英语名篇诵读 平静的真正含义

The Real Meaning of Peace

平静的真正含义

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of

peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really

liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering 

mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy¹ white clouds. All who saw

this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged² and bare. Above was an angry

sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled

a foaming³ waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw

behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had

built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest,

perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. “Because,” explained the King, “peace does not mean to

be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all

those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

从前，有一个国王，他提供了一项大奖，奖励能够画出最平静之画的画家。许多画家

试着画了。国王看了所有的画。不过他真正喜欢的只有两幅，所以不得不在两幅中选一

幅。

一幅画画的是平静的湖面。湖波平如镜，因为平静高耸的群山就在周围。在湖面上

方，是一片蓝天，飘着轻柔如丝的白云。所有看了这幅画的人都认为这是一幅完美的平静

之画。

另外一幅画也有山，但都是些崎岖不平光秃秃的山。山顶上空阴云密布，大雨滂沱，

雷电交加。在山的一侧，泡沫飞溅的瀑布直泻而下。这看起来一点也不平静。但是，当国

王仔细看时，他看到瀑布后面一小丛灌木生长在岩石裂隙中，在灌木上一只鸟妈妈已经筑

了巢。在那里，面对汹涌而下的水流，鸟妈妈却待在巢中，出奇的平静。

你认为哪幅画获了奖？

国王选的是第二幅。“因为，”国王解释道，“平静并不是意味着一个没有嘈杂、没有麻

烦、没有艰辛的地方，平静意味着你身处嘈杂、困难的环境，内心依然平静。”这才是平静

的真正含义。

1 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

2 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

3 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》