内容简介
让你心灵获得洗涤并提升英语阅读水平的中英双语读本。
全书共分五大章节：第一部分《改变我一生的话》中讲述的温情故事，让我们体悟到：换个心态去直面生活中的风雨，人生会变得更美好豁达；第二部分读者能学会如何战胜病痛和困境，习得勇敢者的智慧和坚强；第三部分《每一天都是的》，让我们明白要活在当下，珍惜现在所拥有的一切美好；第四部分《榜样》，讲述身边的人如何乐观面对不尽如人意的人生困境，让我们看到坚韧成长的力量；第五部分《细数幸福》，讲述平凡生活的可贵所在，幸福就藏在日常的美好生活中。既然改变不了环境，我们就只能改变自己。本书内容丰富，文笔优美。原汁原味的英文，辅以温暖感性的中文，使人不自觉沉浸其中，在提升英文阅读水平的同时，感受到心灵的洗涤和滋养。
目录
目录
Foreword
前言
Chapter 1 Words that Changed My Life
第一部分 改变我一生的话
The Day I Met Norman Vincent Peale
遇到诺曼文森特皮尔的那一天_003
Dancing in the Rain
雨中的舞蹈_011
Each Day a Masterpiece
每天都是一个杰作_016
Words of Wisdom
智慧箴言_023
Two Strangers
两个陌生人_025
Listen to Your Mother
听妈妈的话_033
Finding the Real Me
找到真实的自己_040
License to Smile
微笑通行证_050
Hearing the Worst
听到糕的事_055
Chapter 2 Health Challenges
第二部分 健康挑战
I’m Positive... Really
我很乐观……真的_065
A Wink from God Himself
来自上帝的眷顾_073
Walking Through My Paralysis
走过瘫痪的岁月_079
Down But Not Out
击倒，却不曾被击败_089
Just One More
再一次_097
Walking Forward
继续前行_103
Faith to Share
分享信仰_112
I Am Woman
我是女性_120
My Purpose
我的目标_128
Chapter 3 Every Day Is Special
第三部分 每一天都是的
Every Day a Friday
每天都是星期五_139
The Gift of Brain Cancer
脑癌的礼赠_144
Eleven Minutes
十一分钟_153
It’s in the Little Things
小事见真情_172
In Full Bloom
鲜花盛开_179
A Timely Lesson
及时的一课_187
Childhood Delights
童年的欢乐_197
People First
以人为本_205
Chapter 4 Role Models
第四部分 榜样
A True Thanksgiving
一个真实的感恩节_213
Unbreakable Faith
坚定不移的信仰_221
The Power of Illusion
错觉的力量_228
Cheer Leader
啦啦队长_234
Throw Away the Key
扔掉钥匙_240
Breakfast with a Friend
和朋友共进早餐_245
She Altered My Attitude
她改变了我的态度_251
Thank You, Mr. Flagman
谢谢你，旗号员先生_260
A Shining Star in the Midst of Darkness
黑暗中闪烁的星辰_265
Chapter 5 Counting Your Blessings
第五部分 细数幸福
Counting Our Blessings
细数幸福_273
Getting Old Gratefully
心怀感恩至古稀_281
Shiny Nickels
闪亮的五分镍币_290
Power Out
停电_298
One Hundred Blessings
一百个赐福_306
Death Star
死亡之星_316
From Nuisance to Blessing
从讨厌到喜欢_324
Living in Barbie’s Dream House
住在芭比梦之屋_332
Pressed, Stressed and Blessed
从紧迫的压力中感到幸福_338
Meet Our Authors
见见我们的作者_345
about Deborah Norville
德博拉诺维尔简介_349
Thank You
感谢词_351
Chicken Soup for the Soul Improving Your Life Every Day
《心灵鸡汤》每天改善你的生活_353
Share with Us
与我们一同分享_355
摘要与插图
Dancing in the Rain雨中的舞蹈
Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.
—Author Unknown
My husband and I had just finished having dinner at a local restaurant and were enjoying strolling through the stores in an adjacent shopping center. We went into a shop that sold handcrafted items in hopes of finding a few last-minute Christmas gifts. The scent of handmade soaps and potpourri teased our noses as we walked through the door.
There was a lot to see. Every shelf and wall was loaded with different crafters’ handiwork. As I walked through the store, I noticed a wooden plaque hanging unceremoniously on a wall. I turned to take a second look and remember shaking my head “yes” at the message printed on the plaque. Moving on, I enjoyed looking at other items in the store, but found myself being drawn back to the plaque.
Standing in front of the plaque, I felt a little like a child who, when digging through the sandbox, finds some unexpected treasure—a shiny quarter or a lost toy. Here among the other handmade items, I found a very simple, yet profound treasure hidden in a message. A message I needed.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass,” the plaque proclaimed. “It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
As I pulled my husband over and directed his attention to the plaque, I could see that he too appreciated the simple lesson the plaque shared. How often in our daily lives had we put conditions on our happiness? When we get the house paid off, then we can be happy. When things settle down with the kids, then we’ll be able to do more together. There is so little joy for the here and now in the uncertainties of the whens and thens.
Looking at the plaque, I found myself thinking back to a hot and muggy day the summer before, when I unknowingly lived the plaque’s message. Dark clouds had rolled in along the foothills of the Rockies, heavy with their burden of moisture. Rain began falling lightly by mid-afternoon, building to a downpour that filled the gutters with rushing water and then moved on as quickly as it had come.
Light rain continued to fall as I walked out to get my mail. Water was still running high through the gutters. I don’t know what came over me, but I suddenly felt compelled to do something a little crazy for my fifty-plus years.
I slipped off my shoes and stockings and began walking barefoot through the water. It was deliciously warm, heated by the pavement that had been baked by the summer heat.
I’m sure my neighbors thought that I had lost my last vestige of sanity, but I didn’t care. For in that moment, I was alive. I wasn’t worried about bills, the future or any other day-to-day cares. I was experiencing a gift—a pure and simple moment of joy!
The plaque now ha
