【读书有感】
生活像杯咖啡
在中国英语网上读到一篇文章,题目是《生活像杯咖啡》。文章不长,算是个小故事吧。说有一
些大学毕业生相聚一起去看望他们年迈的大学教授。到了老教授那里自然聊起了他们各自的工作和生
活,聊着聊着谈话就变成了对各自对工作和生活压力的抱怨。这位老教授听了,站起身来,到厨房煮
了一大壶咖啡,并拿出各式各样的咖啡杯,有陶瓷的、塑料的、玻璃的、水晶的,有做工精细的、有
价值不菲的,也有普普通通的。他让弟子自己倒咖啡喝。等弟子们都端好咖啡,这位老教授说了下列
一段话:
“如果你们注意一下,你们会发现所有好看的昂贵的杯子都被拿走了,剩下的只是那些普通的和便
宜的。你们都想让自己拥有最好的,这很正常,但这正是你们的问题和压力的根源所在。”
“杯子本身肯定不会使咖啡的质量变好,在很多时候,杯子让咖啡更昂贵,某些时候,杯子甚至让
我们看不清我们在喝的是什么。你们真正想喝的是咖啡,而不是杯子,但你们都下意识挑了最好的杯
子,而且还留意别人拿了的什么杯子。“
“设想一下,如果生活是杯中的咖啡,工作、财富和社会地位就是那些杯子,它们只不过是维持生
活的工具而已。什么样的杯子都不能界定或改变我们过什么样的生活。有时候,我们过于关注杯子而
忘却记了去品味咖啡。所以,不要杯子来驾驭你,好好去品味杯中的咖啡吧。
这位老教授的这番“咖啡说”意味深长,生活确实就像一杯浓咖啡,对某些人来说是苦涩的,对某
些人来说是香醇的,就看你想追求什么样的生活,如何对待生活,如何去品味了。
老教授这段英语原话不难,我转截于此:
"If you have noticed, all the nice-looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the
plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source
of your problems and stress. "
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive
and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really want is coffee, not the cup, but you
consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.”
"Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are
just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of
life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee,
not the cups! Don't let the cups drive you ...... enjoy the coffee instead."
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