經典英語哲理美文
美文一:你可以選擇自己想過的生活
Occasionally, life can be undeniably, impossibly difficult. We are faced with challenges and events that can seem overwhelming, life-destroying to the point where it may be hard to decide whether to keep going. But you always have a choice. Jessica Heslop shares her powerful, inspiring journey from the worst times in her life to the new life she has created for herself:
生活有時候困難得難以置信，但又不容置疑。我們面臨的挑戰與困境似乎無法抵禦，試圖毀滅我們生活，甚至使你猶疑是否繼續走下去。但是你總有選擇的餘地。從人生低谷走向新生活的傑西卡·赫斯樂普，在這裡與我們分享她啟迪心靈、充滿震撼力的生活之旅。
In 20xx I had the worst year of my life.
20xx年是我生活中最艱難的一年。
I worked in a finance job that I hated and I lived in a concrete jungle city with little greenery. I occupied my time with meaningless relationships and spent copious quantities of money on superficialities. I was searching for happiness and had no idea where to find it.
我做著討厭的財務工作，住在難尋綠色的高樓林立的城市。我忙於無意義的交往，在一些膚淺表面的東西上大筆開銷。我尋找快樂，卻又不知道它在哪裡。
Then I fell ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and became virtually bed bound. I had to quit my job and subsequently was left with no income. I lived with my boyfriend of then only 3 months who financially supported me and our relationship was put under great pressure. I eventually regained my physical health, but not long after that I got a call from my family at home to say that my father’s cancer had fiercely progressed and that he had been admitted to a hospice.
然後我患上了慢性疲勞綜合症，幾乎到了臥床不起的地步。我不得不辭掉工作，同時也就斷了財源。我和那時僅相處了3個月的男友住在一起，經濟上完全依賴於他，我們的關係承受著巨大壓力。終於我恢復健康，但不久，我接到家裡的電話，父親的癌症急劇惡化，已經住進了臨終關懷中心。
I left the city and I went home to be with him.
我離開了城市，回家陪父親。
He died 6 months later.
6個月之後，他去世了。
My father was a complete inspiration to me. He was always so strong that, for a minute after he drew his last breath, I honestly thought he would come back to life. I couldn’t believe I would never again cuddle into his big warm chest and feel safe no matter what.
父親的事讓我徹底清醒。他一直很強壯，在他嚥氣之後一分鐘裡，我真的認為，他會活過來。我不能相信，我再也不能依偎在他溫暖的懷抱裡，享受他寬大的胸懷帶給我的安全感。
The grief that followed was intense for all of us 5 children and our mother, but we had each other.
母親和我們5個兄弟姐妹極為難過，但至少我們還擁有彼此。
But my oldest sister at that time complained of a bad back. It got so bad after 2 months that she too was admitted to hospital.
但是，那時我大姐開始抱怨著背痛，2個月後，因疼痛加劇也住進了醫院。
They discovered that she had highly advanced cancer in her bones and that there was nothing that they could do.
醫生們檢查發現，她已是骨癌晚期，對此他們已無能為力。
She died 1 month later.
1個月之後，她也走了。
I could never put into words the loss of my sister in my life.
大姐的逝去讓我陷入難以形容的痛苦之中。
She was a walking, talking angel and my favourite person in the whole world. If someone could have asked me the worst thing that could ever happen, it would have been losing her.
在這個世界上，她是一個能走路、會說話的天使，我最喜歡的人。如果有人問我，世界上發生的最壞的事情是什麼，那就是失去她。
She was my soul-mate and I never thought I would journey this lifetime without her.
她是我的靈魂伴侶，我從來沒有想過，我會走過沒有她陪伴的生命旅程。
美文二：抉擇時刻
The shock and extreme heart break brought me to my knees. The pain was so great and my world just looked desolate. I had no real home, no money, no job, and no friends that cared. Not one person had even sent me a sympathy card for my loss.
我被打擊和極度的心痛擊挎了。強烈的痛苦使世界在我眼中變得如此淒涼。我沒有真正意義上的家，沒有錢，沒有工作，也沒有關心我的朋友。沒有一個人因我失去親人而寄給我慰問卡。
I made an attempt of my own life and I ended up in hospital.
