A Simple Gesture 只是举手之劳
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed that the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles.
一天放学后，马克正走在回家的路上，突然看到前面的小男孩绊倒了，他带的东西撒了一地，其中有很多书、两件羊毛衫、一个棒球拍、一只手套，还有一个小型录音机。看到这种场景，马克不禁蹲下身，帮助男孩捡拾起来。
Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered that the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
由于他们同路，马克便帮男孩拿着一些东西。他们边走边聊。马克了解到男孩名叫比尔，他喜欢玩电脑游戏，喜欢打棒球；他很喜欢历史课，但其他科目却学得一塌糊涂。马克还了解到他刚跟女朋友分了手。
They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came, and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
他们先是到了比尔的家里，比尔邀请马克喝可乐，并一起看电视。那个下午过得非常愉快，他们交流看法，还时不时地开怀大笑。然后，马克回家了。从此以后，他们继续往来，在学校附近相见，一起吃过一两次午餐，并一起初中毕业。后来，他们升入同一所高中，并始终保持着简短的接触。最后，终于盼到中学快要结束了。就在毕业前的第三周，比尔问马克，他们是否可以谈一谈。
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”
比尔提到了多年前他们第一次相遇的那一天。“你有没有想过为什么那天我会带着那么多东西回家？”比尔问道。“事实是，那天我把自己的橱柜全部清理干净了，因为我不想给任何人制造乱七八糟的场面。我存下了妈妈吃的很多安眠药，本想回家自杀。但是当跟你呆在一起又说又笑的时候，我意识到如果我自杀了，我就会错过那些愉快的时光，也就欣赏不到以
后随之而来的许多其他的美好时光了。所以，马克，你看，那天你帮我捡书的时候，你不只是在帮我捡书，实际上还为我做了很多。你拯救了我的生命。”
Every little hello, every little smile, every helping hand saves a hurting heart. There s a miracle called Friendship that dwells in the heart. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their heart to us. Show your friends how much you care...
每一句小小的问候，每一个浅浅的笑容，每一只援助之手，都会拯救一个伤痛的心灵。友谊常驻心间会铸就奇迹，朋友确实是稀世珍宝。他们带给你欢笑，鼓励你成功。他们会倾听我们的心声，与我们分享每一个赞扬，总是与我们坦诚相待。一定要让你的朋友知道你有多么在乎他们??
阳光的声音
老师破天荒布置了一篇自由作文。
The teacher delivered a free writing amazingly.
孩子高兴极了，想：终于可以摆脱讨厌的命题作文，写写自己心里的东西了。
The child was so happy by thinking that he can finally write about his thought in his inner heart instead of the thesis writing.
他躺在柔软的草地上，阳光暖暖地照着，想啊想，然后一跃而起，一篇很满意，甚至是很得意的文章便跃然纸上——《阳光的声音》。
Lying on the soft grass land with the sunshine sprinkling over his body warmly, he jumped up after thinking and composed a satisfactory article------The Sound of the Sun.
孩子满怀信心地把作文交了上去，然后陷入了无尽的期待。
The boy handed in the composition with his fulfilled confidence, and then, he met the endless waiting.
作文本发下来了。
At last, the paper was returned.
春暖花开的日子里，孩子竟忍不住打了一个寒战。
After seeing the result, the boy was trembled in the bloomy spring days.
老师在作文后面批了一个大大的“差”字。
The teacher gave him a “poor”in the last as the evaluation..
老师说：“可笑！阳光怎么会有声音呢？！以后再也不能这样写了，要扣分的！”
孩子觉得很委屈，也很难过。
The teacher said, “How amuse you are! How can the sun make any noise?! You are not allowed to write the composition in this way any more.. The marks you get will be very low in this way.
那个“差”字像一个张牙舞爪的魔鬼，时时出现在他的梦里。
The?poor?evaluation is like a clewing devils, which will appear in his dreams sometimes.
