第8章 站在青春的起点，抬头仰望
From the Beginning of Youth
Leave yesterday to history and resolve to begin fresh each new day daring to make dreams become a reality.
将昨日留给历史，满怀信心地迎接每个新日子的到来，努力将梦想变为现实。
起点
The Beginning
◎ Deng M.T.
In the beginning,all things are hopeful.We prepare ourselves to start a new.Though we may be intent on the magnificent journey ahead,all things are contained in the first moment:our optimism,our faith,our resolution,our innocence.
In order to start,we must make a decision.The decision is a commitment to daily self-cultivation.We must make a strong connection to our inner selves.Outside matters are superfluous[1].Alone and naked,we negotiate all of life's travails.Therefore,we alone must make something of ourselves,transforming ourselves into the instruments for experiencing the deepest spiritual essence of life.
Once we make our decision,all things will come to us.Auspicious[2] signs are not a superstition,but a confirmation.They are a response.It is said that if one chooses to pray to a rock with enough devotion,even that rock will come alive.In the same way,once we choose to commit ourselves to spiritual practice,even the mountains and valleys will reverberate[3] to the sound of our decision.
美丽语录
It's time to start living the life you've imagined.
是时候开始过自己想要的生活了。
在起点，所有的一切都充满希望。我们准备重新开始。虽然我们的目的是前方奇妙的旅程，但我们的一切希望——乐观、信念、决心和纯真，都包含在开始的那一刻。
为了开始，我们必须做好决定。这一决定是我们日常自我修养的一种承诺。我们要将它与自己的内心建立一种密切的关联。除此之外的事都是多余的。我们终生劳碌，最终孤独而赤裸地离去。因此，我们必须有所作为，那样可以引导我们去体会生活中最深层的精神实质。
一旦我们下定决心，所有的事情就会接连不断地发生。吉兆并非迷信，而是对事情的肯定预测，是事物的反应。据说，若有人虔诚地向岩石祈祷，岩石都会被赋予生命。同样，若我们坚定自己的精神之旅，即使高山和峡谷也会回应我们坚定的呼声。
注释
[1]superfluous[sju:'pə:fluəs] a.过剩的；多余的，不必要的
[2]auspicious[ɔ:'spiʃəs] a.吉兆的，吉利的；兴盛的，幸运的
[3]reverberate[ri'və:bəreit] v.（使）回响，（使）反射
青春物语
Man's Youth
◎ Thomas Wolfe
Man's youth is a wonderful thing:it is so full of anguish[1] and of magic and he never comes to know it is,until it has gone from him forever.It is the thing he can't bear to lose,it is the thing whose passing he watches with infinite sorrow and regret,it is the thing whose loss he must lament forever,and it is the thing whose loss he really welcomes with a sad and secret joy,the thing he would never willingly relive again,if it could be restored to him by any magic.
Why is this?The reason is that the strange and bitter miracle of life is nowhere else so evident as in our youth.And what is the essence of that strange and bitter miracle of life which we feel so poignantly[2],so unutterably,with such a bitter pain and joy,when we are young?It is this:that being rich,we are so poor;that being mighty,we can yet have nothing;that seeing,breathing,smelling,tasting all around us the wealth and glory of this earth,feeling with an intolerable certitude that the whole structure of the enchanted life—the most fortunate,wealthy,good,and happy life that any man has ever known—is ours—is ours at once,immediately and forever,the moment that we choose to take a step,or stretch a hand—we yet know that we can really keep,hold,take,and possess forever—nothing.All passes;nothing lasts:the moment that we put our hand upon it,it melts away like smoke,is gone forever,and the snake is eating at our heart again;we see then what we are and what our lives must come to.
A young man is so strong,so mad,so certain,and so lost.He has everything and he is able to use nothing.He hurls the great shoulder of his strength forever against phantasmal[3] barriers,he is a wave whose power explodes in lost mid-oceans under timeless skies,he reaches out to grip a fume of painted smoke;he wants all,feels the thirst and power for everything,and finally gets nothing.In the end,he is destroyed by his own strength,devoured by his own hunger,impoverished by his own wealth.Thoughtless of money or the accumulation of material possessions,he is none the less defeated in the end by his own greed.
And that is the reason why,when youth is gone,every man will look back upon that period of his life with infinite sorrow and regret.It is the bitter sorrow and regret of a man who knows that once he had a great talent and wasted it,of a man who knows that once he had a great treasure and got nothing from it,of a man who knows that he had strength enough for everything and never used it.
美丽语录
After all your pains and tears,look at the rainbow of your life.It's totally worth it.
