书城工具书哲理英语
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第7章 蝴蝶

一个人发现了一颗蝴蝶的茧。一天,有个小洞出现了。他坐在那里观察了几个小时,蝴蝶努力地要把身体从那个小洞中挤出来,却似乎没有什么进展。蝴蝶好象已经尽了最大努力,但仍旧无济于事。

于是那个人决定帮一帮蝴蝶。他拿了一把尖刀,减去了蚕茧没破开的那部分。

蝴蝶很容易就出来了,但它却是身体肿胀,翅膀又小又枯。

那个人继续观察那只蝴蝶,因为他料想蝴蝶的翅般随时都有可能变大并伸展开,好能支撑起它逐渐变小的身体。

什么都没有发生!事实上那只蝴蝶的后半生都是爬着过的,身体肿胀,翅膀枯萎,它从来就没能飞起来过。

那位心急的好心人所不了解的是,约束蝴蝶的茧和必须从小孔中通过的奋斗经历都是上帝为蝴蝶想的办法,通过这个办法,蝴蝶才能把身体中的液体挤到翅膀中,为破茧而出、获得自由那一刻的起飞作好准备。

有时生活中的奋斗正是我们所需要的。如果上帝允许我们没有障碍地生活,我们会变残疾。

我们不会像本应该的那样强壮。我们永远也飞不起来。

我曾渴望得到力量……上帝给了我困难,让我变强壮。

我曾渴望得到智慧……上帝给了我问题让我去解决。,

我曾渴望得到繁荣……上帝给了我头脑和健壮的肌肉去工作。

我曾渴望得到勇气……上帝给了我危险去战胜。

我曾渴望爱……上帝给了我痛苦的人们让我相助。

我曾渴望得到恩惠……上帝给了我机会。

我从没得到过我想要的……

我得到了我需要的。

Happiness

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his life would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn‘t hear the band he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

Epilogue...There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can‘t buy.

“SOMETIMES TO FACE YOUR FUTURE YOU HAVE TO LET GO OF YOUR PAST.”