雙語|現(xiàn)代散文:金圣華 多一只碟子

One Saucer More 多一只碟子

◎ Jin Shenghua ◎ 金圣華

I've been told the following anecdote by a friend of mine：

從朋友口中，聽到一則軼事。

When Chen Chih-fan，professor of electronics，was about to leave the U.S．for Hong Kong to take up his new post at the Chinese University of Hong Kong，he did packing at home with his wife．They owned a beautiful tea set，but while packing up，they had one of the cups broken through carelessness.

電子學教授陳之藩當年自美國來香港中文大學履新，臨行之前，與夫人在家中整理行裝。陳教授夫婦有一套精美的茶具，收拾裝箱時，一不小心，打破了一只茶杯。

Ordinary people would have got very upset over it，as it was always troublesome to replace the broken cup to complete the set.

一般人的反應，一定是感到十分心疼，好端端的成套茶具，打破一只杯，如何去配？

Professor Chen，however，reacted to it differently．He said calmly with a smile，“Wow！Now we've got one saucer more！”

誰知陳教授的反應卻不然，他莞爾一笑，坦然說道：“真不錯，又多了一只碟子！”

The attitude of always looking on the bright side of things will definitely be of inestimable benefit to us in our real life.

凡事從好處想，這種能耐，在現(xiàn)實生活中，確能使人受益無窮。

Professor Chen has distinguished himself both as a scientist and an essayist．His prose writings，which have been published in several collections，are known for their fresh and expressive style．I was struck with admiration when I first read them，and I remember how I marvelled then at the keen insight and wisdom displayed between the lines as well as his beautiful language.

陳之藩教授不但是位杰出的科學家，也是位了不起的散文家，他的一些散文集，清新雋永，當年曾使我折服不已。如今回想起來，令我驚嘆的，不僅僅是他那優(yōu)美的文筆，而是字里行間流露出來的睿智與巧思。

Things seldom go one's way．That's a popular saying too old to warrant re-quoting．But，one will certainly meet with one setback after another on his life's long journey.

人生不如意事常八九，這是一句老話，老得幾乎令人不想再重復，可是生命的旅程，行行復行行，在漫長的旅途上，的確會遇上一重又一重的挫折。

When frustrated，one is apt to wonder why the more fortunate can fare so well either in business or officialdom，making a pile or enjoying both fame and wealth，while he himself，like an old ox pulling a rickety cart，has to trudge all by himself on a country road thick with dusk.

每當失意時，人總覺得別人為什么比自己幸運？別人生意興隆、仕途平坦、財源廣進、名成利就；自己為什么如老牛破車，踽踽獨行在暮色四合的郊道上？

Is that true？Now take for example a cup half filled with water．Some，in the face of it，may exclaim with delight，“Great，the cup is half full！”Some may grumble gloomily，“Too bad，the cup is half empty！”You see how the two kinds of people differ.

果真如此嗎？杯中只有一半水，有人喜孜孜說：“好呀！還有半杯”，有人愁眉苦臉：“哎呀！只剩下半杯了”，分別就在這里。

金圣華，著名翻譯家、散文家，原籍浙江省上虞縣，美國華盛頓大學碩士及法國巴黎大學博士?，F(xiàn)任香港中文大學翻譯系講座教授，中文大學校董，中國翻譯協(xié)會理事，著作和譯作甚豐。《多一只碟子》選自她1995年出版的雜文集《橋畔閑眺》。文章流暢自如，遣詞簡明，深入淺出，勸導人們“凡事從好處想”，以達觀的態(tài)度化解生活中可能遇到的煩惱。