第1章 在微尘与浮梁之上 (1)

On the Motes and Beams

窗外的芙蓉树 The Trees Outside My Window

From the window of my room， I could see a tall cotton-rose hibiscus. In spring， when green foliage was half hidden by mist， the tree looked very enchanting dotted with red blossom. This inspiring neighbor of mine often set my mind working. I gradually regarded it as my best friend.

Nevertheless， when I opened the window one morning， to my amazement， the tree was almost bare beyond recognition as a result of the storm ravages the night before. Struck by the plight， I was seized with a sadness at the thought “all the blossom is doomed to fall”. I could not help sighing with emotion： the course of life never runs smooth， for there are so many ups and downs， twists and turns. The vicissitudes of my life saw my beloved friends parting one after another. Isn’t it similar to the tree shedding its flowers in the wind？

This event faded from my memory as time went by. One day after I came home from the countryside， I found the room stuffy and casually opened the window. Something outside caught my eye and dazzled me. It was a plum tree all scarlet with blossom set off beautifully by the sunset. The surprise discovery overwhelmed me with pleasure. I wondered why I had no idea of some unyielding life sprouting over the fallen petals when I was grieving for the hibiscus.

When the last withered petal dropped， all the joyful admiration for the hibiscus sank into oblivion as if nothing was left， until the landscape was again ablaze with the red plum blossom to remind people of life’s alternation and continuance. Can’t it be said that life is actually a symphony， a harmonious composition of loss gain？

Standing by the window lost in thought for a long time， I realized that no scenery in the world remains unchanged. As long as you keep your heart basking in the sun， every dawn will present a fine prospect for you to unfold and the world will always be bringing about new hopes.

透过我房间的窗子，可以看到一株高大的芙蓉树。它在春日的薄雾中若隐若现，红花点点，甚是迷人。它总能给我灵感，使我文思泉涌。我逐渐把它当成了最好的朋友。

然而，一天早晨，当我把窗子打开时，吃惊地发现前夜的那场风雨竟将芙蓉树吹打得落红满地。霎时，那种“花开终有落”的悲凉之感袭上心头，我不禁喟叹：人生之旅，总会有各种牵绊，曲折的经历总会伴随着我们。我曾多次承受与挚友离别的伤感，这随风而逝的花朵不正是脆弱生命的真实写照吗？

那天的感触随着时间的流逝在我的记忆中逐渐被淡忘。一天，我从乡下回到家中，觉得室内的空气令人窒息，便随手将窗子打开。眼前的景象顿时让我惊呆了。一棵李子树满树都开了火红的花朵，在落日余晖的映照下显得格外漂亮。这惊奇的发现让我兴奋不已。当初我为落红的芙蓉树悲伤时，却没想到那凄凉景象背后，竟会萌生出如此顽强的生命。

当最后一片枯萎的芙蓉花瓣飘落时，人们不再对它赞美欣赏。直到李子树成长起来，那火红的花儿正向人们昭示着生命的更迭与繁衍。谁能否认生命原本就是一场得失共存的交响乐呢？

我站在窗前，不禁思绪万千。我意识到，生命中没什么恒久不变的风景，只要你的心永远朝着太阳，那么每一个清晨都会向你展现一番美景，等待你去欣赏——这个世界总会带给你新的希望。

生命中没什么恒久不变的风景，只要你的心永远朝着太阳，那么每一个清晨都会向你展现一番美景，等你去欣赏——这个世界总会带给你新的希望。

1. Nevertheless，_________I opened the window one morning， to my amazement， the tree was almost bare_________recognition as a result of the storm ravages the night . Struck by the plight， I was seized with a_________at the thought “all the blossom is doomed to ”.

2. One day_________I came home from the countryside， I found the room stuffy and casually opened the . Something outside_________my eye and dazzled me. It was a plum tree all scarlet with blossom set off beautifully by the .

3. When the_________withered petal dropped， all the joyful admiration for the hibiscus sank into oblivion as if nothing was ， until the landscape was again ablaze with the red plum blossom to_________people of life’s alternation and continuance.

1．人生之旅，总会有各种牵绊，曲折的经历总会伴随着我们。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2．那天的感触随着时间的流逝在我的记忆中逐渐被淡忘。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3．生命中没什么恒久不变的风景。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1．I was seized with a sadness at the thought “all the blossom is doomed to fall”.

be seized with：被（强烈的情感、愿望等）影响

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2．I could not help sighing with emotion...

could not help： 禁不住；忍不住

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

月亮的智慧

Lesson from the Moon

佚名 / Anonymous

“When the moon is fullest it begins to wane， when it is darkest it begins to grow.”

——Chinese Proverb

There is a calm wisdom in this old saying that impressed me when I heard it first from a monk of a Buddhist monastery in China. It has often helped me to retain a good measure of equanimity under stress and hardship as well as when some unexpected success or good luck might have made me too exuberant. There is hope and consolation in the sure knowledge that even the darkest hours of pains and troubles won’t last， but also a warning against overrating the passing glories of wealth， power and great good fortune. A warning and a hope， not only for the individual， but also for governments， nations and their leaders， a brief summing up of all that history and human experience can tell us. And beyond all that we might hear in it an echo of the law and order that holds our universe in safe balance.

“月盈则亏，晦则明。”

——中国古谚

这句中国的古语里有种平静的智慧，它最初是一个中国佛教寺院中的一位和尚告诉我的，这句话给我的印象很深刻。从那时起，每当我遭遇困难阻碍，或者遇到可能使我过于兴奋的成功或好运的时候，这句话总能帮我保持镇定。这句话启示我们，不论痛苦或困难的时刻有多么暗淡，它们不会长久持续下去，我们因此会感到希望和宽慰；这句话同时也警示我们，财富、权力或鸿运当头的荣耀，都不过是过眼云烟，我们不必太放在心上。无论对于个人还是对于国家、民族乃至其领袖，这则谚语都是警示和希望，而且它还是历史与人类发展所给予我们的简要总结。除此之外，我们从这句话里面还可以聆听到使宇宙保持平衡状态的法则与秩序的回声。

月盈则亏，晦则明。不论痛苦或困难的时刻有多么暗淡，它们不会长久持续下去；财富、权力或鸿运当头的荣耀，也都不过是过眼云烟。