快乐就像一块为了激起阵阵涟漪而丢进池塘的小石头。就像史蒂文森所说，快乐是一种责任。

    关于“快乐”并没有一个确切的定义，快乐的人有各种各样的理由为之快乐。快乐的关键并不在于是否拥有巨额的财富或健康的身体，因为我们发现有些乞丐、残疾人和所谓的失败者也非常快乐。

    快乐就像一种无法预期的意外收获，总是不期而遇，但保持快乐却是一种成就，一种灵性的胜利。努力追寻快乐并不是自私的行为，实际上，这是我们对自己和他人应尽的责任。

    不快乐就像传染病，它使得人们对不快乐的人唯恐避之不及。不快乐的人很快就会发现自己的处境是多么孤独、悲惨和痛苦。然而，有一种简单得看似荒谬却颇为有效良方：如果你不快乐，就装你很快乐。

这很有限。不久你就会发现，别人不再躲着你，相反，你开始变得很有吸引力力。你会发觉，做一块能激起好意涟涟的小石头是一件多么值得的事情。

     久而久之，伪装就会变成了现实，你拥有了使心灵平静的法宝，也会因帮助他人而忘记自我。

一旦你认识到快乐是一种责任并使快乐成为习惯，通向不可思议的乐园的大门就会向你敞开，那里满是感激你的朋友。

The happy door

‑‑来源于 11月24日《中国民航报》

　　Happiness is like a pebble dropped into a pool to set in motion an ever-widening circle of ripples. Ad Stevenson has said, being happy is a duty.

　　There is no exact definition of the word happiness. Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons. The key is not wealth of physical well-being, since we find beggars, invalids and so-called failures who are extremely happy.

　　Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend. But staying happy is an accomplishment, a triumph of soul and character. It is not selfish to strive for it. It is, indeed, a duty to ourselves and others.

　　Being unhappy is like an infectious disease. It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer. He soon finds himself alone, miserable and embittered. There is, however, a cure so simple as to seem, at first glance, ridiculous: if you don't feel happy, pretend to be!

　　It works. Before long you will find that instead of repelling people, you attract them. You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of wide circles of good will.

　　Then the make-believe becomes a reality. You possess the secret of peace of mind, and can forget yourself in being of service to others.

　　Being happy, once it is realized as a duty and established as a habit, opens doors into unimaginable gardens thronged with grateful friends.

   编者的话：钱钟书先生在《论快乐》一文里说，正如“快乐”或“快活”中的“快”想要表达的一样，人生一切乐事都是缥缈难留的。“永远快乐”只是自欺欺人，想要永恒怕是只有在痛苦 里去寻觅了。

快乐在人生里，好比引诱小孩吃药的方糖，“几分钟或者几天的快乐赚我们活了一世，忍受着许多痛苦。”“我们希望它来，希望它留，希望它再来——这三句话概括了整个人类努力的历史。在我们追求和等候的时候，生命又不知不觉地偷渡过去。”然而，人生虽苦短，却不悲观，因为它始终抱着快乐的希望。