主播:Flora(中国)+ Erin(美国)
歌曲 :Miles on it
今天我们来聊一个比较实在的话题——怎么获得快乐呢?因为在当下时代,获得快乐的能力真的很重要。Especially in this fast-paced era (快节奏时代), happiness seems to have become something unattainable (快乐似乎遥不可及). 对一些人来说,快乐已经成为一种luxury(奢侈品)了。
01 The Different Levels of Happiness
不同层次的快乐
有人把幸福分为三个层次:感官快乐(sensory happiness)、情绪快乐(emotional happiness)和精神快乐(spiritual happiness)。
(1)感官快乐(sensory happiness)
Sensory happiness, comes from physical pleasures (身体上的快乐) and material gains (和物质上的获得). It's the joy you feel when you eat your favorite food (吃你最喜欢的食物), buy a new gadget (买一个小物件), or enjoy a beautiful sunset (看一场漂亮的日落).
这些经历是直接的(immediate),并且是有形的(tangible),但往往也是易逝的(fleeting)。
(2)情绪快乐(emotional happiness)
相比之下,情绪上的快乐(emotional happiness)要更加地深刻和持久(deeper and longer-lasting)。它来自关系以及个人的成就(relationships and personal achievements)。
比如,和你所爱的人共度美好时光(spending quality time),在工作中庆祝晋升(promotion),或者享受一个令人满意的爱好(a fulfilling hobby)。这种程度的幸福通常涉及到一种连接感和归属感(a sense of connection and belonging)。
*quality time 美好时光:花费时间全神贯注地陪伴亲近的人,例如自己的孩子。
All of these are more difficult to access than sensual happiness (比感官上的快乐更难获取一些). So it is progressively harder to acquire from sensual pleasure to spiritual pleasure (从感官快乐到精神快乐是越来越难获取的).
*progressively /prəˈɡresɪvli/ adv. 渐进地
*pleasure /ˈpleʒər/ n. 快乐;满足
(3)精神快乐(spiritual happiness)
精神上的快乐是来自inner peace(内心的平和)还有 self-fulfillment(自我满足)。通常是通过mindfulness(正念),a sense of purpose(一种使命感),还有a connection to something greater than oneself(与比自己更伟大的事情产生连接),比如说大自然。
02 Why We Are Prone to Unhappiness?
为什么我们容易不开心?
Few people can access spiritual happiness these days (很少有人能获得精神上的快乐), and some never even experience it (有些人甚至都没体验过).
*access /ˈækses/ v. 接近;进入
In today’s digital age (数字时代), finding true happiness can be challenging (找到真正的快乐是有挑战的). Modern life, influenced by social media and consumerism (被社交媒体和消费主义所影响), often emphasizes material wealth and status (通常强调物质财富和地位).
*material /məˈtɪriəl/ adj. 物质的;非精神上的
现在的短视频平台无疑会amplify(放大)这种comparison(对比)还有 envy(羡慕嫉妒)的心态。
心理学上有个词叫“相对剥夺感”(Relative Deprivation),这感觉就像是我们觉得我们有权享有,但并不拥有。
*deprivation /ˌdeprəˈveɪʃən/ n. 匮乏;剥夺
比如一个人 swipes on a video (刷短视频) 然后看到a rich man who sits in a mansion and a luxury car (一个坐拥豪宅和豪车的富豪),会觉得he should have all of that too, but he actually doesn't (自己也该拥有,实际上并没有)。
*swipe /swaɪp/ v. 滑动
*mansion /ˈmænʃ(ə)n/ n. 宅邸
这种落差可能让他产生嫉妒(envy)甚至是愤恨。它有些侵蚀了一个人的理性(reason)以及对自我的认知(self-cognition)了。
That's why we've been emphasizing the need to control the amount of time spent watching short videos (这就是为何我们一直强调控制看短视频的时间).The more we watch them, the less attention we may pay to our own lives (看别人的视频越多,对自己生活的关注就越少).
这也许就是我们说的“乱花渐欲迷人眼”,沉醉于这种几乎零成本的感官快乐(sensory happiness)当中自然会上瘾。但关键是,人总会对“这种快感”脱敏,一旦脱敏之后就只能通过更大的刺激让大脑保持愉悦。
这就是为什么人们把短视频叫做the "spiritual opium" of the times (时代的“精神鸦片”)。The algorithms of short video plat forms (短视频平台的算法) can calculate what you want to watch very precisely (能精准地算出你想看什么).
人很容易get addicted to this bad loop (沉迷于这个不好的循环),所以这种情况下我们一定要保持警惕,不要让自己陷入“信息茧房”中。
loop n.(程序中)一套重复的指令
*get addicted to 对……上瘾
不仅是视频的受众,创作者也要警惕优越感(superiority)带给你的“快乐陷阱”。由优越感带来的“快乐”一定是短暂的(fleeting)、不可持续(unsustainable)、并且是不健康的(unhealthy)。
True happiness is simple (真正的快乐是简单的). 它可以来自self-satisfaction (自我满足)、家庭、人际关系和自然。我们需要意识到,the joy from materialism is temporary (来自物质主义的快乐是短暂的)。
There's always someone better, richer, or more accomplished (总有人更优秀、更富有或者更有才华), which makes this pursuit endless and exhausting (这种追赶是无穷无尽的). 最终只会让自己落入绝望的深渊。
所以真正的问题是,我们如何break free from these desires (摆脱这种欲望的控制) 并且找到lasting happiness (持久的快乐)?