所有的伤痛、眼泪过后，看看生命中的彩虹，一切的一切都是那么的值得。
人的青春奇妙无穷，充满痛楚，充满魔力。青春年少时不知青春为何物，无奈青春一去不复返时才恍然醒悟：青春是谁也不愿失去的东西；眼睁睁看着青春流逝，无限的感伤和遗憾涌上心头；青春的流逝是人们心中永远的痛；青春的流逝让人们或大悲或窃喜；即便魔力可以还以青春，人们也不愿再次经历那些流逝的青春岁月。
为何如此呢？因为青春时代的生活充满了奇特的、心酸的、不平凡的事。青春年少的我们怀着或悲或喜的心情，强烈而又不可名状地体味着那些生活的奇特辛酸史时，我们可曾想过它的本质？它的本质就是：我们富足殷实，却无比贫穷；我们力大无穷，却一无所有；世间的富贵荣华比比皆是，看到，闻到，尝到，甚至可以呼吸到。那份坚信再也无法隐藏了，真真切切感受到整个生活都已陶醉……只要我们向前迈步，努力奋斗，那么人类所知道的最幸运、最富有、最美好、最幸福的生活便立刻属于我们了，而且将永远属于我们，虽然我们知道，其实我们留不住、抓不着、拿不走也无法占有什么。一切就如过眼云烟，转瞬即逝。我们一伸手，它便像云烟般消失不见了。于是，痛苦再一次啃噬我们的心，我们看到了自己的真面目，明白了未来的生活将何去何从。
青年人非常强壮、狂热、自信，却很容易迷失茫然；他拥有一切，却又无法把握；他身强体壮，想要冲破虚幻的障碍，却像海浪般无力地消失在无边无际的大海中央；他伸出双手想要抓住色彩斑斓的云烟，他想得到一切，渴望主宰一切，可到头来依旧两手空空，一无所获；最后，他被自己的力量打败，被自己的饥饿吞噬，因自己的财富而穷困。他对金钱和财富的积累不以为意，最终必将因为贪念而毁。
这就是为什么当青春消逝，回首过往时，每个人的心中总会充满无限的忧伤和遗憾。曾经杰出的才能，却白白浪费了；曾经殷实的财富，却被挥霍一空；曾经满身的本领，却未好好利用——一个明白了这些道理的人，回忆起青春时代，总会充满忧伤和懊悔。
注释
[1]anguish[ˈæŋgwiʃ] n.极度的痛苦；苦恼
[2]poignantly['pɔignəntli] ad.令人辛酸地；强烈地；尖刻地
[3]phantasmal[fæn'tæzməl] a.幻影的；幽灵的；空想的
年轻人
Youth
◎ Aristotle
To begin with the Youthful type of character.Young men have strong passions,and tend to gratify them indiscriminately[1].They are changeable and fickle in their desires,which are violent while they last,but quickly over:their impulses are keen but not deep-rooted,and are like sick people's attacks of hunger and thirst.They are hot-tempered,and quick-tempered,and apt to give way to their anger;bad temper often gets the better of them,for owing to their love of honour they cannot bear being slighted,and are indignant if they imagine themselves unfairly treated.While they love honour,they love victory still more;for youth is eager for superiority over others,and victory is one form of this.They love both more than they love money,which indeed they love very little,not having yet learnt what it means to be without it—this is the point of Pittancus,remark about Amphiaraus.They look at the good side rather than the bad,not having yet witnessed many instances of wickedness.They trust others readily,because they have not yet often been cheated.
They are sanguine[2]；nature warms their blood as though with excess of wine;and besides that,they have as yet met with few disappointments.Their lives are mainly spent not in memory but in expectation;for expectation refers to the future,memory to the past,and youth has a long future before it and a short past behind it:on the first day of one's life one has nothing at all to remember,and can only look forward.
They are easily cheated,owing to the sanguine disposition just mentioned.Their hot tempers and hopeful dispositions make them more courageous than older men are;the hot temper prevents fear,and the hopeful disposition creates confidence;we cannot feel tear so long as we are feeling angry,and any expectation of good makes us confident.
They are shy,accepting the rules of society in which they have been trained,and not yet believing in any other standard of honor.They have exalted notions,because they have not yet been humbled by life or learnt its necessary limitations;moreover,their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things and that means having exalted notions.They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones:their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning;and whereas reasoning leads us to choose what is useful,moral goodness leads us to choose what is noble.
They are fonder of their friends,intimates,and companions than older men are,because they like spending their days in the company of others,and have not yet come to value either their friends or anything else by their usefulness to themselves.All their mistakes are in the direction of doing things excessively and vehemently[3].They disobey Chilon's precept by overdoing everything,they love too much and hate too much,and the same thing with everything else.They think they know everything,and are always quite sure about it;this,in fact,is why they overdo everything ...They are ready to pity others,because they think everyone an honest man,or anyhow better than he is:they judge their neighbor by their own harmless natures,and so cannot think he deserves to be treated in that way.They are fond of fun and therefore witty,wit being well-bred insolence.
美丽语录
Something that we used to think would last forever in our lives,had actually vanished in a second before we realized it ...This is youth.
我们总以为生命中有些东西永远不会消失，可它总是在我们意识到之前便转瞬即逝了……这就是青春。
首先讨论一下年轻人的性格特征。年轻人激情似火，而且经常不假思索就予以满足。他们的愿望变化莫测、反复无常，来时强烈无比，去时转瞬即逝。他们极易冲动，但并非根深蒂固，就像病人遭到饥渴的侵袭一样。他们热情似火、性情暴躁，常常管不住自己的脾气。他们珍惜荣誉，他们无法忍受被人忽视，因此，一旦发现自己遭遇不公平的对待，便会义愤填膺。他们珍惜荣誉，但他们更爱胜利。因为年轻人总喜欢胜人一筹，而胜利就是一种绝好的表现方式。他们钟爱荣誉和胜利要多过金钱，他们之所以不在意金钱，是因为他们还未明白缺少金钱意味着什么——庇塔喀斯就是这样评论安菲阿劳斯的。他们未曾亲眼目睹过多少邪恶之事，所以他们总是看到事物好的一面，而非不好的那一面。他们全心全意相信别人，只因为他们很少上当受骗。
他们面色红润，大自然好像用了过多的葡萄酒来温暖他们的血液；除此之外，他们没有遇过多少挫折。他们总是在期盼中度日，而不是在回忆中缅怀；因为期盼意味着未来，而回忆意味着过去。未来还有很长的日子等着年轻人，过去的岁月只是微小的一部分。一个人来到世上的第一天，他没有什么能回忆的事情，他能做的只有期盼未来。
他们容易上当受骗，只因上面提到的精力旺盛的脾性。火一般的热情、满怀希望的天性让他们比老年人更有胆量。如火的热情让他们不知恐惧，希望的天性让他们自信满满。我们感到愤怒的时候，便全然不知泪水，而对美好事物的憧憬又让我们充满自信。
他们是害羞的，顺其自然地遵守社会惯例，却不相信任何荣誉标准。他们有着崇高的理想，因为生活还未教会他们如何谦卑，如何理解那些必要的束缚。再者，他们满怀希望的天性，让他们以为自己和日月无异——这就是他们所谓的崇高理想。他们宁可做一些高尚之事，也不做有用之事。他们的生活多由道德感观操控，而非理智。尽管理智指引我们去做有用之事，道德品质则指引我们去做高尚之事。
和老年人相比，他们更喜欢自己的朋友、密友和伙伴，因为有人相伴的日子才是他们的最爱，而且不论是朋友或是其他东西，都不以其实用性作为价值的判断标准。他们所犯的错，都是因为做事过度或者过猛。他们不遵守齐隆法则，凡事做得太过头，他们不是爱得太深，就是恨得太多，做其他事也是如此。他们总觉得自己无所不知，而且自信满满。实际上，这就是他们行事过头的症结所在……他们随时准备着同情别人，因为他们觉得每个人都是诚实的，或者要比自己的为人好——他们用自己的善良本性来判断邻里，总觉得自己不该得到这样的对待。他们喜欢玩乐，因而非常机智幽默——这就是一种低调的傲慢。
注释
[1]indiscriminately[indi'skrimənitli] ad.不加选择地；随意地
[2]sanguine['sæŋgwin] a.乐观的；血色好的，红润的
[3]vehemently['vi:iməntli] ad.激烈地，强烈地；热切地
在探索中成长
Growing in the Middle Ground
◎ Anne Phipps
I believe that my beliefs are changing.Nothing is positive.Perhaps I am in a stage of metamorphosis which will one day have me emerging complete,sure of everything.Perhaps I shall spend my life searching.
