Happiness is like a pebble dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples.

 

快乐就像一块为了激起阵阵涟漪而丢进池塘的小石头。

As Stevenson has said, being happy is a duty.

正好史蒂文森所说，快乐是一种责任。

There is no exact definition of the word happiness.

快乐这个词并没有确切的定义，

Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons.

快乐的人快乐的理由多种多样。

The key is not wealth or physical well-being,

快乐的关键并不是财富或身体健康，

since we find beggars, invalids and so-called failures, who are extremely happy.

因为我们发现有些乞丐，残疾人和所谓的失败者也都非常快乐。

Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend.

快乐是一种意外的收获，

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

但保持快乐却是一种成就，一种灵性的胜利。

It is not selfish to strive for it.

努力追寻快乐并不自私，

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

实际上，这是我们对自己和他人应尽的责任。

Being unhappy is like an infectious disease.

不快乐就像传染病，

It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer.

它使得人们都躲避不快乐的人。

He soon finds himself alone, miserable and embittered.

不快乐的人很快就会发现自己处于孤独，悲惨，痛苦的境地。

There is, however, a cure so simple as to seem,

然而，有一种简单得看似荒谬的治病良方：

at first glance, ridiculous; if you don't feel happy, pretend to be!

如果你不快乐，就假装你很快乐！

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

这很有效。不久你就会发现，别人不再躲着你了，相反，你开始吸引别人了。

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

你会发觉，做一块能激起好意涟漪的小石头有多么值得。

Then the make-believe becomes a reality.

然后假装就变成了现实。

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

你拥有了使心灵平静的秘密，会因帮助他人而忘我。

Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit,

一旦你认识到快乐是一种责任并使快乐成为习惯，

opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged with grateful friends.

通向不可思议的乐园的大门就会向你敞开，那里满是感激你的朋友。