保持快樂 Be Happy

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

快樂的日子使人睿智。” --- 約翰•梅斯菲爾德 

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. 

第一次讀到英國桂冠詩人梅斯菲爾德的這行詩時，我感到十分震驚。他想表達什麼意思？我以前從未對此仔細考慮，總是認定這行詩反過來才正確。但他冷靜而又胸有成竹的表達引起了我的注意，令我無法忘懷。 

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. 

終於，我似乎領會了他的意思，並意識到這行詩意義深遠。快樂帶來的睿智存在於敏銳的洞察力之間，不會因憂慮而含混迷惑，也不會因絕望和厭倦而黯然模糊，更不會因恐懼而造成盲點。

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. 

積極的快樂 – 並非單純的滿意或知足 – 通常不期而至，就像四月裏突然下起的春雨，或是花蕾的突然綻放。然後，你就會發覺與快樂結伴而來的究竟是何種智慧。草地更爲青翠，鳥吟更爲甜美，朋友的缺點也變得更能讓人理解，寬容。快樂就像是一副眼鏡，可以矯正你的精神視力。

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.

快樂的視野並不僅限於你周圍的事物。當你不快樂時，你的思維陷入情感上的悲哀，你的眼界就像是被一道牆給阻隔了，而當你快樂時，這道牆就會砰然倒塌。

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. 

你的眼界變得更爲寬廣。你腳下的大地，你身邊的世界，包括人，思想，情感和壓力，現在都融入了更爲廣闊的景象之中，其間每件事物的比例都更加合理。而這就是睿智的起始。