Until this winter,I believed in outward[1] things,in beauty as I found it in nature and art.Beauty passed,swift and sure,from the outside to the inside,bringing intense emotion.I felt a formless faith when I rode through summer woods,when I heard the counterpoint of breaking waves,when I held a flower in my hand.There was the same inspiration from art—here and there,in flashes—in seeing for the first time the delicacy of a white jade vase,or the rich beauty of a rug,in hearing a passage of music played almost perfectly,in watching Markova dance Giselle,most of all in reading.Other people's consciousness,their sensitivity to emotion,color,sound,their feeling for form,instructed me.The necessity for beauty I found to be the highest good,the human soul's greatest gift.It was not,I felt,all.
This winter I came to college.The questions put to me changed.Lists of facts and “who dragged whom how many times around the walls of what” lost importance.Instead I was asked eternal questions:What is Beauty?What is Truth?What is God?I talked about faith with other students.I read St.Augustine and Tolstoy.I wondered if I hadn't been worshiping[2] around the edges.Nature and art were the edges,an inner faith was the center.I discovered,really discovered,that I had a soul.Just sitting in the sun one day,I realized the shattering meaning of St.Augustine's statement that the sun and the moon,all the wonders of nature,are not God's “first works”,but second to the spiritual works.
I had,up till then,perceived spiritual beauty,only through the outward;it had come into me.Now,I am groping[3] towards an inner spiritual consciousness that will be able to go out from me.I am lost in the middle ground;I am learning.
美丽语录
Life is not always what we want it to be.We fight.We cry.And sometimes,we give up.But in our hearts,we know it's still love.
生活有时不尽如人意。我们挣扎、哭泣，有时甚至放弃。但内心要始终充满爱。
我坚信自己的信仰一直在改变。凡事无绝对。或许，我还在发育阶段，总有一天我会发育完全，从而坚信一切。或许，我将要用一生的时间去探寻。
这个冬季以前，我信仰外界的事物，相信从大自然和艺术中发现的美。可美总是转瞬即逝，留下的只是无尽感伤。当我骑马穿过夏日的丛林，当我侧耳倾听浪花翻滚的声音，当我手持一朵鲜花时，我就能感觉到一种无形的信念。艺术也能带来同样的灵感，它无所不在，稍纵即逝——就像我第一次看见一个精美的白玉花瓶或一块华丽的地毯，听到一段演奏得近乎完美的音乐，看到马尔科娃在《吉赛尔》中的优美舞姿，我都能感觉到这种灵感。然而，这种灵感绝大部分源自阅读。他人的思想，他们对于情感、颜色、声音的敏感，以及对形式的感知，都能给我以启迪。我发现，对美的需求是人类最崇高的举动，是人类灵魂最伟大的天赋。可我觉得，它并非一切。
今年冬天，我上大学了。我所面临的问题也改变了。很多事实和那些“多少次谁拉着谁围绕着哪面墙徘徊”早已不再重要。相反，一些永恒的问题开始困扰着我：什么是美？什么是真理？什么是上帝？我曾和其他学生讨论过信仰的问题。我读过圣·奥古斯丁与托尔斯泰的著作。我想知道，自己是否一直徘徊在信仰的边缘。自然和艺术都是边缘，内心的信仰才是核心。我发现了，真的发现了，自己拥有一个灵魂。有一天，当我坐在阳光下时，我终于明白了圣·奥古斯丁说过的那句话：太阳和月亮，所有自然界的奇迹，都不是上帝的“初作”，而是精神上的二次创造。
直到那一刻，我才能看透外界事物，欣赏到精神上的美。那种美已然住进我心里。现在，我正在通往内心精神世界的道路上摸索前行着。我迷失在探索之中。我正在学习。
注释
[1]outward['autwəd] a.外表的，表面的；外界的
[2]worshiping['wə:ʃipɪŋ] v.崇拜（worship的现在分词）；做礼拜；热爱；爱慕
[3]groping[grəupɪŋ] v.探索，探求（grope的现在分词）
面对人生的十字路口
The Fork in the Road
◎ Florence Scovel Shinn
Every day there is a necessity of choice （a fork in the road）.“Shall I do this,or shall I do that?Shall I go,or shall I stay?” Many people do not know what to do.They rush about letting other people make decisions for them,then regret having taken their advice.
