第二部分（一）

你有一只自信的罐子吗

Do You Have a Confident Jar

人的生命应当像河流，开始是涓涓细流，受两岸的限制而十分狭窄，尔后奔腾咆哮，翻过危岩，飞越瀑布，河面渐渐开阔，河岸也随之向两边隐去。

A Lesson in Life

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, they serve some sort of purpose, to teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be-your roommate, neighbor, professor, long lost friend, lover or even a complete stranger. When you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you and at the time they may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles, you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power or heart. Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity-all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, if they are events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. Safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life and the successes and downfalls you experience-they are the ones who create who you are. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. Those lessons are the hardest and probably the most important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart to. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you how to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’ t believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

“People are like tea bags-you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are.”

人生物语

有时，一些人一闯入你的生活你便知道他们本就想这么做，其中有着一定的目的--或给你一个教训，或帮助你明白你是谁或你要成为谁。你永远也不知道这些人会是谁，是你的舍友、邻居、教授、久违的朋友、爱人，甚或是一个完全的陌生人。当你与他们四目相对，你便知道他们会以某种深远的方式影响你的生活。

有时，一些事情发生了，它们看上去是那么可怕、痛苦和不公；但细想一下你就会明白，如果没有去努力克服这些难题，你将永远也不会知道自己的潜能、力量、意志力和内心。任何事情的发生都是有原因的，没有一件事是偶然发生的或是因某种好运或厄运发生的。疾病、伤害、爱、真正的伟大的消逝和完全的愚蠢--所有这一切的发生都是对你的精神极限的考验。不管这考验是一些事件、疾病或是某种关系，没有了它们，生活都将只剩下阳光大道，安稳、舒适，但却单调、没有意义，不会通往任何地方。

你遇到的那些影响你的生活的人和你所经历的成功或失败，都会让你看清自己。即使是不好的经历，也能让你从中得到教训。这些教训是最严酷的，但也可能是最重要的。

如果有人伤害了你、背叛了你、或让你心碎，原谅他们吧，因为他们帮助你懂得了什么是信任，也让你明白了对那些你敞开心扉交往的人保持谨慎的重要性。如果有人爱你，那么也无条件地爱他们吧，不仅因为他们爱你，也因为他们教会了你如何去爱，如何打开心扉、张开眼睛去感受那些没有他们你便不能看到或感受到的世间的种种。

让每一天都过得有意义吧。享受生命中的每一刻，尽你所能从中汲取，因为以后你可能没有机会再有同样经历。

与那些你从没打过招呼的人互相交谈聆听吧，让自己沐浴爱河吧，自由地冲破藩篱，让你的眼界更加高远吧。抬起你的头，因为你有权利这样做。相信自己，告诉自己你很了不起，因为如果连你自己都不相信自己，别人又怎能相信你？你能够按自己的意愿生活。去创造出自己的生活，然后走出来享受生活吧。

人就像茶叶袋，只有放到热水中，你才能知道他们有多强大。

Make a Truth of Fright Clearly

Now, there was a very young and beautiful wife, who became sick and nearly died. She was on her death bed and told her husband, “I love you very much, and I don’ t want to leave you. Please, after I die, don’ t marry another person. You promise me！ Okay？”

Then she worried that her husband would not keep the promise, so she threatened him. She said, “If you marry another wife, I will become a ghost and take care of you. I will make you suffer, always, forever, and eternally！” It’ s terrible！ That’ s what she said to her husband, so the husband respected the wife and didn’ t think of remarrying another person.

But as God always makes trouble for human beings, he met another beautiful woman, younger, charming, sweeter and more attractive, and richer even！ Rich！ Oh, terrible！ And she even loved him very much and maybe more than the wife. Oh, too bad！ That was only three months after the funeral service. Now what can we do about that？

So he got engaged to her. After the engagement (the engagement happened during the daytime), that night the husband saw the ghost of the wife coming. “Ah ha！ As promised, here I come.” She appeared in front of him and scolded him and nagged him, saying that he had broken his promise; that he did not love her; that he was not sincere; that he was a bad husband; that he had no conscience; that he was a lousy man; that he was a terrible human being.

Then the husband got very scared！ Because this ghost was so terribly intelligent; she knew exactly what had happened between the husband and the new fiancee. She told him what time what he did with her, and what time what he gave her, and about what he talked to her. She knew everything, everything！ So he couldn’ t deny it. But he was very scared.

He was so scared that he could not sleep, he could not eat, and he dared not go to see his fiancee often. And their love affair nearly went on the rocks. So some people told him that he should go to a temple and talk about his suffering to a Zen master, and maybe the Zen master could help him. Oh, my God！ The Zen master takes care of everything, including ghosts and marriage.

So the Zen master truly helped him. He said to the husband, “Your ex-wife has become a ghost.” (This we knew) “And she is very intelligent. So she knows everything that you did with your fiancee. Actually, you should respect such a ghost. But there is a way to drive her away. Now, next time if the ghost appears, you have to make a bet with her.” The Zen master said that she knew everything; she knew too much already. But probably there was something she didn’ t know. If she answered incorrectly, then she should not come back and bother him any more. Then he could marry the one he loved.

Because she was dead！ She could not serve him in any way. She could not cook for him. She could not take care of anything. So the husband asked the Zen master, “What can I do？ What should I ask her？”

And the Zen master said to him, “Next time when she comes, take a handful of mung beans in your hand and ask her how many beans are inside. She surely cannot answer that. And then she will disappear. Because, if she cannot answer that question, you will know this is only an illusion of your own mind, your own conscience or your own imagination because you’ re already too scared, afraid of the wife and imagining, an illusion of your mind.”