几年以后，老师还是老师，孩子还是学生。只不过孩子长大了一些，成了老师家长眼中公认的好孩子，再也不会想一些不着边际的事，说一些莫名其妙的话了。
Several years passed, the teacher is still who he is, and the student is himself the same but grows older. Meanwhile, he has been regarded as a good boy who will not talk about the ill-advised things or say the strange words.
一天的阅读欣赏课，老师讲解的一位著名作家的文章里有一句：我听见了阳光的声音。
老师滔滔不绝地分析着这句话多么的优美，多么的富有哲理，可孩子一句也听不进去。
But one day in an reading appreciation course, the teacher interpreted the sentence “I have heard the call of the sun” written by a famous author. His teacher spouted how graceful this sentence was, and how sensible it was, but he can hardly focus himself on even a word of it.
孩子望了一眼窗外刺眼的阳光，想：阳光怎么会有声音呢？
想到这，他冷冷地笑了。
Then, the boy faced the dazzling sunshine thinking that: how can the sun make the sound? And then, he made a smile coldly.
"You are the only one who can make you happy." We have all heard that so many times in our lives.
There are times it is a pretty tough pill to swallow. In reality, the people that surround you have a huge impact on your current mood. When your children are grumpy in the morning, you find a nice pile the dog left you over night, you hit the road and the traffic won?t allow you your normal speed, then when you get to work and your co-worker called in sick... these are all things that
might contribute to your overall Happiness of the day.
However, moods and temporary emotions are not the same as happiness. Happiness exists when you look at the overall picture of your life and you smile, that is happiness. You know those times when you can?t wait for your children to go to bed, then later you check on the kids and you almost cry because they look exactly like angels... YOUR ANGELS, sleeping so sweetly and soundly. You can hardly remember a time of irritation with them. That is Happiness.
As life progresses and changes, we realize that who we are, (what makes us, us)... that is what we are responsible for. We know that immediate gratification or irritation only pacifies or deteriorates our emotional stimuli short term. Our global view of how we see ourselves determines our state of mind. Our state of mind determines our Happiness.
So, how do we take control of our emotions and find the path of Happiness? This seems to be the million dollar question. There are tons of books on or related to the subject. You could read and practice until you are completely confused. Or, we could spend the rest of our life introspectively evaluating what makes us happy. Which might take more time and energy and actually frustrate us more.
How about this? What if we looked at ourselves and decided what we liked and didn?t like and set about making changes. It doesn?t have to be major alterations. Maybe you are tired of your house but can?t afford to move. Try painting the living room or buying flowers to set on the kitchen table. If you haven?t had a vacation for awhile and just can?t afford to take that cruise, go camping instead.
Maybe the issues are more personal or internal. Do you get mad too easily? Learn yoga or meditation. Are you having marital problems? Visit a counselor. Are the kids having discipline issues? Determine the major issues, establish guidelines on how you are going to correct the problem and stick to it.
You may be saying, ?Sure, that sounds so easy but...? Of course it sounds easy. Problems are always easier to talk about than to take the obvious actions to fix them. But, for the most part, things are as difficult or as easy as we determine them to be. Sometimes we just make things harder than necessary.
If your unHappiness stems from a situation beyond your control then find other ways to compensate. If, for example, money is so tight and no apparent windfall is coming your way any time soon, find inexpensive entertainment. Backyard ballgames, picnics in the park, movie night with popcorn and snacks in your bedroom are a few alternatives to an expensive night out. If the issues are more serious and you feel powerless, that is the time to seek professional help.
Otherwise, look in the mirror and be glad. If you don?t like what you see, change it. Make the solution that simple!