There are others who carefully reason things out.They weigh and measure the situation like dealing in groceries[1],and are surprised when they fail to obtain their goal.
There are still other people who follow the magic path of intuition and find themselves in their Promised Land in the twinkling of an eye.
Intuition is a spiritual faculty high above the reasoning mind,but on the path is all that you desire or require.So choose ye this day to follow the magic path of intuition.
In most people it is a faculty which has remained dormant.So we say,“Awake though that sleeps.Wake up to your leads and hunches[2]!”
Now it is necessary for you to make a decision,you face a fork in the road.Ask for a definite unmistakable lead,and you will receive it.
So we find we have success through being strong and very courageous in following spiritual law.
A well-known man,who has become a great power in the financial world,said to a friend,“I always follow intuition and I am luck incarnate.”
Inspirations are the most important thing in life.People come to truth meetings for inspiration.I find the right word will start divine[3] activity operating in their affairs.
In every act prompted by fear lies the germ of its own defeat.
美丽语录
Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences.No good is ever done in this world by hesitation.
下定决心，果断行动，并承担后果。在这个世界上，犹豫不决成就不了任何事。
我们每天都要面临不同的选择（面对人生的十字路口）。“是该这样，还是该那样？我是该走还是该留？”许多人都很茫然不知所措，所以他们急着让别人为自己拿主意，接着再为听了他人的意见而后悔。
一些人总是小心翼翼地为未来计划着。他们就像经营杂货店那样经营着自己的未来。可是，当他们无法达到自己的目标时，往往又会惊叹不已。
还有一些人会跟着直觉走，发现自己转眼之间就到了梦想中的天堂。
直觉，是一种高于理性思想的本能。然而，只有当你充满强烈欲望或迫切需求时，这种本能才会显现出来。所以，相信你的直觉，跟着感觉走吧！
但是，大多数人身上的这种本能都还未被唤醒。所以，我们要说：“唤醒沉睡的直觉吧，唤醒心中的巨人吧！”
现在，你必须做出选择，你面对着人生的十字路口。向你的直觉索要一个确定答案吧！然后，勇敢地接受它！
于是我们发现，成功路上有了直觉相伴，我们变得更加强大，更加勇敢了。
一位金融界的知名成功人士对他的朋友说：“我一直跟着感觉走，我是一个幸运儿。”
灵感是人的一生中最重要的东西。人们往往会产生灵感。有了灵感，人们在工作时就能如鱼得水，得心应手了。
无论何时，都不要惧怕，因为它会在你心底生根发芽。
注释
[1]groceries['grəusəriz] n.杂货店（grocery的名词复数）
[2]hunches[hʌntʃiz] n.直觉，预感（hunch的名词复数）
[3]divine[di'vain] a.天赐的；神圣的；非凡的，天才的
生活的不确定性
The Uncertainty Principle
◎ Adam Khan
Two sailors ran into each other in a pub.Over a few beers,one of the men told the other about his last voyage:“After a month at sea,” he said,“we discovered our masts had been eaten through by termites!Almost nothing left of them.”
“That's terrible,” said the second sailor.
“That's what I thought at first too,” the first sailor said,“but it turned out to be good luck.As soon as we took the sails down to fix the masts,we were hit by a squall so suddenly and so hard,it would surely have blown us over if our sails were up at the time.”
“How lucky!”
“That's exactly what I thought at the time,too.But because our sails were down,we couldn't steer ourselves,and because of the wind,we were blown onto a reef.The hole in the hull was too big to fix.We were stranded.”
“That is bad luck indeed.”
“That's what I thought,too,when it first happened.But we all made it to the beach alive and had plenty to eat.But now here's the real kicker:while we were on the island whining about our terrible fate,we discovered a buried treasure!”
As this story illustrates,you don't know if an event is “good” or “bad” except maybe in retrospect,and even then you don't really know because life keeps going.The story's not over yet.Just because something hasn't turned out to be an advantage yet doesn't mean it is not ever going to.
Therefore,you can simply assume whatever happens is “good”.
I know that sounds awfully airy-fairy,but it's very practical.If you think an event is good,it's easy to maintain a positive attitude.And your attitude affects your health,it affects the way people treat you and how you treat others,and it affects your energy level.And those can help pave the way for things to turn out well.A good attitude is a good thing.And a bad attitude does you no good at all.
So get in the habit of saying “That's good!” Since you don't know for sure whether something will eventually work to your advantage or not,you might as well assume it will.It is counterproductive to assume otherwise.Think about it.
If someone ahead of you in line at a store is slowing everything down,say to yourself,“That's good!” They may have saved you from getting into an accident when you get back in your car.Or maybe,because you slowed down,you might meet a friend you would have missed.You never know.
The truth is,life is uncertain.And even that can work to your advantage.
名人语库
We must accept finite disappointment,but we must never lose infinite hope.