03 How to Achieve True Happiness?
怎样获得真正的快乐?
Harvard University suggested some habits that can help us achieve true joy.
哈佛大学给出了一些可以帮助我们获得真正快乐的习惯。
(1)Be grateful (心存感激)
Practicing gratitude(练习感恩)shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have (把我们的注意力从我们缺乏的东西转移到我们拥有的东西上), fostering contentment (培养满足感).
*contentment n. 满足;满意
The truth is that what you take for granted may be something that others will never reach in their lifetime (你认为理所当然的,可能是别人在有生之年永远不会触及的东西). 比如世上还有些地方战火纷飞,人们的性命都岌岌可危……
*take…for granted 把……视为理所当然
Some people keep a gratitude journal (有些人写感恩日记), and it is amazing how much it helps them appreciate the little things in life (帮助他们感激生活中的小事).
(2) Choose friends wisely (谨慎择友)
Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who uplift you (与积极向上的、支持你、让你振作起来的人为伍).
*uplift v. 鼓舞
Always distance yourself from (一定要远离) people who bring you down (让你沮丧的人), or negatively impact your habits and goals (对你的习惯或目标产生负面影响的人).
*distance v. 远离
(3)Live in the present (活在当下)
Focusing on the here and now (关注当下和现在) helps reduce anxiety about the past and future (会减少对过去和未来的焦虑).、
(4)Don’t forget the importance of forgiveness (谨记宽恕)
Letting go of grudges (放下怨恨) frees us from negative emotions that hinder our happiness (让我们从阻碍我们快乐的负面情绪中解放出来).
*hinder v. 阻碍,妨碍
In fact, sometimes it's really hard to forgive someone (有时很难原谅一个人), especially when they've done something that's unacceptable to you (尤其是当他们做了一些你无法接受的事情) and there's no way you can ignore the pain it causes (无法忽视它所带来的痛苦).
So forgive, but don’t forget (宽恕,但不要遗忘). Let go of being angry at them (不对他们愤怒), but don’t forget what they have done (但也不要忘记他们的所作所为). 其实,这个时候选择宽恕并不是赦免对方的罪恶,实际上是放自己一条生路——一条免于被仇恨侵蚀的生路。
这绝对不是historical nihilism (历史虚无主义),我们不能忘记过去。That's true of individuals (个人如此), and of nations (国家亦是如此).
04 中国传统文化中获取快乐的方式
In Chinese culture, wisdom is offered on finding joy (中华文化蕴含着寻找快乐的智慧).
孔子的弟子颜回“一箪食,一瓢饮,居陋巷,人不堪其忧,回也不改其乐。”
这就是一种简单的快乐,与物质无关。
Confucius’ disciple Yan Hui found happiness in simplicity and contentment (颜回在简单和满足中找到快乐), despite his modest living conditions (尽管他的生活条件简朴).
*modest adj. 朴素的
老子在《道德经》中强调了与自然和谐相处的简单快乐。These teachings (教诲) show that true happiness doesn't rely on external conditions (真正的幸福并不依赖于外部条件) but comes from inner development (而是来自于内在的发展), wisdom, and spiritual growth (智慧和精神的成长).
05 西方文化中的快乐是什么样的呢?
西方文化中的快乐,与爱(love)、助人(helping others)以及分享(sharing)有关。
These values can also be instilled through family and societal norms (这些价值观可以通过家庭和社会规范来灌输). For example, in a family where acts of kindness are a daily practice (日常实践中有善举的家庭), it can deeply influence a sense of happiness (会深刻地影响幸福感).
*instill v. 逐渐灌输
In both Eastern and Western traditions (在东、西方传统里), the essence of happiness (幸福的本质) lies in connecting with others (与他人产生联系), being grateful (心存感激), and finding peace within ourselves (在自己内心找到和平).
*lie in 在于
请留言告诉我们:
你是怎么获得快乐的呢?
flora相比anne和wendi,更像是在老外和听众之间做翻译,一句一句的翻译,加一些英语单词+中文翻译,没有对话感,提高下培训吧!
这期内容质量很高,话题很日常,剖析易懂。相对剥夺感、信息检防……很喜欢这期,多听几次减少焦虑
“怎样获得快乐?”
一、“肩膀上长着自己的脑袋。” (列宁)
二、只要不犯法,不侵害他人的正当利益,亇人爱咋地咋地。“走自己的路,让别人说去吧!”(歌德)
三、冷眼旁观被资本或强权幕后操控驱赶的,夲质上是图虚荣的追潮流,赶時髦的拼比和炫耀,以外表光鲜掩盖内里自卑的烏合大众!
四、三观不合,无话可说。过简朴自然,安静愉悦的生活。🌅🌱🙂🌴🌈🏔🌌
一席英语 回复 @朴真道煁: 主打就是一个“不内耗”
这是我喜欢的内容
一席英语 回复 @浩浩_497: 太好了
我现在每天听你们的节目,希望自己的英语听力和口语快速提高![](http://s1.xmcdn.com/css/img/face/d_haha.gif)
一席英语 回复 @浩浩_497: 谢谢,坚持学习,你很快就会有提升哒![](http://s1.xmcdn.com/css/img/face/d_taikaixin.gif)