第4章 享受生活

生活如咖啡

A group of alumni，highly established in their careers，got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and in life. Offering his guests coffee，the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain，plastic，glass，crystal，some plain looking，some expensive，some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

"If you noticed，all the nice？鄄looking expensive cups were taken up，leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves，that is the source of your problems and stress.

"What all of you really wanted was coffee，not the cup，but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other’s cups.

"Now consider this： Life is the coffee and the job，money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life，and do not change the quality of life. Sometimes，by concentrating only on the cup，we fail to enjoy the coffee. So，don’t let the cups drive you ... enjoy the coffee instead."

一群事业有成的校友相约去探望大学时的老教授。谈话的主题很快就变成了对工作和生活压力太大的抱怨。为了给客人们上咖啡，教授走进厨房拿了一大壶咖啡和各式各样的杯子--瓷的、塑料的、玻璃的、水晶的、普通的、昂贵的、十分精美的。教授叫学生们自己倒咖啡喝。

"如果你们留意一下，就会发现所有好看的、贵气的杯子都被你们拿走了，剩在桌子上的是那些不好看的、便宜的杯子。你们想得到最好的，这很正常，但这就是你们问题和压力的根源。

你们真正想要的是咖啡，而不是杯子，但你们有意拿了外表最漂亮的杯子，同时还盯着彼此的杯子看。

现在思考一下吧：生活犹如咖啡，工作、金钱和社会地位如同那些杯子，它们只是承载生活的工具，而不会改变生活的质量。有时候，我们把注意力全都集中在杯子上，而未能享受咖啡的美味。所以，不要被杯子牵着鼻子走，而去好好享受咖啡吧。"

生活的意义

Long long ago，there was an emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he liked，then the emperor would give him the area of land he had covered.

很久以前，一个皇帝对他的马夫说，他可以骑着马想走多远就走多远，皇帝会把他所路过的地方赏赐给他。

The horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding，whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired，he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.

When he had covered a large area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself，"Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area？ Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."

马夫迅速地跳上马，快马加鞭希望跑到更远的地方。他拼命地骑啊骑。即使饿了累了，也不舍得停下来，因为他想尽可能地多跑一些地方。

当他真地跑过好大一大片地方后，他已经筋疲力尽，奄奄一息。于是他问自己："我干吗要那么玩命跑那么多的地方呢？现在我要死了，我只需要一小块地埋下自己。"

The above story is similar with the journey of our lives. We push very hard every day to make more money，to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health，time with our families and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the things we love to do.

One day when we look back，we will realize that we don’t really need that much，but then we cannot find the time that we have missed.

上面的故事就像我们的人生之旅。我们每天都拼命去争名逐利。我们忽略了健康，忽略了家人，忽略了身边的美和我们感兴趣的事。

直到有一天当我们回顾我们的生活，才忽然意识到我们其实所需不多，但是失去的光阴已无法挽回。

Life is not about making money，acquiring power or recognition. Life is definitely not about work！ Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasure of life.

Life is a balance of work and play，family and personal time. You have to decide how to balance your life. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life，the whole aim of human existence. So，take it easy，do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile. Life is short. Do not take life for granted. Enjoy life！

生活并非是追名逐利。生活也绝不只是工作！工作只是为我们提供所需，使我们能享受生命的美好和快乐。

生活是工作和娱乐、家庭与个人时间之间的一种平衡。你必须决定如何平衡你的生活。幸福是生命的意义和目的，也是人类存在的整个目标。所以，放松一点，做你想做的事，去欣赏大自然。生命是脆弱而短暂的。不要把生命当作理所当然的事。去享受生活吧！

我生命中最美好的时光

It was June 15，and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.

My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy？鄄nine years old and in terrific shape.

As I greeted Nicholas that day，he noticed I wasn’t full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’s age，so I asked him，"What was the best time of your life？"

Without hesitation，Nicholas replied，"Well，Joe，this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question：

When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents，that was the best time of my life.

When I was going to school and learning the things I know today，that was the best time of my life.

When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts，that was the best time of my life.

When I met my wife and fell in love，that was the best time of my life.

那天是六月十五日，再过两天我就整三十岁了。即将进入生命中又一个新十年，我对此感到忐忑不安，担心自己最美好的岁月即将离我远去。

每日上班前我都要去体育馆锻炼。每天早晨我都能在体育馆里遇见我的朋友尼古拉斯。他七十九岁，身材棒极了。

那天我跟尼古拉斯打招呼时，他注意到我不像往常那样充满活力，便问我有什么不对劲。我告诉了他自己的忧虑。不知道要是到了尼古拉斯的岁数我会如何回顾自己的一生，所以我问他："你一生中最美好的时光是在什么时候？"

尼古拉斯毫不迟疑地答道："好吧，乔，对你那富有哲理的问题，我也会做出的富有哲理的回答：

小时候当我在奥地利时，我在父母慈爱的抚育下成长，那是我一生中最美好的时光。

上学的时候我学习那些至今不忘的知识，那是我一生中最美好的时光。

当我获得第一份工作，尽职尽责并挣得报酬时，那是我一生中最美好的时光。

当我遇到我的妻子并坠入爱河时，那是我一生中最美好的时光。

The Second World War came，and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America，that was the best time of my life.

