Five Little Things That Make the World Better 让世界变得更美好的五件小事

张恒

Every morning you wake up to a new day. You have a fresh day to have fun， get into trouble1， be lazy， eat something nice—and make the world better. Here are five little things that take only seconds， and you can do them！When you do one every day， you make the world a better place.

每天早上你都醒来迎接新的一天。你有一个崭新的一天去享受乐趣，惹点麻烦，偷个懒，吃点好吃的，让世界变得更好。这里有五件小事，只要几秒钟，你就可以做到！你每天做一件，就会让世界变得更美好。

1. Pick up a piece of garbage.

捡垃圾。

You see a gum wrapper2 in a parking lot—pick it up and put it in the trash bin3. It may seem small， but this one little act makes your world a little better every time you do it！ And if you pick up a piece of garbage every day of your life， how much it will be？ That is the difference you can make.

你在停车场看到一张口香糖包装纸，把它捡起来放到垃圾桶里。这可能看起来是很小的事，但你每做一次这一个小事，你的世界一点点变得更好。如果你每天都捡起一点垃圾，那会有多少？这就是你能做出的改变。

2. Give someone a compliment4.

称赞他人。

“Hey， good job on that paint job.”

“嘿，这幅作品画得很好。”

“I like how you got that program to work.”

“我喜欢你让那个程序运行起来。”

“Cool moves！”

“很酷的动作！”

No matter who you hang out with5， no matter what you are doing， you will have a chance to say something positive6 to someone in your life. That kind act can make a huge difference to the person you compliment. That person will feel better and think better about the world—and you. And its so easy. Practice on your parents.

不管你和谁在一起玩，不管你在做什么，你都有机会对生活中的某个人说些积极的话。这种善意的行为会对你赞美的人产生巨大的影响。那个人会感觉更好，对世界和你的看法更好。而且这很简单，先拿你的父母练习吧。

3. Learn one thing every day.

每天学一件事。

Were not talking about the learning you do at school or that things your parents keep reminding7 you about. You have eyes and ears and a brain that takes in the world. Ask yourself one thing about what you see or hear and find the answer.

我們不是在谈论你在学校的学习或者父母一直提醒你的事情。你有眼睛和耳朵，还有一个能感知世界的大脑。问自己一件关于你所看到或听到的事情，然后找到答案。

You only need to do this once a day to get into the habit of thinking. You could be riding your bike and think： When did humans first find out the air？ You could see a weird8 looking bird and wonder what kind of bird it is. Why do you have those two sharper9 teeth on the sides of your mouth？

你只需要每天做一次就可以养成思考的习惯。你可以骑着自行车思考：人类什么时候最先发现空气的？也许你看到一只奇怪长相的鸟，会想知道它是什么鸟。为什么你嘴边有两颗更锋利的牙齿？

By asking questions and looking for answers， you will make the world a better place， because the world needs more people who think and look for knowledge10.

通过提问和寻找答案，你将使世界变得更美好，因为世界需要更多思考和寻找知识的人。

4. Say thank you.

说谢谢。

Like giving people compliments， when you thank someone， you are connecting11 with that person. The more people connect—even when its just thanking a clerk who hands you a napkin12—the world become a little better.

就像赞美别人一样，当你感谢某人时，你就是在和他沟通。交流的人越多，即使只是感谢一个递餐巾纸给你的店员，世界就会变得更好。

5. Smile！

微笑吧！

（英语原文选自：safesearchkids.com）