生活英语听力文章：Giving Back生命中感恩的回馈

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　　回馈

　　I am writing this post on my final day here in Africa. It has been a great trip. While much of the trip has been spent providing food, clothing, love and prayer for some of the most desperate people in the world, I feel refreshed and full of life.

　　在非洲的最后一天我正在写海报。这是一段伟大的旅程。旅途的大多时间是在分发食物、衣服，播散爱心同时为世界上那些近乎绝望的人们祈祷，我对生命的充实感到焕然一新。

　　This trip has reinforced my belief that when you help others, you help yourself. Think of the last time you gave of yourself to help someone. It could have been jump-starting someone’s car, a meal you made for a friend who was sick, or serving at the local homeless shelter. How did it make you feel?

　　这次旅行强化了我的信仰,当你帮助了别人,你就是在帮助你自己。想想上次你帮助了什么人。它可能是帮助某人发动熄火的车辆,可能是你为一个生病的朋友亲手做的一顿饭,或在当地收容所提供服务。这些助人为乐的事情让你感觉如何?

　　When you take your resources, whether it is your time, talent, or money to help others, there is something about the experience that fills you up and brings greater joy and satisfaction to your life.

　　当你把资源,不管是你的时间,天赋,或钱拿来帮助别人,你就会获得一些经历填充到你的生命中,给你的生活带来更大的快乐和满足。

　　The American Culture

　　美国文化

　　Americans are the most generous people in the world, measured by charitable giving as a percent of GDP. Despite the deep economic recession, charitable giving in 2009 topped $300 Billion.

　　以慈善捐赠占GDP的百分比衡量，美国人是世界上最慷慨的人。尽管严重的经济衰退,2009年美国慈善捐赠仍然超过3000亿美元。

　　The instinct to rally around a cause, to serve a greater need has been part of our country dating back to 1630 when John Winthrop led a group of English Puritans to Massachusetts Bay and imparted the “model of Christian charity.” He said, “We must bear one another’s burdens. We must not look only on our own things but also the things of our brethren.”

　　为一项伟大的事业团结起来，服务于更大的需要，一直是我们国家的一部分，其源头可以追溯到1630年,当时约翰·温思罗普领导着马萨诸塞湾的一群英国清教徒，他被授予“基督教慈善机构的典范。”他说,“我们必须忍受彼此的负担。我们不但关注自己的事情，而且还必须关注我们弟兄们的事。”

　　In settlements like Jamestown and Plymouth, neighbors depended on each other to survive the drought, blistering heat, lack of food, and harsh winters

　　在早期的定居点詹姆斯敦和普利茅斯,邻里之间互相依赖，在经历了干旱,酷热,食物缺乏,以及严酷的冬天后幸存了下来。

　　In the mid- to late 18th century, public service became less of a Christian mission and more of a civic duty. The stories of how people gave of themselves to help others are endless, from Harriet Tubman who lead more than 300 slaves to freedom through the underground railroad to volunteers who collected more than 4 billion dimes between 1938-1955 for polio research, we have come together as a country to help others.

　　在18世纪中期到后期,公益服务作为基督徒的使命在减少，而公益服务更多的成为了公民义务。从哈丽特塔布曼带领300多名黑奴穿越地下逃亡线，走向自由，到志愿者在1938 - 1955年之间为小儿麻痹症研究募集了4百亿多美元,人们是如何奉献自己，帮助别人的故事是无穷无尽的,我们作为一个国家整体，已经一起努力去帮助别人。

　　Not only have we been a nation to help our own people, we have also come together to help people around the world. One of the Africans told me if it weren’t for America, half of Africa would be dead. While that’s likely an exaggeration, the fact is people around the world have a great deal of respect for our humanitarian efforts.

　　我们不仅作为美利坚民族帮助我们自己的人民,我们也一起来帮助世界各地的人们。一位非洲人告诉我，如果没有美国,非洲人就死了一半。虽然这可能有点夸张,事实上，世界各地的人们为我们的人道主义努力表示出了极大的尊重。

　　Quite frankly I was nervous about how I would be treated here in Africa, I was blown away with the love I felt from the people. Everywhere my wife and I went, people went out of their way to smile, wave and say hello. It was almost as if when they saw a Caucasian, they knew they were here to help them.

