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A wise woman’s magic
三兄弟與女巫的快樂魔法
Introduction
“If only I had more money, then I would be happy.” “If only I was more attractive, then I would be happy.” “If only….”and so on and so forth. Everyone seems to be looking for happiness in their own way. A lot of people seem to know exactly what they need to be happy, yet they struggle to get it, and feel miserable because they don’t have it (yet).
So did three brothers in this story. They couldn’t be happy even though they led a good life and had a good heart. Being burdened by their unhappiness, years passed by, up until they met a wise old woman. The woman turned out to have magical powers, and because the brothers helped her out, she decided to grant them all a wish. Like many of us, all three had a very clear idea about what they were missing; about what they needed to be happy, so they asked her to give them that. The woman made their wishes come true, and it seemed to work for some time: the brothers were happy. After one year however, they found themselves unhappy again, for they had grown used to their new lives, and longed for something new and more again. Desperately, they went back to the old woman who taught them a valuable lesson: that no one can be truly happy without the ability to be content.
Once upon a time, there were three brothers named Samuel, Timothy and Xander, who lived nearby the woods. Every day, they would venture into the forest to fell wood to sell it later in the market.
從前，有這麼兄弟三人居住在森林旁，他們分別名叫塞繆爾、蒂莫西和贊德。他們三人每天都會去森林裡砍伐木材，然後到市場上出售。
Even though they lived a good life, they were unhappy. Each one hankered for something else, and would pine for it.
儘管他們的日子過得不錯，但他們並不快樂。每個人都渴望得到更多，併為此痛苦不已。
Venture (verb)
英 ['ventʃə] 美 ['vɛntʃɚ]
大膽冒險
Hankered (verb, from: to hanker)
英 ['hæŋkə] 美 ['hæŋkɚ]
嚮往，追求；渴望，期望
Pine for
(verb, from: to pine for something)
痛苦，渴望
One day, while Samuel, Timothy and Xander were returning home from the woods, they saw an old haggard woman bent low with a sack on her back. As they were kind and compassionate, the brothers offered to carry the sack for her to her home. She was very grateful to the brothers, who took turns in carrying the sack. When they reached the woman’s home, they were very tired.
一天，在從森林回家的路上，塞繆爾、蒂莫西和贊德看到一位憔悴的老婦人揹著一個麻袋，麻袋已把她的身體壓得很低。兄弟三人都很善良且富有同情心，因此他們主動上前要求幫這位老婦人把麻袋送回家。於是，三兄弟開始輪流幫老婦人背麻袋，老婦人對他們的幫助感激不盡。到了老婦人家的時候，他們都已筋疲力盡。
Now, this old woman was no ordinary person; she had magical powers. Pleased with the brothers’ kind and selfless nature, she asked if she could help them with anything, as a reward.
這位老婦人並非常人，她其實是一位擁有法力的女巫。她對兄弟三人的善良和無私感到非常滿意，於是她問兄弟三人是否有什麼需要她幫助的，作為報答。
Haggard (adj.)
英 ['hægəd] 美 ['hæɡɚd]
憔悴的；
Compassionate (adj.)
英 [kəm'pæʃ(ə)nət]
美 [kəm'pæʃənət]
慈悲的；富於同情心的
Took turns
(expression, from: to take turns)
輪流；依次
Selfless (adj.)
英 ['selflɪs] 美 [sɛlflɪs]
無私的；不考慮自己的
Reward (noun)
英 [rɪ'wɔːd] 美 [rɪ'wɔrd]
[勞經] 報酬；報答；酬謝
“We are not happy, and that has become our greatest cause of concern,” replied Samuel. The woman asked what would make them happy. Each brother spoke of a different thing that would please him. “
我們的日子過得不快樂，這讓我們很苦惱。”塞繆爾回答說。老婦人問什麼能讓他們快樂起來。三兄弟分別給出了不同的答案。
“A splendid mansion with plenty of servants would make me happy,” said Samuel. “A big farm with lots of harvest would make me happy,” said Timothy. “A beautiful wife would make me happy,” said Xander.