我嘗試著活下去，結果住進了醫院。
I remember lying in the hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling and seeing my sister’s beautiful face. She stayed with me all night long.
我記得，躺在病床上，看著天花板，看到姐姐美麗的面龐。她整夜守候著我。
I realised during that night that I had a choice. I could choose to end my life or I could choose to live it.
那天晚上，我意識到我可以選擇。要麼結束生命，要麼活下去。
I looked in my sister’s eyes and I made a decision not to go with her just yet. That I would stay and complete my journey here.
望著姐姐的眼睛，我決定不跟她走。我要留下來，走完我的生命旅程。
I also made the decision that, I wouldn’t just live any life. I would live the life that I absolutely LOVE and nothing less.
同時，我還決定，不只為生活而生活，我要完全以自己想要的方式生活。
In that moment, the clarity that descended around me was like a light shining in a dark room for the first time. As if the earth’s plates had shifted under my feet and everything suddenly looked real for the first time.
在那一刻，這一想法第一次清晰得如同一盞在黑暗閃爍的明燈。好像腳下的地球版塊變換了，每一樣東西在我眼前都真實得前所未有。
美文三:開啟心門擁抱生活
We often close ourselves off when traumatic events happen in our lives; instead of letting the world soften us, we let it drive us deeper into ourselves. We try to deflect the hurt and pain by pretending it doesn’t exist, but although we can try this all we want, in the end, we can’t hide from ourselves. We need to learn to open our hearts to the potentials of life and let the world soften us.
生活發生不幸時，我們常常會關上心門；世界不僅沒能慰藉我們，反倒使我們更加消沉。我們假裝一切彷彿都不曾發生，以此試圖忘卻傷痛，可就算隱藏得再好，最終也還是騙不了自己。既然如此，何不嘗試開啟心門，擁抱生活中的各種可能，讓世界感化我們呢？
Whenever we start to let our fears and seriousness get the best of us, we should take a step back and re-evaluate our behavior. The items listed below are six ways you can open your heart more fully and completely.
當恐懼與焦慮來襲時，我們應該退後一步，重新反思自己的言行。下面三個方法有助於你更完滿透徹地敞開心扉。
1. Breathe into pain
直面痛苦
Whenever a painful situation arises in your life, try to embrace it instead of running away or trying to mask the hurt. When the sadness strikes, take a deep breath and lean into it. When we run away from sadness that’s unfolding in our lives, it gets stronger and more real. We take an emotion that’s fleeting and make it a solid event, instead of something that passes through us.
當生活中出現痛苦的事情時，別再逃跑或隱藏痛苦，試著擁抱它吧；當悲傷來襲時，試著深呼吸，然後直面它。如果我們一味逃避生活中的悲傷，悲傷只會變得更強烈更真實——悲傷原本只是稍縱即逝的情緒，我們卻固執地耿耿於懷。
By utilizing our breath we soften our experiences. If we dam them up, our lives will stagnate, but when we keep them flowing, we allow more newness and greater experiences to blossom.
深呼吸能減緩我們的感受。屏住呼吸，生活停滯；撥出呼吸，更多新奇與經歷又將拉開序幕。
2. Embrace the uncomfortable
擁抱不安
We all know what that twinge of anxiety feels like. We know how fear feels in our bodies: the tension in our necks, the tightness in our stomachs, etc. We can practice leaning into these feelings of discomfort and let them show us where we need to go.
我們都經歷過焦灼的煎熬感，也都感受過恐懼造成的生理反應：脖子僵硬、胃酸翻騰。其實，我們有能力面對這些痛苦的感受，從中領悟到出路。
The initial impulse is to run away — to try and suppress these feelings by not acknowledging them. When we do this, we close ourselves off to the parts of our lives that we need to experience most. The next time you have this feeling of being truly uncomfortable, do yourself a favor and lean into the feeling. Act in spite of the fear.
我們的第一反應總是逃避——以為否認不安情緒的存在就能萬事大吉，可這也恰好妨礙了我們經歷最需要的.生活體驗。下次感到不安時，不管有多害怕，也請試著勇敢面對吧。
3. Ask your heart what it wants
傾聽內心
We’re often confused at the next step to take, making pros and cons lists until our eyes bleed and our brains are sore. Instead of always taking this approach, what if we engaged a new part of ourselves that isn’t usually involved in the decision making process?