～Martin Luther King
我们必须接受失望，因为它是有限的；但千万不可失去希望，因为它是无穷的。
——马丁·路德·金
两名水手在一间酒吧里偶遇对方。几瓶啤酒下肚后，其中一个人向另一个说起了他的最后一次航行：“在海上的一个月后，”他说，“我们发现我们的桅杆都被白蚁啃透了！它们几乎啃得一干二净，什么都没有留下。”
“这真是太可怕了。”另一个水手说。
“我最开始也是这么想的，”第一个水手说，“但它原来却是幸运的事儿呢。正当我们把帆拿下来，准备修复桅杆时，突然遭受到一股强劲的阵风，如果我们的帆当时还挂在上面的话，它肯定会将我们都吹走的。”
“多么幸运啊！”
“我当时也是这么想的。但因为我们的帆都取下来了，我们不能引导自己的方向，而且因为这阵大风，我们都被吹到了礁石上。船体上的洞太大而无法修复。所以我们被困住了。”
“那还是运气不好。”
“那时我也是这么想的。但我们到海滩上的所有人都活着，还有足够的东西吃。而这里才是真正棒的地方：当我们在岛上抱怨命运的可怕时，我们却发现了埋藏的宝藏！”
这个故事说明，一个事件是“好事”还是“坏事”你并不知道，也许只有在回想起来时才明白；因为生活总会继续下去，所以你根本无从得知它的好坏。这个故事还没有结束。因为有些事情还没有被证明是好事，但这并不意味着它永远都不是好事。
因此，你可以简单地假设，无论发生什么，它都是“好事”。
我知道这听起来像是空谈，但它的确很奏效。如果你认为一件事是好事，你就很容易保持积极的态度。你的态度会影响你的健康，会影响人们对你的方式以及你对待他人的方式，它会影响你的能量高度。那些能帮你铺平道路，让事情变好。一个好态度是件好事。糟糕的态度对你毫无益处。
所以，养成说“那很好”的习惯。既然你不确定某件事是否最终会对你有利，你不妨假设它会。否则的话，它会适得其反。想一想。
如果商店里排在你前面的人慢下来时，对自己说：“那很好！”他们可能因此在你返回车里时救你脱离一场交通意外。或者，因为你放慢速度，你可能会遇到一个本会错过的朋友。你永远不知道会发生什么。
事实是，生活是不确定的。而且甚至常常充满了好运。
人生如筷
Life as Chopsticks
◎ Steven Porter
Chopsticks.Right now,millions of people are digging into their food with two sticks that have stood the test of time as a utensil for humans,even when countless thousands of other tools,gadgets and products haven't.But what's so special about them?
What can we learn from mere chopsticks?
Personally,I have used them all my life,but it was only recently I realized the depth of influence they had in many people's way of life.They teach us the importance of:
Simplicity.They can come in all kinds of colors and sizes but essentially they are just two long sticks.There's hardly anything more simple than two bits of wood being pushed together.With new technology being released everyday and adverts bombarding us with the need to be able to do more with less,multi-tasking and multiple-use devices,it is sort of refreshing to still have something which has just one use—simply to eat.Chopsticks are a living example that simplicity simply works,and we don't need to keep developing,improving and fixing things all the time.
Versatility.Chopsticks can be used for picking up all kinds of food;meat,vegetable,rice,even the bones from fish,because by nature,their simplicity means that they are adaptable.Instead of aiming for a niche in an attempt to find a “gap in the market”,or to fill a hole that probably doesn't need filling,they cater to a wide range purposes.Imagine being like chopsticks in this way,able to appeal to many people because you are useful,without worrying about being “more innovative” or “better” in anyway.They just do what they are made to do;they just are.
Aim.If you've ever tried using them,you know that you can't get what you want by just haphazardly stabbing at the plate.To be able to get what you want,you have to aim for it.There's no way you can pick up everything in one go.Know what you want,and just do it.Sometimes,a little bit of focus makes the difference between failure and success.
Practice.Using chopsticks doesn't come naturally.You have to learn to use them and practice it.But how will you learn?Should you just read about it?Most would agree that there's no better way to practice than to look at the delicious food in front of you and tell yourself that you can't have any until you can use the chopsticks to get it.In real life,you can read in books as much as you like about all the things you want to do,but it will just amount to dreams and theory if you don't try actually doing it.Don't just watch others eating,put yourself out there and give the chopsticks a go.
Slowing Down.A common health tip is to try to eat with chopsticks when you can.Why?Because it slows you down and allows your stomach to tell your brain you're full before you overeat.Eating with chopsticks is a slower process,but that is not necessarily a bad thing.Sometimes we need to slow down and take things one step at a time,break it down at each stage so that we have time to think,to realize that we're actually full and that we don't have to keep charging full speed through life.
Sometimes it's nice to enjoy each morsel of life as it comes.
名人语库
Habit is habit,and not to be flung out of the window by any man,but coaxed downstairs a step a time.
～Mark Twain
习惯就是习惯，谁也不能将其扔出窗外，只能一步一步地引它下楼。
——马克·吐温
筷子。现如今，当无数的工具、器具和产品都已被时间淘汰时，只有筷子经受住了时间的考验，成千上万的人用它来夹取食物。然而，它究竟有什么特别之处？
从这简单的筷子中，我们可以学到什么？
就我个人而言，我一生都在使用筷子，但直到最近，我才意识到它深深地影响了许多人的生活方式。它教会了我们许多重要的事：
简单。虽然筷子颜色各异，长短不同，但实质上它们就是两根长棍。没有什么比两根靠在一起就能使用的木棍更简单的东西了。在科技日新月异的今天，铺天盖地的广告告诉我们应该使用那些事半功倍的多功能设备，筷子却仍旧保持着单一的用途——只是用来吃饭，这真是让人觉得不同寻常啊。筷子这个活生生的例子说明：简简单单的东西照样能派上用场，我们并不需要总是不断地改善、发展、革新。
多样化。筷子可以用来夹取各种各样的食物，如肉类、蔬菜、米饭，甚至是鱼骨头，因为它们简单的本质就意味着它们的适应性够强。它们能满足各种广泛的要求，而不是只瞄准于弥补某些“市场空白”，或者填充那些可能没必要填充的空洞。想象一下筷子的哲学：有自己的用途且无须担心被“革新”或被“改善”，所以深受人们喜爱。筷子只是做了它应该做的，筷子就是筷子。
目标。如果你曾试过用筷子吃饭，你就知道在餐盘上随意乱戳是夹不到你想要的东西的。你必须瞄准目标。你不可能一次性夹到所有东西。认清你要什么，然后去做。有时，成功与失败的区别就在于那一点点的准确性。
不断实践。没人生来就会使用筷子。你必须学着使用它们并不断练习。然而，你该怎样学呢？仅仅只是阅读说明书吗？绝大多数人都认可，最好的练习方法是盯着你面前的美食，然后告诉自己不用筷子夹到它就没法吃。在我们的现实生活中，你可以从书中阅读到任何你想要做的事情，但是如果你不试着将其付诸实践，它也就仅仅只是梦想和理论。不要只是看着别人吃，自己也要去拿双筷子，自己去试试。
放慢节奏。一个众所周知的健康秘诀就是尽可能使用筷子吃饭。为什么？因为它会让你放慢节奏，在你吃撑之前，你的胃会告诉你的大脑你已经吃饱了。用筷子吃饭是个缓慢的过程，但这未必是一件坏事。有时候，我们需要放慢脚步，凡事要一步一步，在每个阶段停顿一下，这样我们就有时间去思考，意识到我们其实已经饱了，我们不应该总是保持高速度的生活。
有时候，享受生活的一点一滴是很美好的事。
从零开始
We'e Just Beginning
◎ Charles F.Kattering
“We are reading the first verse of the first chapter of a book whose pages are infinite ...”
