“明天和意外，你永远不知道哪个会先来”

🤔️小作业：

1. What is the main message that the author is trying to convey?

a) Cherishing the present eliminates all kinds of fear.

b) Living in the past is the root cause of unhappiness.

c) Being mindful enhances one's creativity.

d) The key to inner peace is living in the present moment.

a) Perform activities mindlessly.

b) Appreciate every moment.

c) Put all your effort into each event.

d) Take a break from daily life.

无注释原文：

Appreciate Each Moment

From: The Huffington Post

Mar 24, 2015

One of the ultimate objectives of attaining inner peace is learning to live happily in the present moment. Keep in mind that life is a continuous succession of present moments. Most of us spend a great deal of our present moments regretting the past, worrying about the future, which creates restlessness with the here and now. A whole lot of precious time is wasted.

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Every time we think should have, could have, or would have -- we are diminishing the creative power of our present moment as well as the joy of each and subsequent moments. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is all you have.

On the other hand, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that "someday" will be better than today. Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It is not, in fact, no one has a guarantee that we will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have and the only time that we have any control over.

Being grateful for the ordinary things and events in our daily lives contributes in a profound and practical way to our well-being and happiness. If we rush through our day's activities without paying attention to what we're doing or feeling thankful for what's in front of us, we are going through our events without really experiencing them. This state of mindlessness is a way of being numb or cut off from the present moment.

You've probably had the experience of driving along a highway only to suddenly realize you have no memory or awareness of the previous 15 minutes. Maybe you even missed your exit. You just zoned out; you were somewhere else mentally. We are so lost in our thoughts that we are not aware of our present experience. As a result, life passes us by without an impact. Develop the habit of noticing new aspects of whatever situation you are in. This process creates engagement with the present moment and releases a cascade of other benefits. Paying attention to each new experience puts us emphatically in the here and now.

For one thing, when our attention is in the present moment, we push fear from our minds. Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future, such as, we won't have enough money, our children will get into trouble or we will get old and die!

To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to revert our attention back to the present. This should bring you to a higher level of enjoyment of your daily life. Making the conscious effort to enjoy each moment will make your inner quest that much easier. Cultivating a disposition of awareness in every moment of our daily lives helps us to experience life with greater mindfulness in each passing moment. No two moments are alike. Everything changes, so we do not want to take any unique moment for granted nor do we want to deny its creative power. Cherishing this moment opens the way to appreciating increased blessings throughout our lives.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Appreciate Each Moment

From: The Huffington Post

Mar 24, 2015

One of the ultimate objectives of attaining inner peace is learning to live happily in the present moment. Keep in mind that life is a continuous succession of present moments. Most of us spend a great deal of our present moments regretting the past, worrying about the future, which creates restlessness with the here and now. A whole lot of precious time is wasted.

达成内心宁静的最终目标之一是学会快乐地活在当下。请记住，生活就是由一个个“现在”组成的。大部分人会花很多时间后悔过去、担忧未来，带来当下的不安，实际上浪费了大量宝贵的时光。

作名词，objective /əbˈdʒek.tɪv/ 表示“目标；目的”，英文解释为“something that you plan to do or achieve”举个🌰：Can the sales team achieve/meet its financial objectives? 销售人员能否完成财务目标？

作形容词，表示“客观的；就事论事的；不带个人感情的”，英文解释为“not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; considering only facts”如：an objective analysis /assessment 客观的分析/评价。

succession /səkˈseʃ.ən/ 表示“继任，接任；继承”，英文解释为“a process in which someone automatically takes an official position or job after someone else”举个🌰：His divorce will not prevent the Prince of Wales's succession to the throne. 离婚不会影响威尔士亲王继承王位。

in succession表示“接连地，连续地”，英文解释为“happening one after another”举个🌰：This is the seventh year in succession that they've won the tournament. 这是他们连续第7年捧杯。

restlessness /ˈrest.ləs.nəs/ 表示“烦躁不安”，英文解释为“the quality of being unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because you are worried or bored”举个🌰：Side effects can include restlessness and irritability. 副作用可能包括烦躁不安和易怒。

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Every time we think should have, could have, or would have -- we are diminishing the creative power of our present moment as well as the joy of each and subsequent moments. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is all you have.

