A few years ago, my husband Dawn and I were in Key West for a long weekend with our three- and four-year-old daughters. As we went back and forth about what to do next, our girls jumped right in and told us exactly what they wanted to do. "We want to go to a museum of butterflies," said Ariela and Eliana.
几年前,我和丈夫道恩带着我们三岁和四岁大的两孩子去西锁岛度小长假。当我们还在犹豫接下来该玩什么时,孩子们直接表达了她们的意见。艾瑞尔拉和埃利安娜说:“我们想去蝴蝶博物馆!”
注:西锁岛是美国佛罗里达州的一小岛,它属于佛罗里达州南部一串岛链中最南部和最西部的小岛。
Having never been to a museum of butterflies, Dawn and I looked at the map, and sure enough there it was: a museum of butterflies. We looked at each other and said, "Let’s go."
道恩和我都没去过蝴蝶博物馆,我和道恩查看地图:的确有一家蝴蝶博物馆。我们相视一眼后,说:“咱们出发吧。”
As soon as we walked into the main area we were immediately surrounded by thousands and thousands of beautiful butterflies, all flapping their multicolored wings.
一走进博物馆的主展示区,我们便发现自己被成千上万只美丽的蝴蝶围绕,它们扇动着色彩斑驳的翅膀。
I looked down at our girls. They were jumping up and down and clapping their hands. I knew we had made the right decision to come to the museum. They were having so much fun.
我低头看看孩子们,她们蹦哒着,开心地拍手。我便知道来博物馆的这个决定没错。她们玩得很开心。
I turned to our museum tour guide--just because I was curious--and asked, "How long do butterflies live?"
只因好奇心使然,我转过身问博物馆导游:“蝴蝶能存活多久?”
She said, "About ten days."
她回答说:“十天左右。”
I thought to myself, "Ten days. What can you do in ten days?" So I asked her, "What do butterflies do in ten days?"
我对自己说:“十天,十天能做什么?”于是我又问她:“蝴蝶这十天里会做什么?”
The guide stopped, looked at me, and said, "They make the world a more beautiful place."
导游停了下来,看着我说:“它们让这个世界变得更美丽。”
"Wow," I said, "I never thought about butterflies like that. Thank you."
“哇!我从没有把蝴蝶想象成这样,谢谢你!”我对她说。
After we said goodbye, I couldn’t stop thinking about what the guide had said. She was right: We all have something to offer the world with the time we have. When we focus our natural gifts on taking care of each other every day, we Make a Difference.
我们道别后,不禁想着导游说过的话:她说的没错。我们都能用自己的时间为这个世界做点事。当我们每天发自内心、自然而然地关爱彼此,我们便能让世界有所改变。
Appreciate the impact you have on your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Like a butterfly, you have your own way of making the world a little better for everyone.Embrace the opportunity to contribute to others. Your life matters. Make it a point in coming days to demonstrate the impact you have on others by offering a hand to people in need.
享受你对亲朋好友,同事与邻居产生的影响吧。像蝴蝶般,你能用自己的方式使世界更美好。热情把握造福他人的机会。你的人生是有意义的,从今以后,请给需要帮助的人伸出援手,展现你对他人的影响力吧。