Keeper of the spring
护泉者
The late Peter Marshall was an eloquent speaker and for several years served as the chaplain of the US Senate. He used to love to tell the story of the "keeper of the spring"，a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.
已故的彼得·马歇尔是一位雄辩的演说家，在美国参议院也做了几年牧师。他过去总是爱讲"护泉者"的故事。故事主人公在阿尔卑斯山脉东坡奥地利一个村庄上面的森林里安静地居住。
The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful，silent regularity，he patrolled the hills，removed the leaves and branches，and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring； the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night； farmlands were naturally irrigated； and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description.
这个老人受雇于一个年轻的城镇议员已有很多年了。他负责清除山上泉眼水池里的杂物。这泓泉水流经那个城镇。老人忠诚、默默而规律地履行着自己的职责，他在山中巡视，拣去了树枝和树叶，除去壅塞和污染泉水的淤泥。村庄很快成为了度假者的休闲胜地。美丽的天鹅在清泉上游荡，水磨在水边日夜不停地转动，田地被自然灌溉，餐馆窗外的景色美得无法用言语表达。
Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget，one man’s eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. The keeper of the purse said，"Who is the old man？ Why do we keep him on year after year？ No one ever sees him. For all we know，the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn’t necessary any longer."By a unanimous vote，they dispensed with the old man’s services.
For several weeks，nothing changed.
几年过去了。一天晚上，城镇议会召开年中会议。当审查预算时，一个议员看见了这个默默无闻的护泉者的工资。于是他说："这人是谁？我们干嘛一年接着一年雇用他。没人见过他。我们都知道这个巡山的对我们没用。我们不再需要他了。"解雇老人的提议被全票通过了。
几个星期过去了，安然无事。
By early autumn，the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools，hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish？鄄brown tint in the spring. A few days later，the water was much darker. Within another week，a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks，and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly，some finally ground to a halt. Swans left，as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
初秋，树叶开始落下。小树枝也开始掉入泉眼处的水池中。一天下午，有人发现泉水变黄了。又过了些天，水开始变黑。再过一个星期，靠近岸边的溪水里出现了一层粘糊糊的东西，并很快发出臭味。水磨转得慢了，有些干脆就停止不动了。天鹅离开了，紧接着那些游客也走了。疾病开始在村庄里蔓延。
Quickly，the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment，they rehired the old keeper of the spring，and within a few weeks，the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn，and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps.
很快，陷入尴尬的议会召开了一个特别会议。认识到他们的错误，他们决定重新雇用老人看护泉水。几个星期后，泉水开始澄清。轮子又转动起来，生机又回到了阿尔卑斯山的这个小村。
Are there leaves of anger，twigs of resentment，or silt of unforgiveness clogging your spring of living water？ Just as little by little the stream became clogged and contaminated by debris，so our spirits can become obstructed by the small sins of day to day living. Let’s keep the water clean and flowing ...
忿怒的树叶、怨恨的小枝或苛责的淤泥是否阻塞了你的生命之泉呢？就像杂物可以阻塞和污染小溪一样，我们的灵魂也会被日常生活中那些小的过错和罪恶所玷污。让我们的生命之水保持清洁而潺潺流动吧……
发现你自己
The only problem unconsciously assumed by all Chinese philosophers to be of any importance is： How shall we enjoy life，and who can best enjoy life？ No perfectionism，no straining after the unattainable，no postulating of the unknowable； but taking poor，modal human nature as it is，how shall we organize our life so that we can work peacefully，endure nobly and live happily？
Who are we？ That is the first question. It is a question almost impossible to answer. But we all agree with the busy self occupied in our daily activities is not quite the real self.
所有中国哲学家在不知不觉中认为唯一重要的问题是：我们要如何享受人生？谁最会享受人生？不追求绝对完美，不汲汲以求不可得的东西，不要求知道那些不可知的东西；只是顺应那并不完美的人类天性。那么，我们要怎样调整我们的人生，使我们可以平和地工作，高贵地忍耐，幸福地生活呢？
我们是谁？这是第一个问题。这个问题几乎是无法回答的。可是我们都同意在日常活动中那个繁忙的自我，并不完全是真正的自我。
We are quite sure we have lost something in the mere pursuit of living. When we watch a person running about looking for something in a field，the wise man can set a puzzle for all the spectators to solve： what has that person lost？ Someone thinks it is a watch； another thinks it is a diamond brooch； and others will essay other guesses. After all the guesses have failed，the wise man who really doesn’t know what the person is seeking after，tells the company： "I’ll tell you. He has lost some breath."And no one can deny that he is right. So we often forget our true self in the pursuit of living，like a bird forgetting its own danger in pursuit of a mantis which again forgets its own danger in pursuit of a cicada.
