下载掌阅APP，畅读海量书库
立即打开
There was once a heroic knight. He was one of the knights whose triumphant deeds are still recounted in the old stories, in all languages, everywhere.His bravery was great, and his sword was feared, but he was tired of hunting for dragons, ogres and monsters in story after story.He decided to abandon that fairytale world, and come and test out his bravery and skill in the real world.
However, when he arrived here, he found no terrible creatures, no evil wizards, not even a poor stepmother to wave his sword at.
It was very strange. All he saw were worried people, with the same looks on their faces as he had seen on the faces of people he was rescuing from dragons or ogres.
It didn't seem like there was anyone to put them in such fear, or to make them live in a state of such anxiety. Everyone hurried here and there, not speaking to anyone, as though something terrible was about to happen.
But, at the end of the day, nothing really bad had ever happened. And so it was, day after day.The knight thought that maybe this could turn out to be his most heroic adventure ever, and he decided to totally devote himself to finding the source of this mysterious worry in the real world.He searched, he inquired, he investigated, he sailed, he climbed……but he found nothing.
Not willing to give up, he returned to the fairytale world to speak to The Wise Old Man.
"Tell me, wise one. What is the great invisible enemy that strikes fear into the hearts of people in the real world?I still haven't found it, but I won't rest until I have defeated whatever it is, and freed everyone.Just like I did here, for so many cities.”
The Wise Old Man was quiet for a long while, then finally said："You have neither the strength nor courage to win this battle. The enemy does not exist, yet it is powerful, and as numerous as the stars in the sky."
"What?！"protested the Knight，"Is that even possible?"
"In the real world, because they have no dragons or ogres, they invent their enemies, and they carry them inside. Each person there has an enemy made to measure, which lives inside their heart.For some it is called greed, for others envy, for others selfishness, pessimism, or desperation.They have sown the seeds of negativity in their souls, and take the fruits with them wherever they go.It is no easy task to uproot all that."
"I will do it，"answered the knight，"I will set them free."
And so the knight returned to the real world, bringing all his weapons with him. Everyone he met, he would offer to free them from their negative inner life.However, no one paid him the slightest attention, all he found was indifference and looks of surprise.
Finally, exhausted and confused, he threw down his weapons and went over to a rock at the side of the road to rest. On his way there he tripped over his sword, and fell to the ground, knocking his head against a cockerel which had been crowing in the vicinity.
A sad looking little man was passing by, and when he saw this he burst out laughing, so much so that he could hardly stay on his feet.The knight was angry, but on looking closely at the man, he could see in his eyes a joyful shine that he had never yet seen in the real world……
And so it was, that the knight finally found the solution to the deep sickness of the people in the real world.They only needed a smile, a laugh, a little help to banish their negative feelings, and to finally enjoy life……
From that day on, the knight, armed with a big smile, started recruiting an army of liberators：a large and growing group of people able to remind anyone of the joy that is life.
And what do you know！The knight won the battle just as impressively as he always had.
