不勞而獲的東西
Over the fast year I have read lots of material on self-improvement and success. One common theme I found in almost everything I read was an emphasis on gratitude. In an effort to increase gratitude in my life, I have listed the top 5 things that have been given to me for nothing:
去年我看了很多關于自我修養(yǎng)和成功的材料，我發(fā)現差不多所有的材料都有一個共同點，那就是強調感恩。為了增強我在生活中的感恩意識，我列出了五個對我來講最重要的不勞所獲。
1 .My Car
1.我的車
When my Gramma bought a new car, she sold her 1997 Ford Tauras to me for $1 .A white Tauras isn't exactly the coolest car on the block, but I have driven it for 7 years with minimal maintenance costs. After 14 years and 100,000 miles, it still gets me where i need to go
當我的奶奶買新車的時候，她把她原先的1997年產的福特金牛座轎車以一美元的價格賣給了我。白色金牛座雖不是我們那個街區(qū)最酷的一輛車，但它卻為我效力七年，也沒花多少維護費用。在它服役14年、跑了10萬英里路之后，它現在仍然可以帶我去任何我想去的地方。
2. My Education
2.我的教育
I was fortunate enough to have great parents who decided at a young age to save money for my education. 1 graduated from Purdue University in 2009 with no student loans and $0 paid by me towards my tuition. They also paid my rent all four years. The only thing I had to do was graduate on time. L know that most people don't get an amazing deal like this and for that I am grateful.
我非常幸運能有一對偉大的父母，他們在我很小的時候就開始為我的教育存錢。一直到2009年我從普渡大學畢業(yè)，我沒有任何學生貸款，也從未自己付過一分學費。他們甚至還為我支付了四年的房租，而唯一需要我做的事就是按時畢業(yè)而已。我知道很多人沒有像我這樣的好運，為此我心懷感激。
3. My Computer
3.我的電腦
When I graduated from High School in 2005, my parents threw a graduation party for me. I netted about $2,000 in cash gifts and used it to buy a brand new laptop. In 2008, the laptop was stolen when our house was robbed. Good thing my parents had home owners insurance. The laptop was covered for $1,200 which I used to buy a new computer that I still use to this very day.
在我2005年高中畢業(yè)的時候，父母為我辦了一場畢業(yè)歡慶會。我用慶祝會上所收到的大約2000元的禮金買了一臺全新的筆記本電腦。2008年，筆記本在房子失竊的時候也被盜了。不過還好是我的父母購買了家財險，我的筆記本獲賠1200元，我就又用這筆錢買了一臺新電腦，并且一直使用到現在。
4. My Job
4.我的工作
After three years of studying Food Process Engineering at Purdue, I realized that a 9-5 job at one of the big food companies wasn't the life for me. I spent the last year of college building websites for my own personal profit and in the process learned a iot about web development.
在普渡大學學了三年的食品加工工程后，我意識到在一家大的食品公司從事朝九晚五的工作并不是我想要的生活。于是我利用大學里最后的一年時光建起了一個網站，并靠此賺錢，從中也學到了很多有關網絡開發(fā)的東西。
After I graduated, I made one call to a cousin who owned a web development company. He gave me an opportunity to work on a project which eventually led to a full time gig. I put this on my list because my cousin had no reason to hire me. I had no degree and no professional experience, but he took a chance and gave me an opportunity.
畢業(yè)后，我給一位自己經營網絡開發(fā)公司的表哥打電話。他給了我一個機會，讓我參與一個項目，而我最終借此成為全職雇員。我把這個也當成不勞而獲的一項，是因為我覺得最開始表哥沒什么理由雇傭我。我既沒學位，也沒專業(yè)經驗，但他卻選擇給我這樣一個機會。
5. My Websites
5.我的網站
I own and operate several blogs in my spare time. I build my sites on eitherWordPress or Drupal. Both of these website platforms are open source projectsthat are completely free to use.
我利用業(yè)余時間經營了幾個博客，都是我在Word Press博客引擎上或Drupal內容管理平臺上建的—這兩個網站平臺都是開放資源項目，完全免費使用。
In the web development world, it is so easy to take for granted all of the free information, scripts, programs, and platforms that are available. The cost to develop a blog platform similar to WordPress or Drupal would be in the thousands,not to mention all of the free modules and add-ons. The WordPress and Drupal communities have created a product that allows me to set up a new blog in minutes for free.
在網絡開發(fā)的世界里，人們很容易想當然地以為所有可用的信息、腳本、程序、平臺都是免費的。而事實上，開發(fā)出一個類似Word Press和Drupa}這樣的博客平臺就要花費上千元，這還不算那些免費的模塊和附加程序。Word Press和Drupa社區(qū)開發(fā)出了一種可以讓我在幾分鐘內免費創(chuàng)建博客的產品。
It was so easy for me to think of these 5 things because I truly feel like I did nothing to get them.
我很容易地就想到了這5件東西，只因為我真的覺得自己什么都沒做就得到了它們。
After I became aware of the obvious things, I couldn't help but think of all the not so obvious things I am given on a daily basis. Things like clean water,refrigeration, Internet access, and air conditioning. I pay for all of these things, but I had nothing to do with the invention or discovery of these daily amenities. They simply happened and now I am here to benefit.
在我意識到這些顯而易見的東西后，我又不禁思考起日常生活中那些不太明顯的事物來，像是干凈的水、冷藏技術、網絡服務，以及空調。雖然我也它們付錢了，但對于這些日常帶給人愉悅的發(fā)明或發(fā)現我卻什么都沒做過。它們就那么出現了，現在我就在這兒享用了。
It doesn't stop there though. After I became aware of the more subtle things I am given, I took the next inevitable step. I became thankful for my existence. I don't know how I ended up in this world, but I wake up everyday grateful for the opportunity to experience life.
可是事情至此還沒有結束。在我意識到我所獲得的更加細微的事物后，不可避免地，我想到更多。我開始感謝我的生活。我不知道最終將會怎樣的方式離開這個世界，但是每天我都是心懷感激醒來，為擁有這樣生活的機會。
Waking up every day with gratitude for being alive is like starting the day with a built一in advantage. It doesn't matter what happens the rest of the day because it is all extra. This might sound like a recipe for complacency, but it’s actually the opposite. Being grateful for what I have not only drives me to want more, it creates a flow of abundance into my life that will provide for my deepest desires.
每一天，帶著感謝生命存在的心情醒過來，好像這天的一開始就與眾不同。至于在這一天接下來會發(fā)生些什么并不重要，因為這一切都是額外得到的。這聽起來也許有點像是自我滿足，但事實上恰恰相反。感恩的心不僅讓我有了更多的追求，而且它還孕育了一股充盈之流，滋養(yǎng)我最深的渴望。