我们相信我们在为衣食的奔波中已经失掉了一些东西。当我们看见一个人在一片田野里跑来跑去寻找东西时，智者可以向所有旁观者提出一个难题：那个人失掉了什么东西？有人猜是一只表，有人猜是一支钻石胸针，其他的人也有其他的种种猜测。可是当大家都猜不中的时候，智者虽然也不知道那个人究竟在寻找什么东西，但他会告诉大家："我告诉你们吧。他失掉了一些气息。"没有人能否认他的话是对的。所以我们往往在为衣食的奔波中忘掉了真正的自我，像一只小鸟那样为了要捕捉一只螳螂而忘掉自身的危险，而那只螳螂又为了捕捉蝉而忘掉自身的危险。
日出、日落和晚霞
Some of life’s most profound lessons can be learned in the most unexpected places if we only take the time to look around us and see with our hearts as well as our eyes.
One day while commuting to and from work between San Antonio and Bandera，Texas，I witnessed one of the most spectacular sunrises of my lifetime. One of the advantages of my daily drive was the rare opportunity to see the sun both rise and set in Texas. On this particular morning I took time to stop on a hilltop and watch the colors change as that large orb peeped over the horizon and then bloomed in all its glory，making it impossible to look directly into its blinding rays. The memory of that sunrise followed me throughout the day.
一天，当我在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥到班德拉之间开车上班时，我看到了有生以来最壮观的一次日出。我每天开车的一个好处就是我能看到日出和日落。在一个特别的早晨，我驱车登上一个小山顶，看太阳从地平线上探出头来，最后变得光芒四射，令人不敢逼视。日出的记忆陪伴了我整整一天。
As I started home that evening，I was particularly looking forward to the sunset. I was not disappointed！ I not only saw that sunset，but also experienced it. What a breathtakingly beautiful sight！ I again stopped the car to take full advantage of that spectacular sunset. As I sat there watching the ever changing colors，I realized that tears of pure delight were running down my cheeks. However，the best was yet to come in the form of the afterglow. I realized that God had given me one of the greatest gifts of my entire life - a view of life from beginning to ending.
那天晚上我驱车回家时，特别渴望看到日落。我没有失望！我看见了日落，我经历了日落。多么慑人心魄的美景啊！我再次停下车欣赏那壮观的日落。当我坐在那里看不断变幻的光色时，我感觉到泪水滑过脸颊。然而，最美好的是那即将到来的晚霞。我想上帝把我一生中的最美好的一个礼物给了我--生命从开始到结束的图景。
Life begins as a sunrise. Life lived out，no matter how many years on this earth，is a mere blink of the eye compared to eternity. During the course of that lifetime many changes take place. Sometimes the sun is completely obscured by the storm clouds of life； however，no matter how hard the storms may rage，or how dark the world may become around us，the sun is still shining. It is only temporarily hidden from our view. How wonderful！ It always shines again！
生活如日出般开始。无论过了多久，与宇宙的永恒相比，生命不过是匆匆一瞬。在生命的过程中会有许多沧海桑田。有时太阳完全地被生活的乌云所遮蔽；然而，无论风暴如何剧烈，我们的周围如何黑暗，太阳依然闪耀。它只是暂时从我们的视野中消失。多么令人惊奇呀！它总会再次闪耀！
To me，the real beauty of life is in the fact that we’re not poured into some specific mold with a predetermined，unalterable life pattern. We are created as unique individuals with a free will to make the choices that shape our lives. We then，hopefully，find the courage to live with the consequences of those choices. While some choices come easy，circumstances make some choices more difficult. However，the fact remains that we can，at any time in our lives，change our destiny by the choices we make.
