[美文欣賞]

No living creature can laugh except man. Trees may bleed when they are wounded, and beasts in the field will cry in pain and hunger, yet only I have the gift of laughter and it is mine to use whenever I choose. Henceforth I will cultivate the habit of laughter. I will smile and my digestion will improve; I will chuckle and my burdens will be lightened; I will laugh and my life will be lengthened for this is the great secret of long life and now it is mine.

I will paint this day with laughter; I will frame this night in song. Never will I labor to be happy; rather will I remain too busy to be sad. I will enjoy today's happiness today. It is not grain to be stored in a box. It is not wine to be saved in a jar. It cannot be saved for the morrow. It must be sown and reaped on the same day and this I will do, henceforth.

And with my laughter all things will be reduced to their proper size. I will laugh at my failures and they will vanish in clouds of new dreams; I will laugh at my successes and they will shrink to their true value. I will laugh at evil and it will die untasted; I will laugh at goodness and it will thrive and abound. Each day will be triumphant only when my smiles bring forth smiles from others and this l do in selfishness, for those on whom l flown are those who purchase not my goods.

[參考譯文]

只有人類才會笑。樹木受傷時也會流“血”，禽獸也會因痛苦和饑餓而哭嚎哀鳴，然而，只有我才具備笑的天賦，可以隨時開懷大笑。從今往后，我要培養笑的習慣。 笑有助于消化，笑能減輕壓力，笑，是長壽的秘方。現在我終于掌握了它。

我要用笑聲點綴今天，我要用歌聲照亮黑夜。我不再苦苦尋覓快樂，我要在繁忙的工作中忘記悲傷。我要享受今天的快樂，它不像糧食可以貯藏，更不似美酒越陳越香。

笑聲中，一切都顯露本色。我笑自己的失敗，它們將化為夢的云彩；我笑自己的成功，它們回復本來面目；我笑邪惡，它們遠我而去；我笑善良，它們發揚光大。我要用我的笑容感染別人，雖然我的目的自私，但這確是成功之道，因為皺起的眉頭會讓顧客棄我而去。我不是為將來而活。今天播種今天收獲。