So, the next night, truly, the ghost appeared. And the husband told her, “Oh, yes, you know everything. You are very intelligent; I cannot do anything about it.” And then the ghost said, “Yes, I know. And I also know that today you went to see a Zen master and you talked about us.”

So the man said, “Okay, since you know everything, now, can you tell me how many beans are in my hand？” As soon as he asked this question, the ghost disappeared.

So you know, was there a real ghost？ No！ Then you shouldn’ t be afraid tonight.

看清恐惧的真相

有一个非常年轻貌美的太太，她快要病死了，她躺在床上奄奄一息地对她丈夫说： “我很爱你，我不想离开你。在我死后，请不要再和别人结婚。答应我，好吗？”

她很担心她丈夫会不守信用，所以就威胁他说： “如果你再婚的话，我一定会变成鬼来处理你！我会让你无穷无尽地受苦！” 真可怕！她对她丈夫这么说。所以这位丈夫尊重他太太的遗言，没有动再婚的念头。

不过上帝总是给人找麻烦，这位先生遇到了另一位美丽的女人，比以前的太太还年轻、迷人、甜美，更有吸引力，甚至更有钱。噢，真可怕！而她也很爱他，也许比以前的太太更爱他。哦，在他太太的葬礼后仅仅三个月就发生这种事，我们能怎么办呢？

他们就这样订婚了。订婚的那天晚上，丈夫看见太太的鬼魂出现，她说： “啊哈！我说过我会再来的！” 她出现在他面前责备他，唠叨地念他食言、不爱她、不诚心、是个坏丈夫没良心、是个差劲糟糕的男人。

这位丈夫被吓呆了！因为他太太的鬼魂竟然如此无所不知，对于丈夫和那个新未婚妻之间的事了若指掌，她还告诉他什么时候他和她做什么，什么时候他给她什么、对她说了什么，她都知道得一清二楚，他无法否认，他真的被吓死了！

于是他害怕得吃不下也睡不著，甚至不敢常去看他的未婚妻，他们的爱情遇到了阻碍。于是有人建议他应该去寺庙，将他的苦恼告诉禅师，也许禅师可以帮他。天啊！禅师每件事都得管，连鬼和婚姻的事情也要费心去理会！

这位禅师还真的帮了他，他告诉这位丈夫： “你的前任太太已经变成了鬼。而且她变得聪明异常，所以知道你和未婚妻所做的一切。事实上像这样的鬼，你还真得尊重才对。不过还是有法子可以赶她走。下次鬼出现时，你要和她打个赌。” 禅师说这个鬼无所不知，知道许多事情，不过也许有些事情她不知道，如果她答错了的话，那就得答应不再回来打扰他，让他和心爱的人结婚。

因为她已经往生了，无法再服侍他、替他煮好吃的饭，也不能照顾任何事情了。于是这位丈夫就问禅师： “我要怎么做？我该问她什么？”

禅师告诉他： “下次当她来时，你就抓一把绿豆，问她有多少豆子在里面，她一定无法回答，然后她就会自己消失了。因为如果她答不出来的话，你就会明白这只是你自己头脑的幻觉而已，由于良心不安而造成，因为你太害怕，太惧怕死去的太太，所以自己头脑就造出这样的幻象。”

到了第二天晚上，那鬼真的又出现了，丈夫告诉她： “噢，没错，你真的是无所不知又很聪明，我实在拿你没有办法。” 鬼说： “是，我知道，而且我也知道你今天去找禅师谈我们的事。”

所以那个男人就说： “好吧！既然你无所不知，现在你可以告诉我，我手中有多少豆子吗？” 当他一问这个问题时，鬼就消失了。

所以你们知道了，真的有鬼吗？没有！所以今夜你不必害怕。

The Secret of Success

A young man asked Socrates the secret of Success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning.

They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river.

When the water got up to their necks, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water.

The man struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until he started turning blue. The young man struggled hard and finally managed to get out and the first thing he did was to gasp and take deep breath.

Socrates asked, “What you wanted the most when you were there？” The man replied, “Air.”

Socrates said, “That’ s the most secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted air, you will get it. There is no other secret.”

成功的秘诀

一个年轻男子向苏格拉底请教成功的秘诀。苏格拉底告诉他次日早晨在河边相见。

两人如期而遇。苏格拉底要这个年轻男子和他一起向河中走去。

当河水漫到他们脖子的时候，苏格拉底突然抓住该男子并把他猛按入水中。

男子挣扎着想出来，但是苏格拉底非常强壮有力，一直摁着该男子，直到他脸色变青。年轻男子拼命挣扎并最终冲出了水面，紧接着就是大口喘气与呼吸。

苏格拉底问道： “在水里时，你最想得到什么？” 男子答道： “空气。”

苏格拉底说： “这就是成功的最佳秘诀。当你像渴望空气一样迫切渴望成功时，你将会成功。没有其他的秘诀。”

The Tips of Success

1. Do one thing at a time, and do well.

2. Never forget to say “thanks”.

3. Keep on going. Never give up.

4. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.

5. Believe in yourself.

6. I can because I think I can.

7. Action speaks louder than words.

8. Never say die.

9. Never put off what you can do today until tomorrow.

10. The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

成功的技巧

1. 一次只做一件事，做到最好！

2. 永远不要忘了说 “谢谢” ！

3. 勇往直前，决不放弃！

4. 任何值得做的事就值得把它做好！

5. 相信你自己！

6. 我行，因为我相信我行！

7. 行动胜于言语！

8. 永不气馁！

9. 今日事今日毕！