I had no idea what to expect, but as I sunk into the large wicker chair beside him, I couldn’thelp feeling that he was going to say something profound. 我不知道将要发生什么，但当我坐进他身旁那张宽大的藤 椅里，不由觉得他会对我说些意味深长的话。
After all, if a turtle can change my life, why not a wise old farmer? After a brief hello and apolite introduction, we simply sat in silence and let the sunlight warm our faces.
毕竟，要是一只 乌龟都能改变我的人生，为什么一个睿智的老农不能呢?
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke. “You know” he said, “I’ve often thoughtthat the meaning of life is making things a little bit easier for those around us , what do youthink?”.
简单 寒暄之后，我们都静静地坐着，阳光温暖地照着脸庞。好像过 了—辈子那么久，他终于开□了。“你瞧，”他说，“我常以为， 生命的意义是让周围的人过得好一点，你说呢?”
I was speechless. It felt like I had just been hit on the head again with life’s big karma stick.
我哑口无言。 好像脑袋上又挨了人生的一记闷棍。
He went on to tell me his version of “the secrets to life” and how “true happiness can only befound by loving and serving others”.
他继续跟我说起他理解的“人生奥秘”，和“真正的快乐只能从关爱和服务他人中获得'
Finally he finished with, “oh, and don’t forget…you really gotta’ love the one
you’rewith...yourself ”.
最后他说，“喚，别忘了……你必须得爱你与之相伴的那个人, 就是你自己”。 Life was obviously trying to tell me something. In the days and weeks that followed, the worldlooked completely different to me.
显然，生活会让我领悟到些什么。随后的几天和几个星期， 整个世界在我眼中完全变了模样。
The more I studied and tested my “kindness creates happiness” theory, the more I was blownaway by its life-changing power.
我越是研究和验证我的“善生 乐”理论，我越是为它那改变人生的力量所倾倒。 I realized that most of my disappointments in life were simply because I had been unkind toothers and especially to myself.
我发现生活中 绝大多数失望都是源于我对别人的不善，尤其是对自己的不善。 After spending much of my life thinking “what’s in it for me”, my new inner mantra became; “Am I being kind?”. This one simple question changed my life. So, whenever I feel the need todisagree with my wife, lash out at a rude employee in the mall or even before I shove tencookies into my mouth, I go within and ask; “am I being kind?”. These four little words havebecome my source to inner peace. 花了大半辈子琢磨人生的意义，我的新灵魂咒语变成，“我 有没有为善?”这个简单的问题改变了我的生活。当我想和妻子 争论的时候，当我想对粗鲁的商店售货员训斥的时候，甚至当 我想往嘴巴里狂塞饼干的时候，我都会自问，“我有没有为善广 这几个字成为我内心平静的源泉。
It has created many positive changes in me such as recycling and acting more
“green” andconsciously respecting all of life. I even stopped setting the mousetraps in the garage. (Mywife is going to kill me when she reads that last one). 它在我内心生出许多好的变 化，比如循环再利用资源，做环保人士，而且有意识地尊重一 切事物。我甚至不再在车库里安置捕鼠器(我妻子要是读到这 最后一句可能会杀了我)。
Another big change in my life was the irresistible urge to perform
“spontaneous acts ofkindness”. Things like buying coffee for strangers and giving money to the homeless justseemed natural. Each kind act felt like a blissful surge of energy through my chest.
另一个大变化是我控制不住地要去做 “自然而然的善行”。比如给陌生人买咖啡，把零钱给流浪汉等， 这样的行为做起来是那么自然。每个蕃行都好似一股幸福的能 量在我胸膛里汹涌澎湃。
But what became even more exhilarating were the intense feelings of warmth towardseveryone around me -- especially difficult people. Whether there was someone who acted rudein traffic or an inconsiderate person in line at the grocery store, I no longer felt anxious oroffended -- I simply wished for their happiness. That’s when I realized what it truly meant to beliving kindness.
但最让人愉快的是对我周围每一个人 的强烈的亲切感，尤其是对那些坏脾气的人。不管是粗野无礼 的司机，还是食品店排队加塞的家伙，我不再觉得焦灼不安或 是怒不可遏，我只是希望他们能快乐。那是当我明白了人生须 行蕃的真意之后。
All thanks to an unexpected turtle crossing the street, that one day. 所有这一切，都要归功于那天的一只不期而至穿过马路的乌龟。
[美联英语]双语阅读：一只让我悟道的乌龟