“擁有一所豪宅，再配上很多僕人，會讓我快樂。”塞繆爾回答說。“擁有一個收成非常好的大農場，會讓我快樂。”蒂莫西回答說。“擁有一位美麗的妻子，會讓我快樂。”贊德回答說。
“If these things will give you happiness, you deserve them for helping a poor helpless person like me. Go home, and each of you shall find exactly what you have wished for.” Said the old woman. “
如果這些能給你們帶來快樂，這些就是你們應得的，因為你們幫助過一個像我這樣無助的人。現在回家吧，你們每個人都會得到自己想要的。”老婦人說。
Splendid (adj.)
英 ['splendɪd] 美 ['splɛndɪd]
輝煌的；燦爛的；極好的；傑出的
Mansion (noun)
英 ['mænʃ(ə)n] 美 ['mænʃən]
大廈；宅邸
Harvest (noun)
英 ['hɑːvɪst] 美 ['hɑrvɪst]
收穫；產量；結果
The brothers knew nothing about the woman’s magical powers and went home, not expecting anything to happen. Upon returning home though, they saw that there was a huge mansion besides their cottage with servants waiting outside! They greeted Samuel and ushered him in. Asides the mansion, a yellow farmland showed itself. A ploughman came and announced that the land belonged to Timothy. Just at that moment, a beautiful maiden approached Xander and coyly said that she was his wife. The brothers were filled with joy at this new turn of events. They thanked their lucky stars and adapted to their new lifestyles.
兄弟三人對這位老婦人的法力一無所知，因此，他們並沒有期待回家後會有什麼事情發生。但，到家後，他們發現他們住的小屋旁邊，出現了一所非常大的豪宅，外面有許多僕人正在等待。僕人們向塞繆爾致敬，並把他迎進了豪宅。豪宅旁邊出現一片金黃色的農場。一位農夫走過來，宣佈這片土地屬於蒂莫西。就在那一刻，一位美麗的少女走近贊德，害羞地說，她就是贊德的妻子。兄弟三人沉浸在這些生活的新變化帶來的喜悅之中。他們向他們的幸運星表達了感激之情，然後開始適應他們的全新生活方式。
The days passed and soon a year was over. Samuel had grown tired of owning the mansion. He became lazy and did not supervise his servants into taking proper care of the mansion. Timothy, who had built a decent house next to his farmland, found it burdensome to plough the fields and sowseeds. Xander too, grew used to his beautiful wife and no longer found any joy in keeping her company. In short, all of them were unhappy again.
時光流逝，一年的時間很快就過去了。塞繆爾已經對擁有這所豪宅感到厭倦。他變得懶惰，不再監督僕人妥善照料他的豪宅。蒂莫西在他的農場旁建造了一座很像樣的房子，卻發現耕田、播種這樣的工作是非常繁重的。同樣，贊德也對他美麗的妻子失去了新鮮感，發現與她相伴時的愉悅已一去不復返。總之，三兄弟又不快樂了。
Cottage (noun)
英 ['kɒtɪdʒ] 美 ['kɑtɪdʒ]
小屋；村舍；（農舍式的）小別墅
Ushered (verb, from: to usher)
英 ['ʌʃə] 美 ['ʌʃɚ] 引導，招待；迎接；
Ploughman (noun)
英 ['plaʊmən] 美 ['plaʊmən]
農夫；莊稼漢；犁田者
Maiden (noun)
英 ['meɪd(ə)n] 美 ['medn]
少女；
Coyly (adv.) ['kɔili]
羞怯地；害羞地
Turn of events (expression)
形勢的變化
Adapted (verb, from: to adapt)
美 [ə'dæptɪd] 使適應，
Supervise (verb)
英 ['suːpəvaɪz; 'sjuː-] 美 ['sʊpɚ'vaɪz]
監督，管理；指導
Decent (adj.) 英 ['diːs(ə)nt] 美 ['disnt]
正派的；得體的；相當好的
Burdensome (adj.)