“你是唯一一个可以让自己幸福的人。”我们总是听到有人说我们还有很多的时间。
那些时间就像在吞咽一颗苦涩的药片让人无奈。事实上，你围绕在你周围的人会对你的心情会有相当大的影响。例如，早晨你的孩子很不听话，一夜过后你的够给你留下一堆特别的东西，你撞到墙上然后交通又限制你正常速度，当你开始工作时你的同事打电话说他身体不适等等，这些事情都将会影响你一整天的幸福感觉。
然而，心情和暂时的情感都是不能和幸福相提并论的。幸福存在于你看到你生活的整个画面时，你面带微笑。是的，这才是幸福。你知道的，你没能等到你孩子去睡觉，但是当去检查他们睡得是否安好时，你几乎能流泪，因为他们睡得是如此的香甜，就像是天使??你的天使。你似乎不记得他们曾有让生气的时候了。这才是幸福。
随着生活的变化和提高，我们开始认识到我们是谁，（是什么早就了现在的我们，我们?）?我们的责任是什么。我们知道一时的满足和烦恼只是使我们使情绪得到短暂安慰或恶化。我们对我们自己的整体看法才会决定我们精神状态，而我们的精神状态又决定我们的幸福。
于是，我们要如何来控制我们的情绪，进而发现通往幸福的捷径呢？这似乎是一个价值连城的问题。已经有成吨重的书对这个主题进行了阐述或涉及。你可以读读这些书并依此付诸实践，知道你彻底迷茫；或者，我们可以用我们余下的时间来反思和评估是什么让我们幸福。这些可能占有我们更多的时间和精力和带给我们更多的挫败。
那么如果我们这样做呢？我们如果先自我审视一番，然后决定什么是我们喜欢的，什么是我们不喜欢的，接着开始改变。没有必要一定是大的变化。例如，可能你已经厌倦了你现在的房子，但是你又没有钱新买房搬家。那么你可以试着给你的房间刷上新的油漆，或者买一些花放到你的餐桌上。可能你没有一个完整的长假去做长途旅行，那么你可以尝试去露营。
这些话题可能太个人化或者内心化。你太容易发火吗？那就学习瑜伽或者尝试沉思吧！你有婚姻问题吗？那就去咨询一下婚姻顾问吧！你的孩子存在一些纪律问题吗？那你可以找出主要问题，然后列出你打算改正这个问题的纲领并持之以恒。
你可能会说，“是的，这些听起来很简单，但是??”这听起来当然简单。谈论问题总是比付诸行动去解决问题要简单的多。然而，问题是困难的还是简单的全凭我们解决的决心的大小。有时我们可能把问题复杂化了。
如果你不幸福的原因是来源于一种你无法控制的情形，那你可以寻找其他方法来加以弥补。譬如，如果你生活拮据并且不太有可能会突然大发横财，那就找比较便宜的娱乐方式。比如，后院足球，公园野餐，看电影吃爆米花或者在卧室享受零食，做一些选择来期待一次昂贵的外出。如果问题比较严重而你有感到无力，这时你就应该向专业人士来寻求帮助。
然而，看着镜子中的你很快乐。如果你不喜欢你所看到的，那就改变它。解决的方法很简单。
英语美文赏析：呼唤自由的鹦鹉
A man, a great man, a fighter for freedom was traveling in the mountains. He stayed in a caravans
for the night. He was amazed that in the caravans there was a beautiful parrot in a golden cage, continually repeating “Freedom! Freedom!”. And it was such a place that when the parrot repeated the word “Freedom!” it would go on echoing in the valleys, in the mountains.
一个人，一个了不起的人，一个为了自由而战的斗士，正在山峦间穿行。今晚他留在一个大旅店里过夜。旅店里有一个金鸟笼，里面有一只漂亮的鹦鹉在不停地反复呼喊着“自由！自由！”，这让他很震惊。那里是这样的一种地方，当这只鹦鹉不断地反复呼喊“自由！”的时候，这个词便会在山峦间、在深谷中久久回荡。
The man thought: “I have seen many parrots, and I have thought they must want to be free from those cages? but I have never seen such a parrot whose whole day, from the morning to the evening when he goes to sleep, is spent in calling out for freedom.” He had an idea. In the middle of the night, when the owner was fast asleep, he got up and opened the door of the cage. He whispered to the parrot, “Now get out.”
