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Vanuatu: Where Happiness Lives 万那杜：幸福的所在

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In the West, there is a popular saying, “Money can’t buy you happiness.” But do you really believe it? In developed countries, people’s happiness seems to come mostly from all the material things they buy, like computers, fancy cars and stylish clothes. Those without money are often unhappy. However, a recent survey called the “Happy Planet Index” has named Vanuatu, a poor country in the South Pacific, the happiest place on Earth.

西方有一句俗谚：「金钱买不到快乐。」但你真的相信这句话吗？在已开发国家，人们的快乐似乎大多来自他们所购买的物质，像是计算机、豪华汽车和流行服饰等。没钱的人通常不快乐。但最近有一项被称为快乐星球指数的调查，就把南太平洋穷国万那杜列为地球上最快乐的地方。

With sunny weather, beautiful beaches and lush rainforests, Vanuatu seems to be an earthly paradise. Nevertheless, there is also widespread poverty, and few jobs are available for the ordinary people. So, how can such a poor place be so happy? The answer is simple: there, happiness isn’t about “having money,” but about “not needing it.”

晴朗的天气、美丽的海滩和茂密的雨林──万那杜看起来就像人间天堂。然而，那里的人民普遍贫困，一般人几乎都没有工作。那么如此贫穷的地方怎么可能快乐呢？答案很简单：在那里，快乐并不在于有钱，而在于不需要钱。

In Vanuatu, food is everywhere. Coconuts and yams are very easy to grow on its fertile land. The sea around the island is filled with delicious seafood waiting to be caught. For a special treat, the locals also catch fruit bats. So the poor never go hungry, and they have plenty of time to lay back and watch the waves roll in.

在万那杜，随处都找得到食物。那里的肥沃土地使得椰子和蕃薯很容易生长；岛屿四周的海洋满是可口的海产等着让人捕捉；如果想吃点特别的，当地人还会捕捉果蝠。因此穷人绝不会挨饿，而且他们还有许多时间悠闲地欣赏浪花。

Vocabulary

单词发音

material [məˋtɪrɪəl] adj. 物质的

survey [ˋsɚve] n. 调查

lush [lʌʃ] adj. 苍翠繁茂的

widespread [ˋwaɪd͵sprɛd] adj. 普遍的；广泛的

fertile [ˋfɝt!] adj.（土地）肥沃的，富饶的

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单词发音

Vanuatu [͵vɑnuˋɑtu] 万那杜（共和国）（位于大洋洲）

fancy [ˋfænsɪ] adj.（价格）过高的；昂贵的

stylish [ˋstaɪlɪʃ] adj. 时髦的，流行的

index [ˋɪndɛks] n. 指数；指标

rainforest [ˋren͵fɑrɪst] n.（热带）雨林

earthly [ˋɝθlɪ] adj. 尘世的，世俗的

yam [jæm] n.【美】甘薯﹐番薯

fruit bat 狐蝠﹐ 热带大蝙蝠

roll in 滚滚而来  pour or flow in a steady stream

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课文讲解

Jean Pierre lives in a thatched hut with his family on the island of Metoma in Vanuatu. They have no electricity, no running water and no television. To get to the nearest island, they rely not on the horsepower of a powerful motorized boat, but on the manpower of a rowboat. To many who live in air-conditioned homes with cable television, Jean Pierre’s existence may seem desperately poor.

尚恩．皮尔和家人住在万那杜梅托马岛上的茅屋里，他们没有电，没有自来水，也没有电视。要到最近的岛，他们靠的不是有强劲马力的机动船，而是用人力划动的划艇。对许多家里有空调和有线电视的人来说，皮尔的生活简直穷到了极点。

However, Jean Pierre and his family are happy. Although they have little money, the island and the sea that surrounds it provide them with everything they need. Even things that wash up on shore prove useful. Buoys from boats make excellent bowls. Old fishing nets serve as ready-made hammocks, perfect for enjoying an afternoon nap in the soft, warm South-Pacific breeze.

不过，皮尔一家人却很快乐。虽然他们没什么钱，但这座岛和四周的海洋却供给他们一切所需，就连被冲到岸上的东西都有用处：船上的浮筒可做成很好的碗，旧渔网可当作现成的吊床，极适合用来睡个舒服的午觉，享受南太平洋的暖风轻拂。

Pierre’s happiness also comes from having his family around him, and there is an enormous respect between them. The family members are eager to please one another, not because they feel obligated to, but because they genuinely want to.

家人的陪伴也是皮尔快乐的泉源，而且他们对彼此有相当大的尊重，每个家庭成员都想取悦对方，这并非因为他们觉得有义务，而是因为他们真心想这么做。

So it seems that the simple things in life, such as having family nearby, living in a relaxed environment, and having the basic necessities, are all one needs to be truly happy.

如此看来，似乎只要拥有生活中的简单事物，像是与家人同在、住在令身心轻松的环境、具备基本的生活必需品，就足以使人获得真正的幸福。

−by Nathan Godelphin

Vocabulary

单词发音

electricity [͵ilɛkˋtrɪsətɪ] n. 电(力)

desperately [ˋdɛspərɪtlɪ] adv. 【口】极度地

enormous [ɪˋnɔrməs] adj. 巨大的，庞大的

obligated [ˋɑblɪgetɪd] adj. 有责任的，有义务的

genuinely [ˋdʒɛnjʊɪnlɪ] adv. 真正地

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单词发音

thatched [θætʃt] adj. 茅草盖的

hut [hʌt] n.（简陋的）小屋

running water 自来水

horsepower [ˋhɔrs͵paʊɚ] n. 马力（功率单位）

motorized [ˋmotəraɪzd] adj. 装上发动机的

manpower [ˋmæn͵paʊɚ] n. 人力

rowboat [ˋro͵bot] n.（用桨划的）船，划艇，小船

cable television 有线电视

existence [ɪgˋzɪstəns] n. 生活，生活方式

wash up (浪头)把...冲上岸 to bring someone or something up onto the shore or beach

buoy [bɔɪ] n. 浮标，浮筒

hammock [ˋhæmək] n. 吊床

nap [næp] n. 打盹儿，午睡

Reading Questions

1.  According to the article, what do we know about Vanuatu?

A. It is a beautiful, highly developed country.

B. For the people there, fruit bats make up a large part of their diet.

C. Many people there find it difficult to get a job.

D. The “Happy Planet Index” labeled it the poorest country on Earth.

2.  Why don’t the people of Vanuatu need money badly?

A. Because they can get whatever they want from the sea.

B. Because they don’t have to use money to obtain food.

C. Because they can exchange coconuts and yams for other things with tourists.

D. Because they love to relax on the beach and watch the waves roll in.

3.  Which of the following is NOT true about Jean Pierre and his family?

A. They use things found in the sea as useful daily items.

B. They travel from one island to the next by rowboat.

C. They don’t have any air conditioner or cable television.

D. They treat each other well because it’s a household rule.

4.  What does the way of life in Vanuatu prove about happiness?

A. True happiness doesn’t come from material items.

B. The key to happiness is making good use of the people around you.

C. You need to live in a tropical country to be truly happy.

D. If you don’t live in a simple house, you can’t be happy.

Vanuatu

 Answer