内心的平和很大程度上取决于我们是否能够活在当下。每当我们陷入“本应如此、本能如此或本会如此”的思考模式时，我们就在损耗当下的创造力，以及接下来每一时刻的乐趣。不论昨天或去年发生了什么，或者明天会如何，你所拥有的一切就是当下时刻。

1）表示“减少；（使）减弱，缩减；降低”，英文解释为“to become or to make sth become smaller, weaker, etc.”举个🌰：His influence has diminished with time. 随着时间的推移，他的影响已不如从前了。

2）表示“贬低；贬损；轻视”，英文解释为“to make sb/sth seem less important than they really are”举个🌰：I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution. 我并不想贬低他们所作贡献的重要性。

表示“随后的；后来的；之后的；接后的”，英文解释为“happening or coming after sth else”举个🌰：Subsequent events confirmed our doubts. 后来发生的事证实了我们的怀疑。

irrespective /ˌɪr.ɪˈspek.tɪv/ 表示“不考虑地，不顾地”，英文解释为“without considering; not needing to allow for”举个🌰：The legislation must be applied irrespective of someone's ethnic origins. 这项法律不分族裔，适用于所有人。

On the other hand, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that "someday" will be better than today. Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It is not, in fact, no one has a guarantee that we will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have and the only time that we have any control over.

另一方面，我们常常推迟追求即时的满足感和幸福感、推迟自己明确提出的优先事项，往往自我安慰，“总有一天”会比现在更美好。很多人的生活方式就像是在为某个未来的时刻做彩排。实际上，没人能保证我们明天还会在这里。现在是我们唯一拥有的时光，也是我们唯一能掌控的时光。

表示“推迟，延缓，使延期”，英文解释为“If you postpone an event, you delay it or arrange for it to take place at a later time than was originally planned.”举个🌰：He decided to postpone the expedition until the following day. 他决定将探险活动推迟到第二天。

📍路透社（Reuters）在报道上海高考延期、杭州亚运会延期时标题就都用的是Postpone.

gratification /ˌɡræt.ɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ 表示“满足；满意；快感；令人喜悦的事物”，英文解释为“the state of feeling pleasure when sth goes well for you or when your desires are satisfied; sth that gives you pleasure”

priority /praɪˈɒr.ə.ti/ 表示“优先考虑的事”，英文解释为“something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things”举个🌰：The management did not seem to consider office safety to be a priority. 管理部门似乎并不认为应优先考虑办公室安全问题。

convince /kənˈvɪns/ 表示“说服；使相信；使信服”，英文解释为“to persuade someone or make someone certain”举个🌰：I hope this will convince you to change your mind. 我希望这会说服你改变主意。

dress rehearsal /ˈdres rɪˌhɜː.səl/ 表示“（最后一次）预演彩排，带妆彩排”，英文解释为“the last time a theatre work is practised before the real performance, when it is performed with the clothes, stage, and lighting exactly as they will be for the real performance”

Being grateful for the ordinary things and events in our daily lives contributes in a profound and practical way to our well-being and happiness. If we rush through our day's activities without paying attention to what we're doing or feeling thankful for what's in front of us, we are going through our events without really experiencing them. This state of mindlessness is a way of being numb or cut off from the present moment.

对日常生活中平凡的事物和事件心怀感激，不仅能在深层次上提升我们的幸福感，还能在实际生活中带来积极影响。如果我们只是匆匆忙忙地度过每一天，不关注自己正在做什么或感激眼前的一切，那么我们就像是在“走过场”，没有真正体验到这些时刻。这种心不在焉的状态实际上对当下时刻麻木或疏远的表现。

表示“加急处理；匆忙处理”，英文解释为“to cause something to happen or be produced too quickly”

numb /nʌm/ 作形容词，表示“（身体部位）麻木的，失去感觉的”，英文解释为“If a part of your body is numb, you are unable to feel it, usually for a short time.”也可以表示“（由于过度震惊或恐惧而）麻木的，思维迟钝的”，英文解释为“not able to feel any emotions or to think clearly, because you are so shocked or frightened, etc.”举个🌰：I was lying in a weird position and my leg went numb. 我躺卧的姿势很奇怪，结果腿都麻了。

作动词，1）表示“使木呆；使麻木”，英文解释为“If an event or experience numbs you, you can no longer think clearly or feel any emotion.”举个🌰：For a while the shock of his letter numbed her. 收到他来信的惊愕让她木呆了好一会儿。