这个人想：“我看到过很多鹦鹉，也曾想过他们一定想从这些笼子里飞出去获得自由??但是，我从没有见过这样的鹦鹉，从早到晚，直到入睡，一整天都在呼喊着自由。”他有了一个想法??午夜，当店主熟睡的时候，他悄悄起身，打开了鸟笼门，小声地对鹦鹉说：“现在，出去吧。”
But he was very surprised that the parrot was clinging to the bars of the cage. He said to him again and again, “Have you forgotten about freedom? Just get out! The door is open and the owner is fast asleep; nobody will ever know. You just fly into the sky; the whole sky is yours.”
但是令他吃惊的是这只鹦鹉竟抓着鸟笼的横木不放。他对它一遍又一遍地说：“你忘了自由了吗？快出去！门开着，店主熟睡着，没有人会看到。你只要飞向天空，整片天空就是你的了。”
But the parrot was clinging so deeply, so hard, that the man said, “What is the matter? Are you mad?” He tried to take the parrot out with his own hands, but the parrot started pecking at him, and at the same time he was shouting, “Freedom! Freedom!” The valleys in the night echoed and re-echoed, but the man was also stubborn；he was a freedom fighter.
但是鹦鹉仍然牢牢地用力抓着横木不放，于是他说：“怎么了？你疯了吗？”他试图用手把鹦鹉弄出来，但是鹦鹉却开始啄他，同时大喊：“自由！自由！”深夜的山谷里荡起了一声又一声的回音，可是这个人也一样地顽固，谁让他是个自由之士呢。
He pulled the parrot out and threw him into the sky; and he was very satisfied, although his hand was hurt. The parrot had attacked him as forcefully as he could, but the man was immensely satisfied that he had made a soul free. He went to sleep.
他把鹦鹉拽出来，扔向空中。他很满意，尽管他的手受伤了。虽然鹦鹉全力地攻击他，但是他却心满意足，因为他使得一个灵魂自由了。他便回去继续睡他的觉。
In the morning, as the man was waking up, he heard the parrot shouting, “Freedom! Freedom!” He thought perhaps the parrot must be sitting on a tree or on a rock. But when he came out, the parrot was sitting in the cage. The door was open.
早上，他睡醒了，听见鹦鹉正在大喊：“自由！自由！”他想也许鹦鹉正落在一棵树上或一块石头上呢。但当他出来的时候，鹦鹉正在笼子里，笼门还开着。
Life is Like a Cafeteria 生活就像自助餐
A friend?s grandfather came to America from Eastern Europe. After settling down at Ellis Island, He went into a cafeteria in lower Manhattan to get something to eat. He sat down at an empty table and waited for someone to take his order. Of course nobody did. Finally, a woman with a tray full of food sat down opposite him and informed him how a cafeteria worked. "Start out at that end," she said. "Just go along the line and pick out what you want. At the other end they?ll tell you how much you have to pay." "I soon learned that?s how everything works in America," the grandfather told a friend. "Life?s a cafeteria here. You can get anything you want as long as you are willing to pay the price. You can even get success, but you?ll never get it if you wait for someone to bring it to you. You have to get up and get it yourself."
一个朋友的祖父从东欧到美国来。在埃利斯岛安顿下来后, 他去曼哈顿一家抵挡的自助餐厅吃饭.
他在一张空桌子边坐下，等待侍者拿来菜单。没有人来招呼他. 最后，一位女士拿着满满一托盘食物走过来坐在他对面, 并告诉他自助餐厅怎样进餐的。她说：“着手去做吧，去要你想要的东西，在餐厅的另外一端会有人告诉你该付多少钱。” 他对一个朋友说：“接着我很快了解到这就是美国人的工作方式”. 生活就像自助餐, 你可以去要你想要的任何东西, 只要你能付得起他们的价格. 你也可以想要成功, 但是如果你什么都不做等着别人能把它送到你身边的话是永远都不可能得到的. 你必须勤劳，必须自己去追求它。