英 ['bɜːdns(ə)m] 美 ['bɝdnsəm]
繁重的；累贅的；惱人的
Sow (verb) 英 [səʊ] 美 [so]
播種；散佈；使密佈
One day, the three of them met up and decided to visit the old woman again. “We must go and seek her help now. It is she who will be able to tell us the secret to attaining happiness,” said Samuel.
一天，他們三人相遇並決定再次拜訪那位老婦人。“我們現在必須去尋求她的幫助。只有她能夠告訴我們獲得快樂的秘訣。”塞繆爾說。
When they came to the old woman, each of the brothers recounted how he had turned unhappy again. “Please tell us how we can once more be happy,” said Timothy.
他們來到老婦人面前，每個人都講述了自己是如何再次變得不快樂的。“請您告訴我們怎樣才能重新快樂起來。”蒂莫西說。
Attaining
(verb, from: to attain) 美 [ə'teɪniŋ]
獲得；到達
Recounted
(verb, from: to recount)
英 [rɪ'kaʊnt] 美 [rɪ'kaʊnt]
敘述；
“Well,” replied the old woman. “It is all in your own hands. See, when each of you made his wish and it was granted, you were happy. However, happiness never lasts without a very important thing – content. Earlier, since you were happy but never really content or satisfied, boredom and misery overcame you and you became sad again. Only if you learn to be content, can you truly enjoy the bliss of happiness.”
“嗯，”老婦人回答說，“快樂其實完全掌握在你們自己手中。你看，當你們每個人許下願望並得到滿足時，你們很快樂。但是，快樂的延續卻離不開一件非常重要的事情——知足。之前，你們得到了快樂但從來沒真正滿足，也從來沒有知足，於是無聊和痛苦就會戰勝你，讓你再次變得悲傷難過。只有當你們學會知足時，你們才能體會到真正的快樂。
Samuel, Timothy and Xander realized their mistake and went back home. Remembering that happiness and content went side by side, never again did the brothers take their blessings for granted. And thus, they lived happily ever after.
塞繆爾、蒂莫西和贊德終於意識到自己犯下的錯誤，於是返回了自己的家中。牢記快樂與知足是如影隨形的，三兄弟不再把上天賜予他們的眷顧視為理所當然。於是，從此以後，他們過上了幸福快樂的生活。
Granted
(verb, from: to grant)
英 ['ɡrɑːntɪd] 美 ['ɡrɑːntɪd]
授予；允許；承認
Content (noun)
英 [kən'tent] 美 ['kɑntɛnt]
內容，目錄；滿足；容量
Bliss (noun) [blɪs]
極樂；天賜的福
Take…for granted
phrasal verb, from:
to take something for granted)
視作理所當然，想當然
Blessings (noun)
英 ['blesɪŋ] 美 ['blɛsɪŋ]
祝福；賜福；
Thus (adv.) 英 [ðʌs] 美 [ðʌs]
因此；從而；這樣；如此
The End
靜思語
簡簡單單四個字，
足以讓人得到快樂，
知足常樂。
知足不是不努力
而是更努力讓自己內心平和，
更珍惜現有的生活。
更懂得感激成全你現在的人生的人和事。
課後留言版
美文感想:人一方面要知足常樂，珍惜擁有的，另一方面又要積極努力，爭取更好的生活，這樣才能進退有據，始終有快樂相伴！
—— GP
今天的小文的確引人思考，吃飽穿暖後我們還能做些什麼？現在的我工作穩定，家庭穩定，但就是感覺缺了點什麼，現在都講什麼階級固化，實在讓人壓抑~買買買也只能帶來短暫的滿足感。後來收到好朋友的影響，開始資助貧困學生，為他們完成學業出份力，雖然錢不多但覺得很踏實，覺得非常值得、有意義。後來想能一直努力，過好屬於自己的人生了，就好了，奢望太多隻能徒增煩惱~
—— 徐超
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