幸福

\"I am in desperate need of help--or I'll go crazy. We' re living in a single room--my wife， my children and my in-laws. So our nerves are on edge， we yell and scream at one another. The room is a hell.\"

\"Do you promise to do whatever I tell you?\" said the Master gravely.

\"I swear I shall do anything.\"

\"Very well. How many animals do you have?\"

\"A cow， a goat and six chickens.\"

\"Take them all into the room with you. Then come back after a week.\"

The disciple was appalled. But he had promised to obey! So he took the animals in. A week later he came back， a pitiable figure， moaning， \"I'm a nervous wreck. The dirt ! The stench! The noise! We're all on the verge of madness!\"

\"Go back，\" said the Master， \"and put the animals out.\"

The man ran all the way home. And came back the following day， his eyes sparkling with joy. \"How sweet life is! The animals are out. The home is a Paradise， so quiet and clean and roomy!\"

“我急切地需要幫助——不然我會瘋掉的。我們擠在一個單間里——我的妻子、孩子和我的岳父母。我們關系很緊張，彼此之間經常大吼大叫。整個房間簡直就是一個地獄。”

“你發誓按我的要求去做嗎?”大師嚴肅地說。

“我發誓我會去做任何事。”

“很好。你養了多少動物?”

“一頭奶牛，一只山羊和六只雞。”

“把它們全部放到屋里養，一周后再回來。”

這個信徒很驚訝，但他曾許諾要按吩咐辦事。于是那些動物全部被他放到屋里養。一個星期后，他回來了，可憐地抱怨說：“我精神崩潰了。那些糞土!那些臭氣!那些嘈雜聲!我們都要瘋掉了!”

“回去吧，”大師說，“把動物們都放到屋外。”

那個人一路跑回家。第二天，他回來了，眼里閃耀著喜悅的光芒：“生活是多么美好啊!所有的動物都搬到屋外去了。屋里簡直就是一個天堂，多么安靜，多么清潔，多么寬敞!”

注釋：

desperate adj．情急拼命的，鋌而走險的；絕望的；危急的；極度渴望的

nerve n．神經；憂慮，焦躁；神經過敏；勇敢，膽量v．鼓起勇氣

gravely adv．嚴肅地，莊重地；沉重地，陰郁地；嚴重地

sparkling adj．閃閃發光的，閃爍的

paradise n．天堂；伊甸園，樂園