对我而言，生命的美在于我们的生活方式没有被预先决定，也不是一成不变的。我们是独特的个体，可以自由地决定我们选择何种生活。我们满怀希望地鼓起勇气承担我们选择的结果。一些选择很容易，而环境会使另一些选择变得很艰难。然而，在我们的生命中，我们随时可以重新选择以改变我们的命运。
During my life God has entrusted me with many challenges. I have learned that facing these challenges developed moral，spiritual，and mental muscle to prepare me for the next gathering storm clouds. I can’t think of anything less rewarding than a life lived without benefit of trials and hardships to prepare one for the crises that are bound to come. Without the building of some kind of inner strength，we are as helpless to withstand a sudden personal crisis as an athlete who enters a sports arena without having developed physical muscles needed to compete in his chosen contest. The contest was lost before it started！
在我的生命中，上帝赐予我很多挑战。我明白面对这些挑战可以提高道德、精神和心智能力，使自己能应对下一次的疾风骤雨。我想不出还有什么比没有困难和考验锻炼的生活更乏味的了。没有内在力量的培养，面对突然的个人危机我们就会手足无措，就像一个没有强健肌肉而想参加比赛的运动员一样，比赛还未开始就已经输了。
As I viewed the fading sunset，followed by the afterglow，I realized that it is in our daily living，through the lives that we touch，that we are creating the afterglow that we will leave behind us. As long as there is one life on this earth in whom we have made a positive difference，our afterglow will remain. It was at that moment that the full impact of the day’s events became clear to me. When my life’s sun sets and I see my Lord face-to-face，the loved ones that I leave behind will be viewing my afterglow. It is my desire that when this time comes for me it will be a time of celebration of my life that will never end！ No sad songs - only songs of victory！
当我看到落日之后的晚霞时，我认识到它存在于我们的日常生活中。我们的生活也会在我们身后创造出晚霞。只要在地球上有一个生命受到我们的积极影响，我们的晚霞就会存在。从这一刻起，我终于明白这一天的意义何在。当我的生命之日落下，见到主的时候，我所爱的人们将会看到我生命的晚霞。我希望当这一切来临时，我可以庆祝我永恒的生命。没有忧郁之歌--只有凯旋之歌！
You are not alone
你并不孤单
Since I was 12 years old，I’ve suffered from a condition called compulsive hair pulling. The physical devastation was severe，but the emotional damage was worse. When I was young，no one，including my doctor，knew how to help. I was alone.
从12 岁起，我就患上了拔毛发癖。病痛对身体的伤害是严重的，而对精神的损害则更严重。我年轻的时候，包括我的医生在内，没人知道怎么帮助我。我很孤独。
Growing up，I suffered great shame knowing I’d brought this affliction upon myself. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own. "What’s wrong with me，"I’d often wonder. Sometimes，people inquired about my lack of eyelashes and eyebrows. Although I was lonely，I kept people at a distance. But each night，before I fell asleep，I’d pray for wisdom，and for God to send someone who understood.
长大后，我为自己的毛病深感羞愧。我的双手似乎有它们自己的主意。我时常想知道："我到底是怎么了？"有时，有人会询问我为什么没有睫毛和眉毛。虽然我很孤单，我与人保持着距离。但在每个夜晚，在我睡着之前，我都会祈祷获得智慧，祈祷上帝赐予一个能理解我的人。
When I was 25，I read a letter，in Ann Landers，from a mom whose child suffered from compulsive hair pulling. I could hardly believe my eyes. After all these years，I discovered I was not alone. In fact，my condition even had a medical name. Ann Landers pointed out over a million people suffered from this syndrome.
At that moment，my journey for healing began. I took small steps at first - telling only a few friends. Some couldn’t believe，but others tried to understand. Then，they began to share their secrets with me. I learned to see myself the way God saw me，someone deserving of love.
25岁时，在安·兰德斯那里我读到一封信，这封信是一个拔毛发癖患者的母亲写的。我无法相信自己的眼睛。这么多年之后，我发现我并不孤单。事实上，我的情况甚至还有一个医学名字。安·兰德斯指出超过一百万人被这种病折磨。
从这时起，我的康复之路开始了。开始是一些小的步骤--我把自己的事告诉给一些朋友。有些人不相信，但是其他人试图去理解。后来，他们开始与我分享他们的秘密。我学会了用上帝的眼光看待自己，我是一个值得爱的人。
Then one day，my miracle happened. A friend called with wonderful news. She’d just met a woman with compulsive hair pulling - someone just like me. She gave me her phone number. I was ecstatic. I quickly dialed，and from the minute Christina answered，we began to chat like old friends，both thrilled to find someone who understood our pain. We planned to meet soon，but in the mean time，she wanted to mail me some literature. When I gave her my address，she let out a piercing scream. Even though I resided in the lightly populated，rural area of Soquel，California，it turned out we lived only two houses away！
然后有一天，我的奇迹发生了。一位朋友打来电话告诉我一个好消息。她刚刚遇见一个患有拔毛发癖的女士，就像我一样。她给了我那个女士的电话号码。我欣喜若狂地拨通了号码，从克里斯蒂娜接电话开始，我们就像老朋友一样开始聊天。我们惊讶地发现居然有人理解我们的痛苦。我们计划尽快见面，但是她想邮寄给我一些小说。当我告诉她我的住址时，她惊叫了一声--尽管我住在人口稀少的加州索科的乡下，但我们的家只隔了两幢房子！
We immediately dropped our phones，and in the dark of the night，ran outside in our pajamas，where we hugged，cried and talked for hours. She shared her dream about opening a treatment center for compulsive hair pulling，and I shared mine - to write a book about my lonely experience. I felt I’d just met my long lost twin，someone who understood my pain and struggles.
