面對危險中英文版閲讀

面對危險抬起頭

幾年前，一個由7個探險家組成的團隊在崇山峻嶺中穿行。他們經過一座險惡的石山時，山體發生崩裂，十幾塊巨石從山腰間轟然而下。

等一切沉寂下來，7個探險家中有6個已經被亂石砸死，而剩下的那一個探險家只受了一點輕傷。

聞訊而至的記者問這個倖存的探險家：“你只是僥倖沒有被石頭砸中嗎？”“不是。”探險家淡淡地説：“只是因為我面對危險抬起了頭，從而得以避開巨石的襲擊。”

面對危險抬起頭，不是每一個人都能做得到的。當有人告訴我們頭上正有東西掉下來時，絕大多數人的第一反應是把眼一閉，然後把頭一縮，其實這對避開危險沒有任何用處。危急時刻或逆境中，只有抬起頭勇敢面對的人，才有可能逃離危險，戰勝困難。

The wholeness of life 健全的人生

Once a circle missed a wedge. The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll only very slowly, it admired the flowers along the way. It chatted with worms. It enjoyed the sunshine. It found lots of different pieces, but none of them fit. So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching. Then one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly. It was so happy. Now it could be whole, with nothing missing. It incorporated the missing piece into itself and began to roll. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly, it stopped, left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away.

The lesson of the story, I suggested, was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn, to hope, to nourish his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or never had.

There is a wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations, who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so. There is a wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive, she can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.

Life is not a trap set for us by God so that he can condemn us for failing. Life is not a spelling bee, where no matter how many words you’ve gotten right; you’re disqualified if you make one mistake. Life is more like a baseball season, where even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose.

When we accept that imperfection is part of being human, and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it, we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to. That, I believe, is what God asks of us—not “Be perfect”, not “Don’t even make a mistake”, but “Be whole.”

If we are brave enough to love, strong enough to forgive, generous enough to rejoice in another’s happiness, and wise enough to know there is enough l

ove to go around for us all, then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living creature will ever know.

從前，一隻圓圈缺了一塊楔子。它想保持完整，便四處尋找那塊楔子。由於不完整，所以它只能慢慢地滾動。一路上，它對花兒露出羨慕之色。它與蠕蟲談天侃地。它還欣賞到了陽光之美。圓圈找到了許多不同的楔子，但沒有一件與它相配。所以，它將它們統統棄置路旁，繼續尋覓。終於有一天，它找到了一個完美的配件。圓圈是那樣地高興，現在它可以説是完美無缺了。它裝好配件，並開始滾動起來。現在它已成了一個完美的圓圈，所以滾動得非常快，以至於難以觀賞花兒，也無暇與蠕蟲傾訴心聲。當圓圈意識到因快奔急騁使它失去了原有的世界時，它不禁停了下來，將找到的配件棄置路旁，又開始慢慢地滾動。

我覺得這個故事告訴我們，從某種奇妙的意義上講，當我們失去了一些東西時反而更加完整。一個擁有一切的人其實在某些方面是個窮人。他永遠也體會不到什麼是渴望、期待及如何用美好夢想滋養自己的靈魂。他也永遠不會有這樣一種體驗：一個愛他的人送給他某種他夢寐以求的或者從未擁有過的東西意味着什麼。

人生的完整性在於知道如何面對缺陷，如何勇敢地摒棄不現實的幻想而又不以此為缺憾。人生的完整性還在於學會勇敢面對人生悲劇而繼續生存，能夠在失去親人後依然表現出完整的個人風範。

人生不是上帝為譴責我們的缺陷而給我們佈下的陷阱。人生也不是一場拼字遊戲比賽，不管你拼出多少單詞，一旦出現了一個錯誤，你便前功盡棄。人生更像是一個棒球賽季，即使最好的球隊也會輸掉1/3的比賽，而最差的球隊也有春風得意的日子。我們的目標就是多贏球，少輸球。

當我們接受不完整性是人類本性的一部分，當我們不斷地進行人生滾動並能欣賞其價值時，我們就會獲得其他人僅能渴望的完整人生。我相信這就是上帝對我們的要求：不求“完美”，也不求“永不犯錯誤”，而是求得人生的“完整”。如果我們能夠勇敢地去愛，堅強地去寬容，大度地去為別人的快樂而高興，明智地理解身邊充滿愛，那麼我們就能取得別的生物所不能取得的成就。

Find Your Big Rocks Of Life 尋找你人生的大石頭

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.

As he stood in front of the group of overachievers he said, “OK, time for a quiz.” He pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes.” The time management expert replied, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is this jar full?”

By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”

“No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all. What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? Time with your loved ones, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you’ll never get them in at all.”

