What Makes You Happy?

周敏欣

What does happiness mean to you？ Is it something as simple as getting a new toy or doing well on an exam？ Or is it something more meaningful than that？

A group of university graduates visited their old professor. During their visit， the conversation turned to work. The graduates were complaining about their problems and stress in work and in life. After offering coffee to his guests， the professor went to the kitchen and came back with a coffee pot and a tray①， crowded with many different cups： porcelain②， glass， plastic and crystal③.

Some cups were simple， other ones expensive. The professor asked them to pick out their cups first. When the graduates picked out their favorite cups， the professor explained： “Notice how all the beautiful cups were picked out and the simple and cheap ones were left.”

“Wanting only the best things for yourself is the source of your problems and stress. You need to understand that the cup doesnt make the coffee better. Actually， all that you wanted was the coffee， not the cup. But you consciously④ chose the best cups， and then looked to see what cups others picked.”

“Life is the coffee. Your job， money， position in society... they are the cups. The type of cup doesnt determine the quality of life. Sometimes， by concentrating only on the cups， we forget to enjoy the taste of coffee. The happiest people are not those who have the best things， but those who enjoy life and make the most of what they have.”

Hearing this， the graduates were speechless. They had learned another important life lesson from their old professor—that true happiness means enjoying life and not worrying about unimportant things.

Notes： ① tray n. 托盤 ② porcelain n. 陶瓷 ③ crystal n. 水晶 ④ consciously adv. 有意識地

【難句解析】

1. Or is it something more meaningful than that？

釋義：或者它是比那更有意義的事情？

點撥：more... than...結構有三種用法：表示“比……更多”，此時more為many或much的比較級，表示數量，后接名詞;表示“比……更……”，此時more后接多音節形容詞或副詞，構成比較級，表示對兩者進行比較;表示“與其說……不如說……”，此時不是對兩個對象進行比較，而是對同一個人或物在兩個不同方面進行比較或取舍，此時不論形容詞或副詞是單音節、雙音節還是多音節，一律用more... than...。例如：

Last year there were more births than deaths. 去年的出生人數多于死亡人數。

Travelling by train is more relaxing than driving. 乘火車旅行比開汽車輕松得多。

He is more lucky than clever. 與其說他聰明，不如說他幸運。

2. Some cups were simple， other ones expensive.

釋義：一些杯子很便宜，另外一些很貴。

點撥：英語中通常用some... others...或some... other people / things... 來表示“有些……另一些”的意思，在other前可以加and或while。例如：

Some people learn by experiment and others learn by experience. 一些人通過實驗學習，另一些人則從經驗中學習。

Some people like modern art， while others say that it is rubbish. 有些人喜歡現代藝術，而另一些人認為它是垃圾。

3. Wanting only the best things for yourself is the source of your problems and stress.

釋義：僅僅想為自己得到最好的東西是你的問題和壓力的來源。

點撥：在此句中，動名詞wanting only the best things for yourself作主語，the source of your problems and stress作表語。當動名詞作主語時，謂語動詞用單數形式。例如：

Working in these conditions is not a suffer but a pleasure. 在這種條件下工作不是一件痛苦的事而是一件愉快的事。

4. The happiest people are not those who have the best things， but those who enjoy life and make the most of what they have.”

釋義：最幸福的那些人不是擁有最好東西的，而是享受生活和充分利用他們擁有的東西的那些人。

點撥：在此句中，the happiest是最高級，who have the best things和who enjoy life and make the most of what they have是由who引導的定語從句，修飾前面的先行詞those。定語從句中的what they have作介詞of的賓語從句，what在賓語從句中作have的賓語，not... but...意為“不是……而是……”。例如：

Those who listened to him were deeply moved. 聽他講話的人都被深深地感動了。

He is thinking about what he should say next. 他在想接下來應該說什么。

The value of life lies not in the length of days， but in the use that we make of them. 生命的價值不在于活了多少天，而在于我們如何利用這些日子。

I. Choose the right answer.

1. The professor offered different kinds of cups to ____.

A. give his students more choices to choose from B. teach his students how to make coffee

C. show his students his collection of cups?????????? D. tell his students the right attitude to life

2. When asked to pick out their favorite cups， the students ____.

A. chose the plastic and glass cups??????????????????? B. did not choose heavy cups

C. preferred beautiful and expensive cups????? D. preferred simple and cheap cups

3. According to the professor， the happiest people are the ones who ____.

A. have the best kinds of coffee cups? ????????????? B. make the best of what they have

C. have many options to choose from ????????????? D. care mostly about making more money

4. In the authors opinion， ____.

A. it is necessary to have a variety of cups to meet the needs of different guests

B. one should concentrate on main things in life

C. the students liked drinking coffee mole than anything else

D. cups are more important than coffee

II. Fill in the blanks.

1. She ____ ____ （挑選） the best piece of silk.

2. Some are playing games， ____ ____ （別的學生） are climbing the hill.

3. This film is ____ ____ ____ （和……一樣有趣） that one.

4. What makes his parents worry is ____ ____ ____ ____ （不是他的錢，而是……） his health.

5. We have had ____ ____ ____ （我們所需要的）.

6. ____ ____ ____ （鍛煉幫助） people to keep healthy.