却俘获了我，所以我一直无法忘记这句诗。

 

终于，我好像领会了他的意思，意识到其中蕴含着深刻的观察思考。快乐带来的智慧存在于清晰的心灵感觉中，不因忧虑担心而困惑，不因绝望、厌烦而迟钝，不因惶恐而出现盲点。

 

跳动的快乐—不仅是满足或惬意—会突然到来，就像四月的春雨或是花蕾的绽放。然后你发现智慧已随快乐而来。草儿更绿，鸟儿的歌声更加美妙，朋友的缺点也变得更加可以理解、原谅。快乐就像一副眼镜，可以修正你精神的视力。

 

快乐的视野并不受你周围事物的局限。只不过当你不快乐的时候，思想便转向你感情上的苦恼，眼界也就被心灵之墙隔断了。而当你快乐的时候，这道墙便崩塌了。

 

你的眼界更宽了。脚下的大地，身旁的世界—人们、思想、情感、压力—现在都溶进了一个更加宏伟的情境中，每件事物都恰如其分。这就是智慧的开端。

1 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

4 crumbles   

酥皮水果甜点( crumble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This cake crumbles too easily. 这种蛋糕太容易碎了。
• This bread crumbles ever so easily. 这种面包非常容易碎。

5 vista   

n.远景，深景，展望，回想

参考例句：

• From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去，远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
• These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路，未来看不到一点儿希望。