一天，時間管理專家為一羣學生講課。他現場做了演示，給學生們留下了一生都難以磨滅的印象。

站在那些高智商高學歷的學生前面，他説：“我們來做個小測驗”，拿出一個一加侖的廣口瓶放在他面前的桌上。隨後，他取出一堆拳頭大小的石塊，仔細地一起放進玻璃瓶裏。直到石塊高出瓶口，再也放不下了，他問道：“瓶子滿了？”

所有學生應道：“滿了！”時間管理專家反問：“真的？”他伸手從桌下拿出一桶礫石，倒了一些進去，並敲擊玻璃瓶壁使礫石填滿下面石塊的間隙。“現在瓶子滿了嗎？”他第二次問道。

但這一次學生有些明白了，“可能還沒有”，一位學生應道。“很好！”專家説。他伸手從桌下拿出一桶沙子，開始慢慢倒進玻璃瓶。沙子填滿了石塊和礫石的所有間隙。他又一次問學生：“瓶子滿了嗎？”

“沒滿！”學生們大聲説。他再一次説：“很好！”然後他拿過一壺水倒進玻璃瓶直到水面與瓶口齊平，然後抬頭看着學生，問道：“這個例子説明什麼？”一個心急的學生舉手發言：“無論你的時間多少，如果你確實努力，你可以做更多的事情！”<BR

>

“不！”時間管理專家説，“那不是它真正的意思，這個例子告訴我們：如果你不是先放大石塊，那你就再也不能把它放進瓶子裏了。那麼，什麼是你生命中的大石頭呢？也許是你的道德感、你的夢想？還有你的一切，記得先去處理這些大石塊，否則，一輩子你都不能做！”

The Splashes Of Life 生命的波紋

我有個基本觀點：自由即選擇，選擇即負責。

為什麼選擇即負責？因為任何選擇都會產生結果。結果可能是好的，也可能不好。但不論好與不好，都得有人兜着或扛着。誰來兜着，誰來扛着？只能是做出選擇的人。所以選擇即負責。

既然選擇即負責，那麼，你在進行選擇時，就只能服從自己的內心衝動。想想看，如果標準是別人的，埋單的卻是自己，豈不虧大發了？更何況，別人幫你做的選擇，能保證你的幸福嗎？按照別人的標準去活，有意思嗎？

同樣，既然選擇即負責，那就不能只往好處想。好處是任何人都不會拒絕的，需要擔心的是不好的後果。這種後果，我們可能承擔得了，也可能承擔不了。承擔不了，就只能放棄。承擔得了，則何妨堅持？

要知道：遷就世俗，一時無憂；違背內心，永遠痛苦。

所以，選擇的時候，只用想兩條：一、這是不是我非常想要或想做的？二、如果後果嚴重，兜不兜得了，扛不扛得住？如果兩條都沒問題，那就要！

人生能得幾回“二”，何不瀟灑“二”一回？

選擇已定，則任人批評。他人的批評能時時提醒我們：你是有人反對的，你也是會犯錯誤的，因此你沒有任何理由自以為是，得意忘形！

結果，我們就會少犯錯誤，甚至不犯錯誤。

也因此，我們要感謝批評者和反對派。

總之，決策時不妨“二”，執行和操作卻一定要小心翼翼，認認真真，如臨深淵，如履薄冰。一旦功成名就，更必須“無一日敢懈怠，無一事敢馬虎”。

文/易中天

The Splashes Of Life 生命的波紋

There is a famous Sioux Indian story handed down from generation to generation:

The grandfather took his grandson to the fish pond on the farm when the boy was about seven, and he told the boy to throw a stone into the water. He told the boy to watch the circles created by the stone. Then he asked the boy to think of himself as that stone.

“You may create lots of splashes in your life, but the waves that come from those splashes will disturb the peace of all your fellow creatures,” he said.

“Remember that you are responsible for what you put in your circle and that circle will also touch many other circles.”

“You will need to live in a way that allows the good that comes from your circle to send the peace of that goodness to others. The splash that comes from anger or jealousy will send those feelings to other circles. You are responsible for both.” That was the first time the boy realized that each person creates the inner peace or discord that flows out into the world.

We cannot create world peace if we are riddled with inner conflict, hatred, doubt, or anger. We radiate the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life.

這是蘇族印第安人部落中流傳的一個古老的.故事。

在男孩七歲那年，他的祖父帶他來到田邊的一個魚塘。他讓男孩丟一顆石子到水中，並囑咐男孩仔細觀察石子所激起的水波。然後他叫男孩把自己想象成那顆石子。

他説：“在生命的水面上，你也許能激起許多波紋，而你所激起的波紋也會打破別人的平靜生活。”

“要謹記，對你所激起的波紋中所包含的東西負責，因為這些東西會接觸、影響到許多他人的波紋。”

“你應當努力將自己波紋中的平和寧靜傳播給他人。當然，如果你的波紋中帶有憤怒、嫉妒，別人也會受到你的影響，因此，你要對它們負責。”這是男孩第一次瞭解到，每個人心中的安寧抑或不和，都會傳播給整個世界。