I do not know who wrote these words,but I have always liked them as a reminder that the future can be anything we want to make it.We can take the mysterious,hazy future and carve out of it anything that we can imagine,just as a sculptor carves a statue from a shapeless stone.
We are all in the position of the farmer.If we plant a good seed,we reap a good harvest.If our seed is poor and full of weeds,we reap a useless crop.If we plant nothing at all,we harvest nothing at all.
I want the future to be better than the past.I don't want it contaminated by the mistakes and errors with which history is filled.We should all be concerned about the future because that is where we will spend the remainder of our lives.
The past is gone and static.Nothing we can do will change it.The future is before us and dynamic.Everything we do will affect it.Each day brings with it new frontiers,in our homes and in our businesses,if we will only recognize them.We are just at the beginning of the progress in every field of human endeavor.
美丽语录
I am not afraid of tomorrow,for I have seen yesterday and love today.
我不害怕明天，因为我经历过昨天，又热爱今天。
“我们正在读一本书的第一章第一行，而这本书有无数页……”
我不知道这句话是谁写的，可我很喜欢。它提醒着我们，未来是由自己创造的，一切皆有可能。我们可以把神秘的、不可知的未来塑造成我们想象中的任何一种样子，就像雕塑家把一尊未成形的石头刻成雕像。
我们就像是农夫。如果我们播下良种，必将获得丰收。然而，如果播下劣种，或田间杂草丛生，我们收获的就是无用的庄稼。没有耕耘就不会有收获。
我希望未来比过去更加美好。我希望未来不再重蹈历史的错误与过失。我们应该专注于未来，因为我们的余生都将在未来中度过。
往昔已逝，静如止水，我们无力改变它。未来就在眼前，生机勃勃，我们所做的一切都会影响它。如果我们意识到这些，无论是工作还是家庭，我们都能开拓一片新天地。在人类致力开拓的每一个领域里，我们正好站在进步的起跑点上。
两条路
The Two Roads
◎ John Ruskin
It was New Year's Night.An aged man was standing at a window.He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky,where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake.Then he cast them on the earth,where few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal—the tomb[1].He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it,and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse.Now his health was poor,his mind vacant,his heart sorrowful,and his old age short of comforts.
He looked towards the sky and cried painfully,“O youth,return!O my father,place me once more at the entrance to life,and I'll choose the better way!” But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.
The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him,and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads—one leading to a peaceful,sunny place,covered with flowers,fruits and resounding with soft,sweet songs;the other leading to a deep,dark cave,which was endless,where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled.
He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness.These were the days of his wasted life;he saw a star fall from the sky and disappeared,and this was the symbol of himself.His remorse,which was like a sharp arrow,struck deeply into his heart.Then he remembered his friends in his childhood,who entered on life together with him.But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this New Year's night.
The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents'early love for him.They had taught him and prayed to God for his good.But he chose the wrong way.With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father live.His darkened eyes were full of tears,and with a despairing[2] effort,he burst out a cry:“Come back,my early days!Come back!” And his youth did return,for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's Night.He was still young though his faults were real;he had not yet entered the deep,dark cave,and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.
Those who still linger[3] on the entrance of life,hesitating to choose the bright road,remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains,you will cry bitterly,but in vain:“O youth,return!Oh give me back my early days!”
美丽语录
Life's greatest regret,than the wrong insist,and easily give up.
