Be happy

苏洪钊

“The days that make us happy make us wise.”----John Masefield

when I first read this line by England’s Poet Laureate, it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.

Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.

Active happiness---not mere satisfaction or contentment ---often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.

Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles.

The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you----people, thoughts, emotions, pressures---are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.


Coference verson:
“快乐的日子使人睿智。”

                      --- 约翰·梅斯菲尔德

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。


MIne:“快乐的日子让人聪慧。” --- 约翰•梅斯菲尔德。
当我首次看到英国诗人梅斯菲尔德的这句诗，我霎时吃惊。他所指的是什么意思呢？当时没有多想，我认为这句诗反过来的话才是正确。但他那严肃和庄重的论断却引起了我的注意，让我不能忘记。
最后，我似乎抓住它的意思，意识到原来这论断蕴藏了很强的洞察力。快乐所带来的智慧存在于明澈的观察力，它不会有焦虑的迷雾，不会有绝望和厌倦的黑暗，更不会有恐惧的盲点。
积极的快乐，不只是简单的知足常乐。而是，它经常来得出其不意，犹如四月的春雨，犹如含苞待放的蓓蕾，让你深切地感受到与快乐结伴的是什么样的智慧。环顾四周，你会发觉小草更绿了，鸟鸣更甜了，朋友的缺点更让人理解和原谅。快乐，就像一幅眼镜，纠正你们精神视力。
当然，快乐的领悟不会只限于你的身边。不快乐时，你的思想就会陷于悲伤的情绪中，你眼前就会出现一堵墙，看不到远处的美景。快乐时，这堵墙就会崩溃，眼前一片豁然开朗。
看，在你的面前世无限的美景。你脚下的大地，你身边的世界——人们，思想，情感，压力——都融入到更广的天地里，一切都是那么地协调。这就是智慧的伊始。

Cinderella

看，在你的面前世（是）无限的美景。你脚下的大地，你身边的世界——人们，思想，情感，压力——都融入到更广的天地里，一切都是那么地（更为）协调。这就是智慧的伊始。——这句不错！比参考译文好。

其余部分，还是请看参考译文，你的表达有些地方错误，有些地方不及参考译文。

By the way, whose article is this? I like it very much. The author must be some philosopher, or some Zen practitioner. For what he perceives is the truth I have been aware of, especially what the last sentence states. The world is brighter, everything is in a fairer proportion, and the vistas are there for the seeing.

[ 本帖最后由 Cinderella 于 2008-12-4 10:42 编辑 ]