　　坦率地说,我为在非洲的礼遇而感到不安，我为人们之间的爱而深深震撼，我和妻子无论到哪，这里的人们到会特地过来，对我们微笑，挥手，打招呼。就好像当他们看到一个白种人,他们知道他们是来帮助他们的。

　　When disaster struck Haiti earlier this year, Americans rallied to donate their time and money. There were so many doctors and nurses from America who volunteered to help, a waiting list had to be created. Millions of other Americans helped by donating money or jumping on planes to serve the people of Haiti.

　　当今年早些时候,灾难袭击海地，美国人团结起来，贡献他们的时间和金钱。很多来自美国的医生和护士,他们自愿提供帮助,以至于不得不创建一个候补名单。数以百万计的其他美国人，通过捐款或直接跳上去海地的飞机，帮助海地，为海地人民服务。

　　Find the Right Fit for You

　　发现正确的，合适你做的事

　　Helping others can look 1001 different ways. It can be shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor, filling up a friend’s car with gas that is suffering from a financial hardship or being one of the 63 million Americans who is part of an organized volunteer effort.

　　你可以看到1001种不同的帮助别人的方式。它可以是，为一位上了年纪的邻居铲雪,为一位正遭受经济困难的朋友的汽车加气，或是加入一个志愿者组织，成为6300万的美国志愿者中的一员。

　　I want to challenge you to look at how blessed you really are and consider how you can help others. To open your mind to the possibilities, ask yourself these questions:

　　我想向你提出挑战，看看你真是多么的幸福，考虑一下如何帮助别人。敞开你的心扉，试试帮助他人的可能性,问自己如下这些问题:

　　How can I best use my skills, talents and abilities to help others?

　　Where does my greatest interest and passion lie and how can that best be used to serve others?

　　When I look at the needs in my community, what can I do to help?

　　As I watch the news and see the desperate conditions in some of the third world nations, what can I offer those people?

　　Is my church putting together a mission trip? If so, would I be willing to use my vacation time to go and serve?

　　Regardless of your interests, temperament or availability, a wide range of opportunities can be found, each offering its own benefits.

　　如何充分利用我的技能、天赋和能力帮助别人? 我最大的兴趣和热情在哪里?怎么充分运用这些，更好地为他人服务? 当我看到社区的需要,我能做些什么来提供帮助吗? 当我看新闻,看到一些第三世界国家险恶的生活条件,我能提供什么帮助? 我的教会组织了任务旅行吗?如果是这样,我是否愿意用我的假期时间去提供服务? 无关你的兴趣、气质或是否有空,你都可以找到广泛的机会可以帮助他人,每个机会都会提供益处。

　　Let me encourage you to stop focusing exclusively on your own needs and desires and start looking at what you can do to help others. I bet you will find more joy and fulfillment when you change your focus from your selfish desires to using your gifts and resources to help others.

　　我鼓励你不要只关注自己的需求和欲望,开始看看你能做什么去帮助别人。当你从自私的欲望中解脱出来，改变你的注意力,利用你的天赋和资源来帮助别人，我打赌，你会发现更多的快乐和成就感。

　　Parents, I want to once again remind you that what you do sets the example for your children. As you give of yourself to help others, not only will you be setting the right example for your children, but also their respect for you will grow. According to Carole Weisman, author of Raising Charitable Children, “Teaching your child to be charitable means he will grow up thinking of others.”

　　父母们,我想再次提醒你们,你的所作所为为孩子们树立榜样。当你奉献自己，帮助别人,你不仅会为孩子树立正确的榜样,而且他们对你的尊重也会日益增长。根据卡罗尔韦斯曼，《养育慈善的孩子》一书的作者,“教育你的孩子做慈善的事，意味着，你的孩子长大后会考虑别人。”

　　Please take five minutes of quiet time right now and consider how you can help.

　　现在请你安静，花五分钟的时间,考虑一下如何帮助他人。

　　When you help others, you not only make their world better, but you make yours better too.

　　当你帮助他人时,不仅使他们的世界变得更美好,而且也让你的世界更美好。