人生最大的遗憾，莫过于错误的坚持和轻易的放弃。
那是一个新年夜。一位老人站在窗前，他那忧伤的双眼眺望着深远蔚蓝的天空。繁星就像是漂浮在平静、清澈湖面上的朵朵白百合。接着他的目光投向地面，此刻，没有人比他更绝望，因为他正一步步迈向自己的最终归宿——坟墓。他已经走过通向坟墓的六十级台阶，除了过错和悔恨，他什么都没有得到。如今，他体弱多病，精神空虚，心情沮丧，人到晚年无所慰藉。
他仰望星空，痛苦地大声喊道：“噢，回来吧，青春！噢，父亲，请再次把我带到人生的岔路口吧！我会选择一条更好的道路！”然而，他的父亲和他的青春一起消逝不见了。
青春的日子如梦一般出现在他眼前。老人想起了父亲将他带到人生岔路口的庄严时刻——一条路通往宁静的、阳光明媚的世界，那里满是鲜花和水果，还有甜美轻柔的歌声回荡在空中；另一条路通往一个深沉、黑暗、看不到尽头的洞穴，那里流淌着的不是水，而是毒液，毒蛇一边爬，一边发出嘶嘶声。
他看见黑暗中掠过缕缕亮光，就像是自己挥霍掉的往昔。他看见一颗星星从天边陨落，消失不见，那就是他的化身。他的悔恨，就像一把利箭，深深地刺进他的心脏。于是，他想起了和自己一同迈入人生的儿时好友。可是，他们找到了通往成功的道路。在这个新年夜，他们备受尊敬，幸福无比。
高高的教堂钟楼上传来了钟声，这声音让他回想起父母早年对他的疼爱。他们教育他，祈求上帝保佑他。可是，他选择了一条错误的路。羞愧和悲伤让他不敢仰望父亲所在的天堂。他那双黯淡的眼睛噙满了泪水，他绝望地嘶喊道：“回来吧！我的往昔！回来吧！”
他的青春真的回来了，所有的这一切只是一个梦，一个在新年夜所做的梦。他依旧年轻，虽然他犯的错是真实存在的；他也没有走进那个深幽、黑暗的洞穴；他依旧可以自由行走在那条通往宁静的、阳光明媚的世界的道路上。
那些仍旧徘徊在人生岔路口，犹豫着该不该选择光明之路的人们，请你们记住，当青春不再，你的双脚跌绊在黑暗的山间时，你会痛苦地呼喊着：“噢，青春，回来吧！把我的往昔还给我！”但这一切已是徒然。
注释
[1]tomb[tu:m] n.墓；葬身之地；死亡
[2]despairing[di'spɛəriŋ] a.感到绝望的；表现绝望的
[3]linger['liŋgə] v.徘徊；缓慢消失；磨蹭；苟延残喘
有感于青春常在
On the Feeling of Immortality in Youth
◎ William Hazilitt
No young man believes he will ever die.It was a saying of my brother's,and a fine one.
There is a feeling of eternity in youth,which makes us amend for everything.
To be young is to be as one of the immortal Gods.
One half of time indeed is flown—the other half remains in store for us with all its countless treasures,for there is no line drawn,and we see no limit to our hopes and wishes.
We make the coming age our own—the vast,the unbounded[1] prospect lies before us.
Death,old age is words without a meaning that pass by us like the idea air which we regard not.
Others may have undergone,or may still be liable to them—we “bear a charmed life”,which laughs to scorn all such sickly fancies.As in setting out
Don't let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present.on delightful journey,we strain our eager gaze forward—bidding the lovely scenes at distance hail!
And see no end to the landscape,new objects presenting themselves as we advance.
So,in the commencement of life,we set no bounds to our inclinations,nor to the unrestricted opportunities of gratifying them.
We have as yet found no obstacle,no disposition to flag;and it seems that we can go on so forever.
We look round in a new world,full of life,and motion,and ceaseless progress;and feel in ourselves all the vigor and spirit to keep pace with it,and do not foresee from any present symptoms how we shall be left behind in the natural course of things,decline into old age,and drop into the grave.
It is the simplicity,and as it were abstractedness of our feelings in youth,that identifies us with nature,and deludes us into a belief of being immortal like it.
Our short lives connexion with existence we fondly flatter ourselves is an indissoluble and lasting union—a honeymoon that knows neither coldness,jar,nor separation.
As infants smile and sleep,we are rocked in the cradle of our wayward fancies,and lulled into security by the roar of the universe around us—we quaff[2] the cup of life with eager haste without draining it,instead of which it only overflows the more objects press around us,filling the mind with their magnitude and with the strong of desires that wait upon them,so that we have no room for the thoughts of death.
美丽语录
别让过去的悲催和未来的忧虑，毁掉自己当下的快乐。
年轻人不相信自己会死。这是我哥哥说的一句话，也算得上一句金玉良言。
青春有种永生之感，它能弥补一切。
永葆年轻就像是成为一尊不朽的神明。
诚然，生命的一半已然消逝——而保留下的另一半将给我们带来无尽的财富，对此我们怀着无限的希望和企盼。
未来的日子掌握在我们自己手中——眼前展现一片无限辽阔的前景。
死亡，衰老，这些毫无意义的字眼，我们只当耳旁风那样听过便忘了。
这一切，也许其他人早已经历，抑或正在承受——我们的生活备受祝福，所以面对这些脆弱的想法，只须一笑置之。就像踏上一段愉快的旅程，我们极目远眺——向着远处的美景欢呼。
前进的路上，看见的是无限的山水美景和不断涌现的新目标。
因此，生命伊始，让我们的志趣自由驰骋，自由寻求一切满足的机会。
然而，我们未曾碰上障碍，也未曾感到疲惫。看样子我们可以永远前进，直到永远。
我们环视这个崭新的世界——生机盎然、日新月异、进取不断。我们深感自己活力四射、精神奕奕，可以跟上宇宙的脚步。眼前也没有迹象表明，在大自然的发展过程中，我们会落伍，会老去，会死去。
年轻时单纯率真，也就是天真无知，让我们误以为自己与大自然无异，并相信自己能和它一样永恒不朽。
我们一相情愿地把自己在世上的短暂停留当作永恒不变、千古永存的结合——就像没有冷淡、争执和离别的蜜月。
我们就躺在自己用幻想编织而成的摇篮里，像婴儿那般微笑入睡。世间万物发出的声音就像是催眠曲般哄着我们安然入眠。我们渴望地、急切地饮着生命之杯里的美酒，可杯中的美酒怎么也喝不干，反而永远那样满满欲溢。森罗万象和种种欲望占据了一切，就连死亡我们都无暇去想。
注释
[1]unbounded[ʌn'baundid] a.无限的；无节制的；不受控制的
[2]quaff[kwɑ:f] v.狂饮，痛饮
人生处处是转角
Always Changing
◎ Anonymous
Please excuse me if I'm a little pensive today.
Mark is leaving,and I'm feeling kind of sad.
You probably don't know Mark,but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him.He's been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of year combining exemplary[1] professional skills with a sweet nature and gentle disposition.He's never been all that interested in getting credit for the terrific work he does.He just wants to do his job,and to do it superbly[2] well.
