22-The Happy Door

    Happiness is like a pebble1 dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples2. As Stevenson has said， "Being happy is a duty."

    There is no exact definition of the word happiness. Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons. The key is not wealth of physical well-being， since we find beggars， invalids and so-called failures who are extremely happy.

    Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend. But staying happy is an accomplishment， a triumph of soul and character. It is not selfish to strive for it. It is， indeed， a duty to ourselves and others.

    Being unhappy is like an infectious disease. It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer. He soon finds himself alone， miserable and embittered. There is， however， a cure so simple as to seem， at first glance， ridiculous： if you don‘t feel happy， pretend to be！

    It works. Before long you will find that instead of repelling3 people， you attract them. You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of a wider and wider circles of good will.

    Then the make-believe becomes a reality. You possess the secret peace of mind， and can forget yourself in being of service to others.

    Being happy， once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit， opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged with grateful friends.

    Notes：

    1. pebble n.鵝卵石

    2. ripple n.波紋

    3. repel v.使厭惡

    賞析：

    快樂是會傳染的，不快樂也是會傳染的。如果你快樂，周圍的人也會快樂，如果你不快樂，周圍的人也會不快樂。因此，為了自己的快樂，也為了他人的快樂，讓我們都努力保持快樂愉悅的心情吧！

    譯文對照：

    快樂之門

    快樂好似擲入池塘里的一枚鵝卵石，會激起不斷擴散的一圈圈漣漪。斯蒂文生曾說過："快樂是一種責任。"

    "快樂"這個詞并沒有確切的定義。快樂的人可能會因為種種原因感到快樂。快樂的關鍵并不在于財富或健康，因為有些乞丐和所謂的失敗者也非常快樂。

    快樂是一種意料之外的收獲。而保持快樂則是一種成就，是靈魂與品性的勝利。追求快樂并非自私。相反，追求快樂是我們的一種責任。

    悶悶不樂就像一種病；染上這種疾病的人會讓人們避之唯恐不及。這種人很快就會發現自己很孤單、很痛苦。然而，這種病癥有一種很簡單的治療方法，乍看起來似乎荒謬可笑，那就是：如果你覺得不快樂，就假裝快樂吧！

    這個方法很有效。不久，你就會發現自己不但不會令人反感，相反，你還能吸引他人。你會發現，成為廣結善緣的中心人物是一件非常值得的事。

    于是，原本假裝的快樂就變成了真正的快樂。你會擁有心境平和的秘訣，你還能與他人分享自己的秘訣。

    一旦快樂被視作一種責任并成為一種習慣的時候，它就會開啟大門，引領我們進入好友云集的奇妙花園。