从前有一位英勇的骑士。很多骑士的成功事迹至今仍在世界各地广泛流传，人们以各种语言讲述着这些古老的故事。这位英勇的骑士就是这些骑士之一。他英勇无比，他手中的利剑让人畏惧。但是他厌倦了在一个接一个的故事中猎杀恶龙、食人魔鬼和怪物，于是他决定放弃童话世界，到现实世界中去检验他的英勇和本领。
然而，当他来到现实世界时，他发现那里根本没有可怕的生物，没有邪恶的巫师，甚至连一个可恶的继母都没有。他的剑完全没有用武之地。
真是太奇怪了。他看到的只是焦虑的人们，这些人的表情和他从恶龙或食人魔鬼口中救下的那些人一模一样。
可是好像没有人让他们如此恐惧，或者让他们生活得如此焦虑。每个人都匆匆地走来走去，不跟任何人说话，就好像有什么坏事即将发生一样。
但是，这一天就要过去了，还是没有什么非常不好的事发生。就这样，日子一天天地过去了。骑士想，也许这可能成为他最英勇的一次探险。于是他决定全身心地去寻找现实世界中神秘的焦虑之源。他到处寻找，四下打听，不断调查，甚至扬帆出海、翻山越岭……但是他什么也没有找到。
他始终不想放弃，于是他回到童话世界，去问智慧老人。
“智者，请告诉我。在现实世界中，让人们从心底害怕的无形敌人是什么？我目前还没有找到，但是我不会放弃，我会继续寻找，直到我将它打败、解放所有人。就像我在童话世界里为许多城市所做的事迹一样。”
智慧老人沉默了许久，然后终于开口说道：“你既没有打赢这场仗的力量，也没有打赢这场仗的勇气。敌人虽然并不存在，但却十分强大，而且敌人的数量就如天空中无数的繁星一样多。”
“什么？！”骑士抗议道。“这怎么可能？”
“在现实世界中，根本没有恶龙，也没有食人恶魔。人们自己想象出自己的敌人，并把它们埋在心底。每个人心中都有自己的敌人。有些人的敌人是贪婪，有些人的敌人是嫉妒，有些是自私，有些是悲观，有些是绝望。他们在自己的灵魂中播撒消极的种子，并将恶果随时带在身边。要想将其根除绝非易事。”
“我会的，”骑士答道。“我会解放他们的。”
说完，骑士就回到了现实世界，并带上他全部的武器。他每见到一个人，都会主动提出要将他们从消极的内心生活中解放出来。然而，根本没有人在意他。他所遭遇的只有冷漠和惊讶的表情。
最后，骑士筋疲力尽，茫然失措，他扔掉武器，想到路边的石头上休息一下。就在他走向石头时，他被自己的剑绊倒了，跌倒在地上，他的头撞到了附近正在鸣叫的一只小公鸡。
这时，一个表情悲伤、身材矮小的人正巧路过，他看到这一幕，笑得前仰后合，几乎连站都站不住了。骑士非常生气，但是他仔细看了看这个人。骑士在他的眼中看到了一丝喜悦的光芒，这是他在现实世界中从未见到的。
就这样，骑士终于找到了祛除现实世界中人们心里的顽疾的方法。他们需要的仅仅是一个微笑、一声大笑、一点帮助，这样就能驱除他们的消极情感并让他们享受生活。
从那天起，骑士面带微笑，开始征募一支解放者军队。这支强大的队伍能够提醒人们生活的快乐，而且这支队伍在不断地壮大。
你知道的！骑士赢得了这场战斗，就像他以前经常赢的那样漂亮。
Moral of the Story：
Our greatest obstacle to happiness is our own self, with its fears, vain preoccupations, and negative patterns of thought.
故事寓意：
阻碍我们获得幸福的最大障碍其实是我们自己，因为我们会恐惧，会想一些没有意义的事情，会有消极的想法。
词海拾贝：
triumphant[traɪˈʌmf（ə）nt]adj.成功的；得意洋洋的；狂欢的
recount[rɪˈkaʊnt]vt.叙述；重新计算
desperation[despəˈreɪʃn]n.绝望的境地；不顾一切拼命
negativity[ˌnegəˈtɪvɪtɪ]n.否定性；消极性
uproot[ʌpˈruːt]vt.根除，连根拔起；迫使某人离开出生地或定居处
cockerel[ˈkɒk（ə）r（ə）l]n.（未满一年的）小公鸡；好斗的年轻人
vicinity[vɪˈsɪnɪtɪ]n.邻近，附近；近处
banish[ˈbænɪʃ]vt.放逐；驱逐
obstacle[ˈɒbstək（ə）l]n.障碍，干扰；妨害物
preoccupation[prɪˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃ（ə）n]n.全神贯注，入神；当务之急
读书笔记__________________________________