如果我們自己內心被衝突、仇恨、疑慮或者憤怒所糾纏，自然無論我們內心激起的是何種波紋，它們都會被傳向外界，與別人的生命波紋共同激起美麗，抑或是不和諧。

就不能給世界帶來平和寧靜。無論我們是否説出心中的感覺和思緒，我們都在向外界傳播它們。

We Are on a Journey 人在旅途

Wherever you are, and whoever you may be, there is one thing in which you and I are just alike at this moment, and in all the moments of our existence: we are not at rest; we are on a journey. Our life is a movement, a tendency, a steady, ceaseless progress towards an unseen goal. We are gaining something, or losing something, everyday. Even when our position and our character seem to remain precisely the same, they are changing. For the mere advance of time is a change. It is not the same thing to have a bare field in January and in July. The season makes the difference. The limitations that are childlike in the child are childish in the man.

Everything that we do is a step in one direction or another. Even the failure to do something is in itself a deed. It sets us forward or backward. The action of the negative pole of magnetic needle is just as real as the action of the positive pole. To decline is to accept-the other alternative.

Are you neater to your port today than you were yesterday? Yes,-you must be a little nearer to some port or other; for since your ship was first launched upon the sea of life, you have never been still for a single moment; the sea is too deep, you could not find an anchorage if you would; there can be no pause until you come into port.[NextPage]

參考譯文有三個版本，供英語愛好者斟酌學習：

譯文一：

無論你在哪裏，也無論你是誰，不管是此時此刻，還是在我們生命中的任何瞬間，有一件事對你我來説是恰巧相同的：我們不是在休息，我們是在一次旅途中。我們的生活是一種運動、一種趨勢，是向一個看不見的目標穩定而不停地前進。每一天，我們會贏得某些東西，或者會失去某些東西。甚至當我們的位置和我們的性格看起來和以前完全相同時，他們事實上仍然在改變。對於一塊荒地來説，一月和七月是不一樣的，季節會造成不同。能力上的缺陷對孩子來説是一種可愛，但對大人而言就是一種幼稚的表現了。

我們做的每一件事都是朝一個或者另一個方向邁進的一步。甚至“沒有做任何事”本身就是一種行為，它使我們前進或者後退。一根磁針陰極和陽極的作用都是一樣的真實；拒絕也是一種接受——這都是二擇一的選擇。

你今天比昨天更接近你的港口了嗎？是的——你必須接近某個港口或其他港口。自從你被拋入生活之海，你的船一分鐘都沒有靜止過。大海是如此之深，你不可能找到一個拋錨的地方，因此你也不可能停下來，直到你抵達自己的港口。

譯文二：

無論你在何處，無論你是何人，此刻，而且在我們生命的每時每刻，你與我有一點是類似的。我們不是在休息，我們在旅途中。生命是一種運動，一種趨勢，一個穩步、持續的通往一個未知目標的過程。每天，我們都在獲得，或失去。儘管我們的地位和性格看起來好像一點都沒變，但是它們在變化。因為時光的流逝本身是一種變化。在一月和七月擁有一片貧瘠的土地是不同的，是季節本身帶來了變化。孩童時可愛的缺點到了成人時便成了幼稚。

我們做的每件事都是邁向一個或另外一個方向，甚至“什麼都沒做”本身也是一種行為，它讓我們前進或倒退。一棵磁針的陰極的作用與陽極是一樣的。拒絕即接受??接受反面。

你今天比昨天更加接近你的目標了嗎？是的，你肯定是離一個或另一個碼頭或更近一些了。因為自從你的小船從生命的海洋上啟航時，你沒有哪一刻是停止的。大海是這樣深，你想拋錨時找不到地方。在你駛入碼頭之前，你不可能停留。

譯文三：

無論你身在何處，也無論你是何人，此時此刻，有一件事於你我而言都是相同的，而且只要我們活着，這個共同點就存在。那就是，我們並非停留不前，而是人在旅途。我們的生命是一種運動，一種趨勢，是向一個看不見的目標無休止地奮進。

每天，我們都有所得，也有所失。即便我們的位置和角色看似與原來無異，但實際上也是時時變化的。因為時間的推移本身就是一種變化。對於同一片荒地來説，在一月和七月是截然不同的，季節造成了這種差異。能力的侷限在孩子身上被視為天真爛漫，而在大人身上則是幼稚的的表現。我們所做的每件事情都是朝着某個方向邁進了一步。即使是失敗本身，也是有所得的，失敗可以催人奮進，也可以讓人一蹶不振。磁針負極的作用與正極的作用都是一樣真實的。拒絕也是一種接受，只不過是另一種選擇罷了。

你今天比昨天更接近你的港口了麼？是的，你肯定離某個港口更近了。因為自從你的航船從生命的海洋上啟航的那一刻開始，你沒有哪一刻是靜止的。大海如此深邃，即便你想停泊，也找不到地方；只有當你駛入自己的港口，你才能停止下來。