生命要活得精彩

一把小提琴的美妙乐音理应被世人欣赏，一个人的生命也需要精彩。生命的意义不在于长度，而在于广度。为理想而活，为帮助他人而活，你会感到无比的幸福。

By Steve Goodier

乔敏 译注

Life is to be lived. No excuses. No reservations. No holding back.

生命要活得精彩。没有借口，没有保留，没有退缩。

An enchanting story about violinist Fritz Kreisler tells how he once came across a beautiful instrument he wanted to acquire. When he finally raised the money for the violin, he returned to buy it and learned that it had already been sold to a collector.

有一个关于小提琴家弗里茨•克莱斯勒的故事。故事讲述了他有一次看到了一个很精美的小提琴，他很想得到它。可是等他最终攒够了钱去买小提琴的时候，他获知那个小提琴已经被一个收藏家买去了。

He went to the new owner’s home in order to try to persuade him to sell the violin. But the collector said it was one of his prized possessions and he could not let it go. The disappointed Kreisler turned to leave, but then asked a favour. “May I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?”

他去了那个小提琴新主人的家里，试图劝服他把小提琴卖给自己。但是收藏家说那是他最珍爱的收藏之一，他不能将它卖掉。失望的克莱斯勒转身准备离开，但是还是提了另外一个请求：“我可以在这件乐器被封存之前再用它弹奏一曲吗？”

Permission was granted and the great musician began to play. The violin sang out a quality of music so beautiful that the collector himself could only listen in wonderment.

他得到了许可，于是这个伟大的音乐家就开始了他的演奏。这个小提琴发出的乐音无比悦耳，连那个收藏家都听得入了迷。

“I have no right to keep that to myself,” he said after the musician finished. “The violin is yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into world, and let people hear it.”

音乐家演奏完之后，他说：“我没有权利将它据为己有，克莱斯勒先生，这个小提琴是你的了。将小提琴带给世人，让所有人都听到它的乐音。”

William Arthur Ward said ... “If you believe in prayer, pray; if you believe in serving, serve; if you believe in giving, give.”

曾经说……“如果你信奉祈祷，那就去祷告；如果你信奉奉献，那就去工作；如果你信奉施舍，那就去布施。”

For you and I are exquisite violins — our music is meant to be heard.

如果你我是精美的小提琴——那么我们的音乐就必须被世人听到。

I want to live my life that way — to take it into the world and live it fully. I’d rather burn out than rust out. I’d rather be used up than die not having done whatever I could ... wherever I would.

我希望能如此对待自己的生命——来到世间，竭尽全力的生活。我宁愿像蜡烛般燃尽，也不愿让自己锈迹斑斑。我宁愿将生命全部耗尽，也不愿临死之时自己能做和想做的事情都没来得及做。

I’m not talking about wearing ourselves out on over-activity. Happiness is never found in excessive busyness. But it is found in investing our lives in others. Saying yes when asked for a hand. Volunteering some time for a worthwhile organization. Spending an hour with a lonely relative.

我所说的不是要过度劳累从而让我们精疲力竭。幸福不在于过于忙碌，而在于帮助他人。当有人向你求助时，答应他。为一个值得花费精力的组织去做志愿者。用一小时来陪伴你一个孤独的亲戚。

In the end, I know that my happiness will not have been about by my ability or my inability. It will have been about my availability. My life is meant to be lived.

最后，我知道我的幸福与我能做什么、不能做什么没有关系。幸福只和我乐于助人有关。我的生命要活得精彩。

Vocabulary

1. prize: 珍视、真爱。

2. consign: 把……托付给。

3. wear out: 使疲乏，使精疲力竭。

（来源：英语学习杂志）