I teach economics at UNLV 1 three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth2 removed. The young man then proceeded 3 to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful.
His question reminded me of something I'd read somewhere before: “Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach4 life that day,” I said, “I choose to be cheerful.”
“Let me give you an example,” I continued, addressing 5 all sixty students in the class. “In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the freeway6 from where I live. One day a few weeks ago I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited7 the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn't turn over8. So I put my flashers9 on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college.
“As soon as I got there I called AAA10 and arranged for a tow truck11 to meet me at my car after class. The secretary in the Provost's12 office asked me what has happened. 'This is my lucky day,' I replied, smiling.
“‘Your car breaks down13 and today is your lucky day?’She was puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’
“‘I live 17 miles from here.’I replied. ‘My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn't. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I'm still able to teach my class, and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn't have been arranged in a more convenient fashion.’
The secretary's eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class.” So ended my story.
I scanned14 the sixty faces in my economics class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe it wasn't the story at all. In fact, it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful.
Deepak Chopra15 has quoted an Indian wise man as saying, "WHO you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say." I suppose it must be so.
每周在内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校讲授三次经济学。上周一，课刚开始，我兴致勃勃地问同学们周末过得怎么样。一个年轻人说他的周末过得不太好，他的智齿被拔掉了。接着年轻人问为什么我看上去总是那么高兴。
他的问题令我想起从前在哪儿读到的一篇文章：“每天早上起床时，那一天你打算怎么过取决于自己的选择。”我说：“我选择快乐。”
“我给你们举个例子吧。”我接着对全班的60个学生说。“除了在这儿讲课外，我还在汉德森社区学院兼课，从我住的地方沿高速公路开17英里就到了。几周前的一天，我驱车17英里去汉德森学院。车开出高速公路，转道学院路，仅需再开四分之一英里就到学院了。但就在这时，我的车熄火了。我试图重新启动车子，但引擎就是不转。于是我打开信号灯，抓起书，一路步行来到了学校。
“一到学校我就打电话给美国汽车协会，叫了一辆拖车在我下课后去车子抛锚的地方接我。教务长办公室的秘书问我发生了什么事儿，我笑着回答：‘今天是我的幸运日。’
“‘车抛锚了可今天还是你的幸运日？’她不得其解：‘你是什么意思？’
“‘我住在离这儿17英里的地方，’我回答道：‘我的车本可能在高速公路的任何一处抛锚。幸而没有。它坏得真是地方：离开了高速公路，又在步行到达学校的距离之内。我还来得及赶来上课，还能叫拖车课后来接我。如果我的车今天注定要抛锚，老天这样的安排再省事儿不过了。’
秘书睁大了双眼，然后她笑了。我也回报一笑，接着走向课堂。”故事就这样讲完了。
我扫视了一下UNLV大学这个经济学课堂上的60张脸。尽管是一大早，却没有人带着丝毫睡意。出于某种原因，我的故事感染了他们。或者，也许根本不是因为这个故事。事实上，这一切都始于一个学生对我的观察：我很快乐。
Deepak Chopra曾引用一位印度哲人的名言：“你是什么样的人比你所说的任何话都重要（即态度决定一切）。”我认为此话必有它的道理。
1. UNLV＝University of Nevada, Las Vegas 内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校
2． wisdom teeth 智齿
3． proceed v． 继续下去
4． approach v． 探讨，看待
5． address v． 向……讲话
6． freeway n． 高速公路，快车道
7． exit v． 退出，离去
8． turn over 转动
9． flasher n． 闪光信号
10． AAA＝American Automobile Association美国汽车协会
11． tow truck 拖车
12． provost n． （大学）教务长
13． break down （车）抛锚，出故障
14． scan v． 扫视
15． Deepak Chopra 美国健美大师迪帕克·卓普拉