我们立刻放下电话，在深夜里，我们穿着睡衣跑出来，拥抱呀，哭呀，聊呀。她告诉我她梦想开一家拔毛发癖治疗中心。我告诉她我想写一本书讲述我的孤独经历。我感觉我们就像失散多年的孪生姐妹一样，她懂得我的痛苦和挣扎。
When we walked back to my house，and into the light，Christina slowly lifted her long hair revealing patchy，bald spots. Then with a deep breath，I took off my makeup and let her see me as no one else ever had，not even my husband of 10 years. In that moment，I knew，my childhood prayer had been answered.
Yes，it was true. I was not alone.
当我们回到我家时，在灯光下，克里斯蒂娜慢慢撩起她的长发让我看那些斑秃。我深吸一口气，也卸掉了化妆，让她看我的本来面目。没有人，甚至连我结婚十年的丈夫也不曾看见我这样。在那个时刻，我知道，我童年的祈祷得到了回应。
是的，这是真实的。我并不孤单。
他们唱着你的歌
When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant，she goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray and meditate until they hear the song of the child. They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique flavor and purpose. When the women attune to the song，they sing it out loud. Then they return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else.
当某个非洲部落的妇女发现自己怀孕时，她和一些朋友一起走入荒野去祈祷和冥想，直到他们听到腹中孩子的歌声。他们认为每个灵魂都有表达他独特个性和目的的歌声。当妇女确定了旋律以后，他们就一起大声唱出来，然后回到部落中把这首歌教给其他人。
When the child is born，the community gathers and sings the child’s song to him or her. Later，when the child enters education，the village gathers and chants the child’s song. When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood，people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage，the person hears his or her song.
Finally，when the soul is about to pass from this world，the family and friends gather at the person’s bed，just as they did at his or her birth，and they sing the person to the next life.
当孩子出生时，部落成员聚在一起唱孩子的歌。稍后，当孩子开始接受教育的时候，部落成员又会聚在一起高唱孩子的歌。当孩子成年时，人们再次聚在一起唱歌。在结婚的时候，他或她还会听到属于自己的歌。
最后，当灵魂将要离开这个世界的时候，家人和朋友聚在将死者的床前，就像他或她刚出生时那样，他们一起唱歌送他或她走向来生。
To the African tribe there is one other occasion upon which the villagers sing to the child. If at any time during his or her life，the person commits a crime or an aberrant social act，the individual is called to the center of the village and people in the community form a circle around them. Then they sing their song to them.
The tribe recognizes that the correction for antisocial behavior is not punishment； it is love and the remembrance of identity. When you recognize your own song，you have no desire or need to do anything that would hurt another.
非洲部落的人们中还会在一个场合对孩子唱歌。当他或她犯了罪或做了什么错事时，部落成员在孩子周围围成一个圆周，然后对他们唱属于他们的歌。
部落认为纠正反社会行为不能依靠惩罚，而要靠爱和自我反省。当你认识了属于自己的歌的时候，你不会想也不需要去伤害别人。
A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you have forgotten it. Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly； your wholeness when you are broken； your innocence when you feel guilty； and your purpose when you are confused.
朋友就是知道你的歌的人，当你忘记自己的歌的时候，他会对你唱出来。爱你的人不会被你的错误所蒙蔽。当你觉得丑陋的时候，他们记得你的美丽；当你绝望的时候，他们记得完整的你；当你有负罪感的时候，他们记得你的纯洁；当你迷失的时候，他们记得你的目标。
You may not have grown up in an African tribe that sings your song to you at crucial life transitions，but life is always reminding you when you are in tune with yourself and when you are not. When you feel good，what you are doing matches your song，and when you feel awful，it doesn’t. In the end，we shall all recognize our songs and sing them well.
你可能没有在非洲部落中长大，在人生重大转变的时刻也没人会为你唱歌，但是生活总是在提醒你是唱得合拍还是走调。当你感觉良好时，说明你契合了自己的歌。而当你感到糟糕时，你一定是和自己的歌疏离了。最后，我们都将认识属于自己的歌并把它演唱完美。
You may feel a little warbly at the moment，but so have all the great singers. Just keep singing and you’ll find your way home.
开始时你可能会觉得声音发颤，但是所有伟大的歌手一开始都是如此。坚持唱下去，你一定会找到回家的路。
