《美丽英文》中有这样一个故事：

There were once two men, both seriously ill, in the same small room of a great hospital. Quite a small room, it has one window looking out on the world. One of the men, as part of his treatment, was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon (something to do with draining the fluid from his lungs). His bed was next to the windows. But the other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

在一家大医院的同一间病房里住着两个重症病人。房间很小，且只有一扇小窗户可以看到外面的世界。作为治疗方案的一部分，医生允许其中一个病人每天下午在床上坐一个小时，以排除肺里的积水。他的床正好靠着窗户，可是另一个人却只能整天平坦在床上。

Every afternoon when the man next to the window was propped up for his hour, he would pass the time by describing what he could see outside. The window apparently overlooked a park where there was a lake. There were ducks and swans in the lake, and children came to throw them bread and sail model boats. Young lovers walked hand in hand beneath the trees, and there were flowers and stretches of grass, games of softball. And at the back, behind the fringe of trees, was a fine view of the city skyline.

每天下午到了时间，临床的病人被扶起坐在床上时，总是把窗外看到的一切绘声绘色地讲给病友听。很显然，窗外有盛开的鲜花和成片的绿地，还有人在玩垒球；远处还有茂密的树丛和依稀可见的美丽城市的轮廓。

The man on his back would listen to the other man describe all of this, enjoying every minute. He heard how a child nearly fell into the lake, and how beautiful the girls were in their summer dresses. His friend’s descriptions eventually made him feel he could almost see what was happening outside.

躺在床上的那位听着病友的描述，享受着这分分秒秒的快乐。他听到一个孩子是怎么差点儿掉进湖里的，设立夏裙的女孩子们又是多么的美丽。病友的描述让他觉得自己几乎是亲眼看到了外面的一切。

Then one fine afternoon, the thought struck him: why should the man next to the window have all the pleasure of seeing what was going on? Why shouldn’t I get the chance? He felt ashamed, but the more the tried not to think like that, the worse he wanted a change. He’d do anything! One night as he stared at the ceiling, the other man suddenly woke up, coughing and choking, his hands groping for the button that would bring the nurse running.  But the man watched without moving-even when the sound of breathing stopped. In the morning, the nurse found the other man dead, and quietly took his body away.

一个晴朗的午后，他突然闪过一个念头：凭什么靠窗的那个人有幸看到这一切？凭什么我没有这个机会？想到这儿，他觉得有些惭愧，可是他越不让自己那么想，就越想与病友换床位。为此他愿意不顾一切！一天晚上，他正盯着天花板，病友突然惊醒，咳得喘不过气来，双手摸索着想按急救铃呼叫护士。而他则一动不动地旁观---- 直到友停止了呼吸。第二天早晨，护士发现那位病人已死，就悄声的推走了尸体。

As soon as it seemed decent, the man asked if he could be switched to the bed next to the window. So they moved him, tucked him in, and make him quite comfortable. The minute the left, he propped himself up on one elbow, painfully and laboriously, and looked out the window.

很快，他找到了一个合适的时机，要求搬到窗边的床位去。于是，护士们把他抬了过去，帮他掖好被子，让他舒舒服服地躺下。等她们一离开，他就立即艰难吃力地单肘支撑自己做起来，朝窗外望去。

It faced a blank wall. 窗外，只是一面光秃秃的墙。

读完这个小故事后，一股难以释怀的情感如涌泉般从我心中油然而生。这使我又反复多读了好几遍。羡慕和嫉妒的距离有多远？

如果你是那个平躺在穿上的重症病人，听着病友讲述窗外的故事，一个个又那么栩栩如生，你会羡慕到什么程度呢？我认为羡慕和嫉妒其实只差一张薄薄的纸，控制好自己的情绪，你就能把握得很好。我也羡慕人家住着高级舒适的大房子，但我不会嫉妒，因为我知道他经历了一些我未曾经历的事情，饱尝了一些我未曾承受的苦涩，所以我不会嫉妒。

过着自己的日子，享受自己的幸福。不过多留恋从指缝无意溜走的的悲伤。