And now he's moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity.It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime,and we're genuinely,sincerely pleased for him.But that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague.
Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us.Just when we start to get comfortable with a person,a place or a situation,something comes along to alter the recipe.A terrific neighbor moves away.Someone in the family graduates.A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage.The family's principle bread-winner[3] is laid off.
Our ability to cope with change and disruption determine to a great degree,our peace,happiness and contentment in life.
But how do we do that?Philosophers have considered the question for centuries and their responses have been varied.According to the author of the Biblical book of Ecclesiaste,comfort can be found in remembering that “to every thing there is a season,and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Kahlil Gibran urged his listeners to “let today embrace the past with remembrance,and the future with longing”.
A friend of mine who works for the government is fond of reminding his fellow bureaucrats that “survivabi-lity depends upon adaptability”.And then there's Chris,the California surf-rat,who once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words:“Go with the flow”.
“It's like surfing,” Chris explained.“You can't organize the ocean.Waves just happen.You ride 'em where they take you,then you paddle back out there and catch the next one.Sure,you're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get,like,you know,totally tubular.But mostly you just take ’em the way they come.It's not like you're trying to nail Jell-O to a tree,you know?”
I'm not exactly sure,but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events—both good and bad.No matter how deft[4] your organizational skill there will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control.The truly successful person expects the unexpected,and is prepared to make adjustments should the need arise—as it almost always does.
That doesn't mean you don't keep trying to make all your dreams come true.It just means that when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan,you work around them—and then you move on.Of course,some bumps along the road of life are easier to take than others.A rained-out picnic,for example,is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one.But the principle is the same.
“Change,indeed,is painful,yet ever needful,” said philosopher Thomas Carlyle.“And if memory have its force and worth,so also has hope.”
We're going to miss Mark,just like you'll miss that graduate,that neighbor or that newlywed[5].But rather than dwell on the sadness of our parting,we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future—for him,and for us.And then we'll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen.
Until our plans change—again.
名人语库
Growth and change are the law of all life.Yesterday's answers are inadequate for today's problems—just as the solutions of today will not fill the needs of tomorrow.
～Franklin Roosevelt
生长与变化是一切生命的法则。昨日的答案不适用于今日的问题——正如今天的方法不能解决明天的需求。
——富兰克林·罗斯福
如果我今天有点忧郁，请原谅我。
马克要走了，我感到有些难过。
你可能不认识马克，但如果你认识像他那样的人，你可就走运了。好几年来，他都是办公室里的核心和灵魂人物，专业技能堪称模范，态度和蔼，性格温和。他的工作表现十分出色，却对于争风邀功从无兴趣。他只想做他的工作，并能出色地完成。
而现在，他要向一份令人振奋的新职迈进。这听起来就像一个千载难逢的机会，我们也真心诚挚地替他高兴。但是，那并没使我们跟这样一位亲爱的朋友、信任的同事告别来得容易些。
生活用它的方式不断向我们抛出曲线球。当我们刚开始与某人融洽相处，或是适应一个地方或一种情境时，某事就发生了，并改变了这种境况。很棒的邻居要搬家了。某个家庭成员要毕业了。孩子们找到新欢，通过婚姻找到忠诚。家庭的支柱失业了。
我们应付变化和混乱的能力，在很大程度上决定了我们生活的安宁、幸福和满意度。
但我们应该怎么做？哲学家们已经思考这个问题好几个世纪了，而他们的回答各有不同。根据《圣经·旧约全书·传道书》的作者，人们可以通过记住“大千世界，万物皆有时”来获得安慰。而卡里·纪伯伦也曾敦促他的听众去“让今日用记忆拥抱过去，用渴望拥抱未来”。
我一个在政府工作的朋友喜欢提醒他那帮官僚同事“生存取决于适应性”。还有克里斯，加利福尼亚州的一位冲浪爱好者，他曾告诉我说，生活中所有问题的答案都可以总结为四个字——“顺其自然”。
“就像冲浪，”克里斯解释道，“你无法掌控大海。波浪随时都可能荡起。你乘浪而行，任随它领你前行，然后，你伏身于冲浪板往回，接而踏乘下一个浪。当然，你总会希望等到那个完美的浪头，就像你知道的那种滚筒浪。但大多数情况，也就是随波逐流，这并不是什么登天难事，知道吗？”
我不太确定，但我想克里斯是在说生活是由一连串事件组成的——其中有好也有坏。无论你的组织技能有多娴熟，总会有些你无法控制的因素在影响你的生活。真正的成功者能够预计意料之外的事，并准备好在必要时做出调整——这种情况总是发生。
那并不意味着你不需要不断努力使你的梦想成真。它只是说，当计划之外的事发生时，你得去应付，然后继续前行。当然，人生沿途出现的一些波折要比另一些容易处理。比如，因为下雨要取消野餐，总比自己所爱的人突然去世更容易应付。但原则是相同的。
“的确，改变会给人带来痛苦，但改变却是永远必需的。”哲学家托马斯·卡莱尔说道，“而且，如果记忆拥有力量和价值，那么希望也同样拥有。”
我们会想念马克，就像你会想念毕业离家的孩子、那位搬走的邻居或那新婚的儿女一样。但我们与其沉湎于离别带来的悲伤，不如把期望专注于一个更光明的未来——为他，也为我们自己。然后，我们将走出去，尽我们所能，去实现梦想中的未来。
直到我们的计划——再次改变。
注释
[1]exemplary[ig'zempləri] a.典型的；示范的；惩戒性的
[2]superbly[sju:'pɜ:bli] ad.庄重地；华美地；极好地；上等地
[3]bread-winner['bredwinə（r）] n.养家糊口的人
[4]deft[deft] a.灵巧的；熟练的；巧妙的
[5]newlywed['nju:liˌwed] n.新婚的人