The Happy Door

林鋒

Happiness is like a pebble dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples. As Stevenson has said， being happy is a duty.

There is no exact definition of the word happiness. Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons. The key is not wealth or physical well-being， since we find beggars and so-called failures， who are extremely happy.

Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend. But staying happy is an accomplishment. It is not selfish to strive for it. It is， indeed， a duty to ourselves and others.

Being unhappy is like an infectious disease. It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer. He soon finds himself alone， miserable and embittered. There is， however， a cure so simple as to seem， at first glance， ridiculous：if you don’t feel happy， pretend to be！

It works. Before long you will find that instead of repelling people， you attract them. You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of wider and wider circles of good will.

Then the make-believe becomes a reality. You possess the secret of peace of mind， and can forget yourself in being of service to others.

Being happy， once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit， opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged with grateful friends.

精彩譯文：

快樂之門

快樂就像一塊為了激起陣陣漣漪而丟進池塘的小石頭。正如史蒂文森所說，快樂是一種責任。

快樂這個詞并沒有確切的定義，快樂的人擁有快樂的理由多種多樣。快樂的關鍵并不是財富或身體健康，因為我們發現有些乞丐和所謂的失敗者也都非常快樂。

快樂是一種意外的收獲，但保持快樂卻是一種成就。努力追尋快樂并不自私，實際上，這是我們對自己和他人應盡的責任。

不快樂就像傳染病，它使得人們都躲避不快樂的人。不快樂的人很快就會發現自己處于孤獨、悲慘、痛苦的境地。然而，有一種簡單得看似荒謬的治病良方：如果你不快樂，就假裝你很快樂！

這很有效。不久你就會發現，別人不再躲著你了。相反，你開始吸引別人了。你會發覺，做一塊能激起好意漣漪的小石頭有多么值得。

然后假裝就變成了現實。你擁有了使心靈平靜的秘密，會因幫助他人而忘我。

一旦你認識到快樂是一種責任并使快樂成為習慣，通向不可思議的樂園的大門就會向你敞開，那里滿是感激你的朋友。