But in a new mood, perhaps after a lot of longing and turmoil, we pause and notice some of what has, remarkably, not gone wrong.

但若換個角度，也許在歷經許多渴望與混亂之後，我們會停下來注意那些顯然沒出錯的事情。

The house is looking beautiful at the moment. We're in pretty good health, all things considered.

房子此刻看起來很漂亮。整體而言，我們相當健康。

The afternoon sun is deeply reassuring. Sometimes the children are kind.

午後的陽光令人心曠神怡。孩子們有時候很貼心。

Our partner is, at points, very generous. It's been quite mild lately. Yesterday, we were happy all evening.

我們的伴侶有時非常慷慨。最近天氣很溫和。我們昨天整個晚上都很開心。

We were quite enjoying our work at the moment. Gratitude is a mood that grows with age.

我們相當享受目前的工作。感恩是隨著年齡成長的情緒。

It is extremely rare properly to delight in flowers or a quiet evening at home, a cup of tea or a walk in the woods when one is under twenty-two.

22歲以下的人，很少樂於在家裡欣賞鮮花、享受安靜的夜晚、品茶或在樹林裡散步。

There are so many larger, grander things to be concerned about: romantic love, career fulfillment and political change.

他們專注於更宏大的事物：浪漫的愛情、工作上的成就感和政治變革。

However, it is rare to be left entirely indifferent by smaller things in time.

然而，對於微小的事物，我們很少完全無動於衷。

Gradually, almost all one's earlier, larger aspirations take a hit, perhaps a very large hit.

逐漸地，幾乎每個人所有早期的野心都會受到打擊，或許是重大打擊。

One encounters some of the intractable problems of the intimate relationships.

有些人在親密關係中遇到棘手的問題。

One suffers the gap between one's professional hopes and available realities.

有些人的職涯期望與實際情況有巨大的落差。

One has a chance to observe how slowly and fitfully the world ever alters in a positive direction.

有些人有機會觀察世界如何緩慢地、斷斷續續地朝積極的方向邁進。

One is fully inducted to the extent of human wickedness and folly, and to one's own eccentricity, selfishness and madness. And so, little things start to seem somewhat different.

有些人完全陷入邪惡和荒誕之中，沉溺於自己的怪癖、自私與瘋狂的行為之中。於是，微小事物似乎開始有了變化。

No longer a petty distraction from a mighty destiny, no longer an insult to ambition, but a genuine pleasure amidst a litany of troubles, an invitation to bracket anxieties and keep self-criticism at bay, a small resting place for hope in a sea of disappointment.

不再是偉大命運中的瑣碎小事，不再是對野心的侮辱，而是在一連串的麻煩中的小確幸，可暫時遠離焦慮和自我批判，在失望的汪洋中尋獲希望的小小安息之所。

We appreciate the slice of toast, the friendly encounter, the long, hot bath, the spring morning, and properly keep in mind how much worse it could, and probably will, one day, be.

我們對一片土司、友善的陌生人、泡熱水澡、春天的早晨充滿感激之心，也謹記情況有一天可能會變糟。

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