Discovery in a Thunderstorm
雷雨中的领悟

都说人生像一场旅行，旅途的目的地是梦想中的远方。于是，为了能够顺利到达，我们总是匆忙赶路，风雨兼程。然而，就像爱尔兰传说中小矮人把宝藏藏在了彩虹尽头一样，我们渴望的风景有时候也是那么近在眼前又远在天边，待到我们精疲力竭，才发现自己竟是一无所获。无论什么样的旅程，到达终点都只应该是其中的一个目的，值得我们驻足欣赏的还有那一路的风景。

Many years ago I was on a bicycle trip through some exceedingly picturesque countryside. Suddenly, dark clouds piled up overhead and rain began to fall, but strange to relate, several hundred yards ahead of me the sun shone brilliantly. Pedaling, however, as rapidly as I could, I found it impossible to get into the clear. The clouds with their rain kept advancing faster than I could race forward. I continued this unequal contest for an exhausting half hour, before realizing that I could not win my way to the bright area ahead of me.

Then it dawned upon me that I was wasting my strength in unimportant hurry, while paying no attention whatsoever to the landscape for the sake of which I was making the trip. The storm could not last forever and the discomfort was not unendurable. Indeed, there was much to look at which might otherwise have escaped me. As I gazed about with sharpened appreciation, I saw colors and lines and contours that would have appeared differently under brilliant light. The rain mists which now crowned the wooded hills and the fresh clearness of the different greens were entrancing. My annoyance at the rain was gone and my eagerness to escape it vanished. It had provided me with a new view and helped me understand that the sources of beauty and satisfaction may be found close at hand within the range of one's own sensibilities.

It made me think about other matters to which this incident was related. It helped me realize that there is no sense in my attempting ever to flee from circumstances and conditions which cannot be avoided but which I might bravely meet and frequently mend and often turn to good account. I know that half the battle is won if I can face trouble with courage, disappointment with spirit, and triumph with humility. It has become ever clearer to me that danger is far from disaster, that defeat may be the forerunner of final victory.

很多年以前，我骑着自行车穿过某个风景如画的小乡村。霎时间，天空中乌云密布，大雨倾盆，但是说来也怪，我前面几百码的地方却是阳光明媚。我卯足力气尽量骑得快一些，但是我发现无论如何也到不了那片晴空之下。乌云和雨水前进的速度比我还快，半小时后，我意识到根本不可能到达面前那片晴朗之地，才停下了这场让我精疲力竭的不平等的竞赛。

我顿时明白，我用尽力气毫无意义地匆忙赶路，却不曾欣赏途中的景致，忘记了自己旅行的目的，这完全是在浪费自己的力气。暴风雨不会一直下个不停，其所带来的不适也并非难以忍受。其实，沿途有很多值得欣赏的风景，而我险些错过了。当我以敏锐的目光去欣赏它们时，发现各种色彩、线条和轮廓看上去都和阳光下看到的不一样。萦绕在树木繁茂的大山之巅的迷雾，还有不同绿植呈现出来的清新明亮，都是如此令人心醉神迷。我对大雨的厌烦情绪不复存在，想要逃离它的渴望也顿时消失不见。大雨为我提供了一种全新的视野，使我明白只要我们用心去感知，我们所寻求的美和满足感或许触手可及。

此次经历让我开始思考其他类似的事情。它让我意识到，对于那些根本无法避开的种种状况和情形，总是企图逃避实际上毫无意义，而如果我能够勇敢地面对它们，并经常加以改善，则往往会产生好的结果。我知道，如果我能够在面对困境时保持勇敢，在遭遇沮丧时保持乐观，在取得胜利时保持谦逊，那么我就已经成功了一半。这次经历还让我更加清楚地意识到，危险远非灾难，失败却可能是终极胜利的预兆。

巧记词汇

exceedingly [ɪkˈsiːdɪŋli] ad. 非常，极其

【拓】extremely [ɪkˈstriːmli] ad. 极其

picturesque [ˌpɪktʃəˈresk] a. 风景如画的

【拓】beautiful [ˈbjuːtɪfl] a. 美丽的

overhead [ˌəʊvəˈhed] ad. 在头顶上方

【拓】overhear [ˌəʊvəˈhɪə(r)] v. 偶然听到

pedal [ˈpedl] v. 踩踏板，骑车

【拓】ride [raɪd] v. 骑；乘

unendurable [ˌʌnɪnˈdjʊərəbl] a. 无法忍受的

【拓】endurable [ɪnˈdjʊərəbl] a. 能忍受的

contour [ˈkɒntʊə(r)] n. 轮廓

【拓】outline [ˈaʊtlaɪn] n. 轮廓

entrancing [ɪnˈtrɑːnsɪŋ] a. 迷人的

【拓】charming [ˈtʃɑːmɪŋ] a. 迷人的

annoyance [əˈnɔɪəns] n. 气恼

【拓】annoy [əˈnɔɪ] v. 使恼怒

humility [hjuːˈmɪləti] n. 谦逊

【拓】humble [ˈhʌmbl] a. 谦逊的

forerunner [ˈfɔːrʌnə(r)] n. 预兆

【拓】forecast [ˈfɔːkɑːst] n. 预报

趣学短语

for the sake of 为了；为了……的利益

【例】We should work together for the sake of freedom and peace. 为了自由与和平，我们应该一起努力。