8. The Nature of Happiness
幸福的本质

单词与词组   Words and phrases
equate                         //                 v.        使相等
abiding                        //                 a.    持久的
glamorous                 //                 a.          有魅力的
cling                         //                         v.          坚持
diminish                        //                 v.          使减少
endeavor                 //                 n.        努力
inevitably                 //                 adv.不可避免地
inevitable                 //                 a.        必然的
civic                         //                        a.        市民的               

根据朗读标记，听录音跟读，然后背诵。
        I live︵ in Hollywood. You may think people︵ in such︵ a glamorous,↗ fun-filled place▼ are happier than︵ others. If so, you have some mistaken︵ ideas︵ ▼about the nature︵ of happiness.
        Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth︵ is that ▼fun︵↗ and happiness have  little↗ or nothing in common. Fun︵ is what we experience▼ during︵ an︵ act. Happiness is what we experience▼ after︵ an︵ act. It︵ is︵ a deeper,↗ more︵ abiding︵ emotion.
        Going to an︵ amusement park︵ or ball game, watching︵ a movie or television, are fun︵ activities that help us relax,↗ temporarily forget︵ our problems▼↗ and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive︵ effects end▼ when the fun︵ ends.
        I have︵ often thought that▼ if Hollywood stars have︵ a role to play, it︵ is to teach︵ us▼ that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich,↗ beautiful︵ individuals have constant ︵access▼ to glamorous parties,↗ fancy cars,↗ expensive homes,↗ everything that spells "happiness". But︵ in memoir︵ after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath︵ all their fun: depression,↗ alcoholism,↗ drug addiction,↗ broken marriages,↗ troubled children,↗ profound loneliness.↘
        The way people cling to the belief▼ that︵ a fun-filled,↗ pain-free life↘ equates happiness▼ actually diminishes their chances︵ of︵ ever︵ attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are︵ equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with︵ unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite︵ is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness▼ involve some pain.
        As︵ a result, many people avoid the very endeavors▼ that︵ are the source︵ of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as▼ marriage,↗ raising children,↗ professional achievement,↗ religious commitment,↗ civic︵ or charitable work,↗ and self-improvement.↘

背诵小贴士 Recitation tips
事实上这篇文章就两个中心意思:
1. Happiness has nothing to do with fun.
2. Things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
问问你自己：我幸福吗？我认为幸福的本质是什么？它跟痛苦，付出有关系吗？

参考译文
幸福的本质
        我住在好莱坞。你可能认为住在这样一个魅力四射、充满欢笑的地方要比其他人更幸福。倘若如此，你就误解了幸福的本质。
        许多聪明人依旧将幸福与娱乐等同起来。事实上，娱乐与幸福很少、甚至毫无共同之处。娱乐是某个活动进行中的体验，而幸福则是活动之后的体验。幸福是更深刻、更持久的情感。
        去游乐场或去看球赛，看电影或看电视，这些都是娱乐活动，有助于我们放松身心，暂时忘却自己的难题，甚至让我们放声大笑。但是，这一切并不能带来幸福，因为娱乐一结束，它们的正面效应亦随之终结。
我常常这样想，如果好莱坞明星起到某种作用的话，那就是向我们昭示幸福与娱乐毫无关系。作为个人，他们富有，楚楚动人，可以随时出席令人神往的宴会，拥有顶尖级汽车、昂贵的宅第--这一切似乎意味着“幸福”。然而，在一部又一部的回忆录中，名流们揭示了隐藏在这一切娱乐活动背后的不幸：忧郁、酗酒、吸毒成瘾、失败的婚姻、饱受困扰的孩子、极度的孤独。
        人们执迷不悟，以为充满欢笑、没有痛苦的生活就等于幸福；这实际上减少了他们真正臻于幸福之境的可能性。如果娱乐和快乐等同于幸福的话，那么痛苦必然等同于不幸福。可事实正相反：导致幸福的一切常常蕴含着些许痛苦。
        因此，许多人不愿努力，而这些努力恰恰正是真正幸福的源泉。诸如婚姻、抚育子女、职业成就、宗教信仰、公共及慈善事业、自身修养等必然带来痛苦，他们因而对于这一切心怀畏惧。