When we came to Canada and started a family，that was the best time of my life.

When I was a young father，watching my children grow up，that was the best time of my life.

And now，Joe，I am seventy？鄄nine years old. I have my health； I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life."

第二次大战来临时，妻子和我为了活命不得不逃离奥地利。当我们安全地坐上驶往北美洲的轮船时，那是我一生中最美好的时光。

当我们来到加拿大并建立了家庭时，那是我一生中最美好的时光。

当我成为一位年轻的父亲，看着自己的孩子一点点在长大时，那是我一生中最美好的时光。

而现在，乔，我79岁了。我身体健康，心满意足，而且还像初次相遇时那样爱我的妻子。这就是我一生中最美好的时光。"

Let yourself go

释放自己

The other day my friend told me to let go ... He told me not to be so worried about what I’m doing，or what I look like，but to just let myself go once in awhile. This really got me thinking. Maybe I should let go. Maybe I should do something crazy. I’ve got many long years ahead of me，and plenty of time to live a fun and happy life.

前几天我朋友对我说要释放自己……他告诉我不要太担心自己正在做的事，或者自己看起来怎么样，而是偶尔要释放自己。这真的引起了我的深思。或许我应当释放自己，或许我应当做些疯狂的举动。我前面还有很多年，我还有很长时间可以过快活的生活。

Sometimes，an opportunity only knocks at the door once，and if you don’t answer it at that particular moment，then you’ll never get another chance. Life is tough，and most of the time we spend our days wondering why things go the way they do.

After thinking for a while I’m finally realizing that maybe thinking about this so much is wasting the time in which we could be going out and making the days go better. We’re wasting the time we have here on earth. By attempting to figure out why life goes the way it does，we lose time when we can be having fun.

有时，机会只光顾一次。如果你不在那一刻抓住它的话，那么可能你永远也不会再有另一次机会了。生活是艰苦的，在大多数时间里，我们都在纳闷事情为什么会那样。

片刻思考后，我终于发现或许如此冥思苦想纯粹是在浪费时间，我们完全可以行动起来使我们的生活更加美好。我们在浪费自己的生命。在寻思为什么生活会是这样的时候，我们失去了原本可以让自己快乐的时间。

We are only here for a short amount of time. An average of 70-100 years seems long，but it goes faster then we realize. It’s very important to live every day to its fullest potential. When you’re 87 years old and lying on your death bed，do you want to look back and think of things that you wished you had done？

我们的生命很短暂，70到100年的平均寿命看似很长，但过得比我们意识到的要快。每天投入地生活非常重要。当你87高龄躺在床上等死时，你想回过头来去想那些你想做而未做的事情吗？

I don’t know about you，but I want to look back and remember all the times when I let myself go，and had fun. I want to remember the times when I actually let myself be open to try new things，and open the door to wonderful opportunities.

Life is only wonderful. Enjoy it！

我不了解你，但我希望自己回顾过去时能记得释放自己的时光，并感觉快乐。我希望记得那些接受新事物、把握好机会的时光。

生活是美妙的，享受生活吧！

感激

If you have a bad day at work，be thankful. Appreciate that you have a job. Some people don’t.

When you pay your bills，be thankful. You can pay them.

If you see a gray hair，be thankful. Think of the cancer patient in chemotherapy who only wishes for any hair.

When you realize how much work it is to take care of a house，be thankful that you have a house. Think about those who only wish they had a house to take care of.

如果你哪天上班不开心，感激吧。感激你有一份工作，而有些人没有。

当你付了帐单时，感激吧。你还有偿还能力。

如果你看到一缕白发，感激吧。想想化疗中的癌症病人多么渴望拥有头发啊。

当你想抱怨你下车后还要必须走好长的路时，感激吧。想想如果无法行走又会是什么样吧。

When you feel like complaining because you have to walk a long distance from your car，be thankful. Think of what it would be like not to be able to walk！

If you get irritated by other people’s anger，apathy，ignorance，bitterness，or insecurities，be thankful. Things could be worse. You could be one of them！

When you think everything in your world is terrible，and you want to give up，think of the people who have been told they only have a certain amount of time to live. They don’t want to give up.

当你意识到要收拾一所房子需要做很多操劳时，感激你有所房子吧。想想那些渴望有房子照看的人。

如果你被别人的愤怒、冷漠、无知、冷酷或不安全感所困扰，感激吧。事情可能会更糟。你可能是他们中的一员。

当你认为你的一切都一团糟并想放弃时，想想那些被告知时日无多的人吧，他们可不想放弃。