“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。