2）表示“使失去知觉”，英文解释为“If cold weather, a drug, or a blow numbs a part of your body, you can no longer feel anything in it.”举个🌰：The cold numbed my fingers. 寒冷使我的手指失去了知觉。

cut /kʌt/ 表示“阻断，隔断，隔绝”，英文解释为“to cause a person or place to become separate, or cause someone to be or feel alone”举个🌰：Many villages have been cut off by the heavy snow. 许多村庄由于这场大雪与外界隔绝了。When his wife died, he cut himself off from other people. 妻子死后，他闭门谢客。

You've probably had the experience of driving along a highway only to suddenly realize you have no memory or awareness of the previous 15 minutes. Maybe you even missed your exit. You just zoned out; you were somewhere else mentally. We are so lost in our thoughts that we are not aware of our present experience. As a result, life passes us by without an impact. Develop the habit of noticing new aspects of whatever situation you are in. This process creates engagement with the present moment and releases a cascade of other benefits. Paying attention to each new experience puts us emphatically in the here and now.

或许你有过这样的经历：沿着公路行驶，却突然发现自己对之前15分钟毫无记忆或意识，甚至错过了出口。那是你走神了，心思飘到了其他地方。我们沉浸在自己的思绪中，以至于忽视了当下的体验。结果，生活就这样悄然无声地从我们身旁溜走。无论身处何种境地，都要养成关注新事物的习惯。这个过程会让我们能更加投入到当下，并带来其他一系列的好处。关注每一次新体验，能让我们坚定地活在当下。

zone /zəʊn/ out 表示“走神，精神不集中”，英文解释为“to stop paying attention and not hear or see what is around you for a short period of time ”举个🌰：When the men start talking about football, I just zone out. 男人们一开始谈论足球，我就走神了。

cascade /kæsˈkeɪd/ 1）表示“如瀑布般下落；大量倾泻”，英文解释为“to fall quickly and in large amounts”举个🌰：Coins cascaded from/out of the fruit machine. 大量硬币从吃角子老虎机中倾泻而出。

2）表示“逐层传递；传播；传达”，英文解释为“to pass on information by giving it to just a few people, who then give it to more people; to be passed on in this way”举个🌰：Guest information is cascaded through employee shift briefings. 客人信息是在员工轮班简报时传达的。

the here and now表示“现在”，英文解释为“the present time”举个🌰：Most people can't be bothered thinking about their retirement - they're too busy concentrating on the here and now. 大多数人都顾不上去考虑退休的事情——他们都在忙着考虑现在。

For one thing, when our attention is in the present moment, we push fear from our minds. Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future, such as, we won't have enough money, our children will get into trouble or we will get old and die!

重要的是，当我们的注意力集中在当下时，我们就能将恐惧从心中驱除。恐惧通常源于对未来可能发生事情的担忧，比如担心没有足够的钱，担心孩子会遇到问题，或者担心我们会变老和死去。

To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to revert our attention back to the present. This should bring you to a higher level of enjoyment of your daily life. Making the conscious effort to enjoy each moment will make your inner quest that much easier. Cultivating a disposition of awareness in every moment of our daily lives helps us to experience life with greater mindfulness in each passing moment. No two moments are alike. Everything changes, so we do not want to take any unique moment for granted nor do we want to deny its creative power. Cherishing this moment opens the way to appreciating increased blessings throughout our lives.

要消除恐惧，最好的策略是学会将注意力转移到当下。这会给你的日常生活带来更高层次的享受。有意识地去享受每一刻会让你内心追求变得更加轻松。在日常生活的每时每刻培养觉察力，有助于我们在每一个逝去的瞬间更加深刻地体验生活。因此，我们既不应该把任何独特的瞬间视为理所当然，也不应该忽视它的创造性。珍惜当下，就是为我们在未来生活中更多地感受到各种美好和祝福打开了大门。

表示“归还；归属；回复；恢复”，英文解释为“to return to the original owner agai；to return to a former state; to start doing sth again that you used to do in the past”举个🌰：His manner seems to have reverted to normal. 他的举止好像已经恢复了正常。

disposition /ˌdɪs.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/ 1）表示“性格，性情”，英文解释为“the particular type of character that a person naturally has”举个🌰：She is of a nervous/cheerful/sunny disposition. 她神经质/性情开朗/性格阳光。2）示“倾向；意向”，英文解释为“a natural tendency to do something, or to have or develop something”如：a disposition to deceive 欺骗倾向。

take sth for granted 表示“认为…是理所当然的”，英文解释为“to believe something to be the truth without even thinking about it”举个🌰：I didn't realize that she hadn't been to college - I suppose I just took it for granted. 我不知道她没上大学——我只是想当然地认为她上过了。

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