双语故事

自艾自怜 - The Pity Party

6/18/2013

克典气冲冲的坐在车子的后座。妈妈问他为什么不开心，妹妹欣丽笑了起来，说：“因为爸爸不让他买体育用品店的垃圾。”

克典皱起眉头，大声地说：“那才不是垃圾，我每次都不能买东西，而且我们已经出来玩四天了，我已经厌倦了跟妳一起坐在车子后座。”

欣丽也不甘示弱地回嘴说： “我也不愿意跟你坐在一起，天气这么热，你知道我有时会晕车。”

爸爸和妈妈交换了一下眼色，因为欣丽和克典整个早上不停地抱怨。

妈妈眨眨眼睛，假装发牢骚说：“那我呢？我们昨晚旅馆的床垫非常硬，我根本没办法入睡，而今天早餐的鸡蛋又冷又煎过头了，而且我还…”

爸爸打断妈妈，抱怨地说：“你有什么好抱怨的？这次旅行已经成为我的负担！我为了能像这样出来旅行辛苦赚钱，但是没有一个人感谢我！“ 孩子们瞪大了眼睛。没想到他们的父母竟然也会抱怨！

妈妈转过身来，看着克典和欣丽，爸爸也从后照镜看了他们一眼。他看到孩子脸上的表情笑了起来。爸爸说：“我觉得我们在自艾自怜。”

克典问爸爸：“自艾自怜是什么意思？”

爸爸说：“意思是当我们觉得为自己非常可怜，又不想振作起来，就是自艾自怜的意思。”

爸爸将车子停到路边一个观景台，然后说：“哇！看看这美丽的风景！我们一直忙着自艾自怜，而错失了今天早晨身边许多美好的东西。”

妈妈点点头说：“我认为我们应该花几分钟来想想，我们觉得感恩的事情。无论哪一天，感恩绝对比自艾自怜来得更为有趣！对不对？“

欣丽说：“让我们把自怜变成赞美吧！”

克典同意地说：“好！让我们把整个假期变成不停的赞美！”

小朋友！你最近有没有感恩？还是你太忙着自艾自怜了？你会抱怨、觉得自己很可怜吗？这种态度会阻挡祝福，和看见其它人的需要。不要再自私了。相反的，凡事感恩。当你将自怜变为赞美，你会看到你有多喜乐！

Luke sat in the back seat of the car, pouting. When Mom asked why he seemed so unhappy, his sister Mary laughed. "He's mad because Dad wouldn't let him buy that junk at the sports store," she said.

Luke scowled. "It wasn't junk, and I never get to buy anything," he mumbled. "Besides, we've been on vacation four days already, and I'm tired of always sitting here in the back seat with you."

Mary scowled. "Well, I'm tired of sitting back here with you, too," she grumbled. "It's so hot, and you know I get carsick sometimes."

Dad and Mom exchanged glances. Mary and Luke had been complaining most of the morning.

Then Mom's eyes twinkled. "Well, how about me?" she whined. "That mattress in our motel last night was so hard, I couldn't sleep, and the eggs I got for breakfast were cold and overdone. And I've got . . ."

"You think you've got it bad?" interrupted Dad in a complaining tone. "This trip is costing me a bundle! I work hard to make money for us to take trips like this, but I don't think anybody appreciates me very much!" The children stared. It surely seemed strange to have their parents whining!

Mom turned and looked at Luke and Mary, and Dad glanced back at them in the rearview mirror. Both parents laughed at the expressions on the kid's faces. "We thought we'd get in on the pity party," said Dad.

"Pity party?" asked Luke. "What's that?"

"That's what we call it when someone feels so sorry for himself that he doesn't even want to be cheered up," said Dad.

Dad pulled into a scenic turnoff. "Wow! Look at that magnificent view," he said. "We were so busy with our pity party that I'm afraid we forgot to notice the good things around us most of the morning."

Mom nodded. "I think we should spend the next few minutes thinking of things we're thankful for. A gratitude party is more fun than a pity party any day! What do you say?"

"I say let's turn our pity into gratitude, too," said Mary.

"Yeah," agreed Luke. "Maybe we can turn our whole vacation into one big, powerful, gratitude party!"

How about you? Have you had a gratitude party lately? Or are you too busy with a pity party? Do you complain and feel sorry for yourself? That attitude blinds you to your many blessings and to the needs of others. Stop being selfish. Instead, be thankful. See how much happier you are when you change your pity party into a gratitude party!

Story courtesy of Global Keys for Kids, http://global.keysforkids.org/transcript/420/english/. Used with permission. Image by Idea Go, freedigitalphotos.net.

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