双语有声阅读：快乐之门

Happiness is like a pebble¹ dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples².As Stevenson has said, being happy is a duty.

 

There is no exact definition of the word happiness. Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons.The key is not wealth or physical well-being³, since we find beggars, invalids⁴ and so called failures who are extremely happy.

 

Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend⁵. But staying happy is an accomplishment,a triumph of soul andcharacter. It is not selfish to strive for it. It is, indeed, a duty to ourselves and others.

 

Being unhappy is like an infectious disease; it causes people to shrink away from the sufferer.He soon finds himself alone, miserable⁶ and embittered⁷. There is, however, a cure so simple as to seem,at first glance,ridiculous: If you don’t feel happy, pretend to be!

 

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

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

 

Then the make-believe becomes a reality. You possess the secret of peace of mind, and can forget yourself in being of service to others.

 

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

 

快乐好似掷入池塘里的一枚鹅卵石,会激起不断扩散的一圈圈涟漪。正如斯蒂文生所说："快乐是一种责任。"

 

快乐这个字眼并没有确切的定义。快乐的人可以因种种理由而快乐。其关键并非在于财富或健康，因为我们可以发现有些乞丐、病弱的人和所谓的失败者却极其快乐。

 

快乐是一种意料不到的收益。而能保持快乐则是一项成就，也是灵魂与品性的胜利。努力追求快乐算不上是自私。事实上,追求快乐不仅是对我们自己，也是对别人的一种责任。

 

闷闷不乐就像是一种传染病；染上这种疾病的人大家都避之如蛇蝎。这种人很快就会发现自己感到孤单、痛苦和难过。然而,有一种很简单的治疗方法，乍看起来似乎荒谬可笑，那就是如果你觉得不快乐,就假装快乐吧！

 

这个方法很有效的。不久你就会发现自己非但不会使人反感,反而还能吸引别人。你会发现能够成为广结善缘的中心人物是多么值得的亊。

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 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

4 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。

5 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%。

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》