我們常對未來猶疑不定，反覆考慮利弊直到身心俱疲。與其一味顧慮重重，不如從局外人的角度看待決策之事。
I know we’ve all felt decisions or actions that we had to take simply due to our “gut” impulses: when asked, we can’t explain the reasons behind doing so — just a deep knowing that it had to get done. This instinct is the part of ourselves we’re approaching for answers.
其實很多決定或行動都是我們一念之間的結果：要是追問原因的話，恐怕我們自己也道不清說不明，只是感到直覺如此罷了。而這種直覺恰好是我們探索結果的潛在自我。
To start this process, take few deep breaths then ask, “Heart, what decision should I make here? What action feels the most right?”
開始前先做幾次深呼吸，問自己：“內心認為該做什麼樣的決定呢？覺得采取哪個方案最恰當？”
See what comes up, then engage and evaluate the outcome.
看看自己的內心反應如何，然後全力以赴、靜待結果吧。
美文賞析四:生活中你錯過了什麼？
In this life, what did you miss?
在生活中，你錯過了什麼？
The wife asked the husband when she was 25. Despondently, the husband replied: 'I missed a new job opportunity.'
妻子25歲的時候這樣問丈夫。丈夫沮喪地回答：“我錯過了一個新的工作機會。”
When she was 35, the husband angrily told her that he had just missed the bus.
35歲時，丈夫生氣地說他錯過了公交車。
At 45, the husband sadly said: 'I missed the oppotunity seeing my closed relative before his last breath.'
45歲時，丈夫悲傷地說：“我錯過了見至親最後一面的機會。”
At 55, the husband said disappointingly: 'I missed a good chance to retire.'
55歲時，丈夫失望地說：“我錯過了一個退休的好機會。”
At 65, the husband hurriedly replied: 'I missed a dental appointment.'
65歲時，丈夫匆匆地回答：“我錯過了和牙醫的預約。”
At 75, the wife did not ask the husband anymore, the husband was kneeling in front of the very sick wife. Remembering the question the wife used to ask him, this time he asked the wife the same question. The wife, with a smile and peaceful look, replied: 'In this life, I did not miss having you!'
75歲，妻子不再問丈夫同樣的問題，丈夫跪在病重的妻子面前，想起以前妻子常常問起的那個問題，這次他也問了妻子同樣的問題，妻子笑了笑，一臉平靜地說：“我這一生，沒有錯過你！”
The husband was full of tears. He always thought that they could be together forever. He was always busy with work and trifles. So much so he had never been thoughtful to his wife. The husband hugged the wife tightly and said: 'Over 50 years, how I had allowed myself to miss your deep love for me.'
丈夫滿眼淚水，他總是認為可以和妻子白頭到老，於是總是忙於工作和瑣事，從沒在意過妻子。他緊緊地抱住妻子說：“這50多年來，我怎麼能允許自己錯過了你對我的愛呢。”
In the busy city life, there are many people who are always busy with work. These people revolve their lives around their jobs, these people sacrifice all their times and health to meet the social expectations. They are unwilling to spend times on health care. They miss the opportunity to be with their children in their growing up. They neglect the loved ones who care for them, and also their health.
在繁忙的城市生活中，有人總是忙於工作。他們整天圍著工作轉，甚至為了達到社會的標準，犧牲了自己的健康。他們不願花時間來關注自己的健康，在孩子成長的過程中錯失了與之共享天倫之樂的機會。他們忽視了那些關心他們的人，以及他們的健康。
Nobody knows what is going to happen one year from now.
沒有人知道一年後會發生什麼事情。
Life is not permanent, so always live in the now. Express your gratitude to your loved ones in words. Show your care with actions. Treat everyday as the last episode of life. In this way, when you are gone, you loved ones would have nothing to feel sorry about.
生命不是永恆的，所以活在當下吧。把你對愛人的感謝說出來，用行動證明你關心他們。把每一天當作人生的最後一個篇章，只有這樣，當你離開時，你愛的人們才會沒有遺憾。