用腳掌親吻大地大綱

It was a day in late December.
那是十二月末的一天
The Christmas tree had been taken down.
聖誕樹已經從街頭搬走
The lights and decorations had been boxed up
彩燈和裝飾物收回了盒子
and put in the closet
放回櫥櫃裏
until next year.
等着明年再取出來
And I was feeling a little blue.
我感到有些沉鬱
I sure wasn’t looking forward to the long, cold, dark Winter to come.
對於即將到來的漫長，嚴寒，黑暗的冬天，我沒有多少嚮往
I had always been a light lover on the inside.
在我的內心，我一直喜歡光明
I tried to take comfort
我試着安慰自己
in knowing that
因爲我知道
a few more minutes of daylight was being added each day,
每一天，日照的時長都會比昨天多一點
but I still felt tired
但我仍感到疲乏
and run down.
似乎已經被掏空了
I was both surprised and delighted then
沒想到一件事情讓我感到既驚喜又振奮
when I looked out my window
那時，我從窗口看出去
and saw that a Spring like day had suddenly arrived.
發現一個像春天一樣暖和的日子剛剛到來了
The temperatures quickly soared into the sixties
溫度很快升到了華氏60°
and the sun was shining down on the earth
陽光普照大地
with a loving light.
溫暖人心
I could hear the neighborhood children outside playing in the warm air.
天氣暖和了，我能聽到鄰居家的孩子在外面玩耍
I smiled when I saw them
看到他們時，我報以微笑
and my inner child longed to be out there
我內心的小孩也渴望着出門去
riding bikes
去騎自行車
and playing games as well.
去玩遊戲
I leashed my dogs
我給幾條狗栓了狗繩
for their afternoon walk
準備下午帶他們去散步
hoping to enjoy some of the sunshine myself.
希望自己也能享受一些陽光
As I was about to head out the door, however,
可是，當我正準備出門的時候
I decided to do something a little different.
我決定做一點不一樣的事情
I reached down
我蹲下身
and pulled my shoes and socks off.
把自己的鞋子和襪子脫了下來
I hadn’t been barefoot outside since the Summer.
夏天結束以後，我就沒有光着腳出門過了
I slowly stepped out
我慢慢的邁步出門
on the cool, damp grass.
踩在冰涼，溼漉漉的草地上
It felt so alive under my feet.
它們在我腳下，是那樣鮮活
I laughed as I walked along.
我一邊走一邊笑
I remembered something I once read too
想起自己曾讀到過的一句話:
“Walk as if you were kissing the earth with your feet.”
在大地上行走，如同你在用腳掌親吻大地
And with each step I did so.
每踩出一步，我心中都是這樣想
My walk felt sacred and holy.
我感到自己的步子有種聖潔而神聖的意味
I felt a oneness with the world
我感到自己與世界合爲一體
and the love of nature all around me.
感到大自然的愛縈繞在自己周身
With love in my heart
我心中充滿了愛
I thanked nature for the gift of this day
我感謝大自然將今天這個禮物送給衆人
and no longer dreaded the Winter to come.
再也不畏懼冬天的到來
All of us are walking through this life.
我們每個人都在穿越自己的人生之路
But it is up to each of us how we do so.
但應該怎麼走，卻是由各人做主
Are you going to stumble and stomp
你會磕磕絆絆，步履沉重
and complain with each step you take?
每邁出一步就抱怨一句嗎
Or
抑或
are you going to kiss the earth with your feet
你選擇用腳掌親吻大地
and nature with your heart?
用心靈親吻大自然？
The choice is yours.
選擇權在你自己手中