Thailand legend -- the White Dragon King warned: as long as everyone has the good temper, everything will turn out to be good. Many people turned to ask me, "Is my career prosperous? Do I have a happy family? Are my children cute? Is my marriage a happy one?" I can only answer like this: "Are you a good-tempered person?"
泰国的传奇人物─白龙王告诫: 人只要脾气好，凡事就会好。 很多人来到这里都问我︰ 我的事业好不好？家庭好不好？孩子好不好？姻缘好不好？我只是回答一句：你的脾气好不好？
Our life requires us to learn how to behave ourselves decently for better performances, which is a life-long process during which we fail to obtain a graduation certificate. There are all kinds of people, regardless of scholar, farmer, artisan or merchant, who can only make headway by pursuing constant studies.
人的一生都在学做人，学习做人是一辈子的事，没有办法毕业的。人生不管是士农工商,各种人等,只要学习就有进步。
01
***Learn to admit mistakes ***
学习认错
More often than not, people refuse to make an apology for having done wrong as they don't think they are wrong, but the denial of ones' fault is actually a mistake anyway.
人常常不肯认错，凡事都说是别人的错，认为自己才是对的,其实不认错就是一个错。
The persons we apologize to may include our parents, friends, the public, God, or even our children or the person who bears malice to us, so making an apology does not cause any damage to us but on the contrary, it may prove that we have good manners.
认错的对象可以是父母,朋友,社会大众、上帝，甚至向儿女或是对我不好的人认错,自己不但不会少了什么,反而显得你有度量。
Learning to admit mistakes does pay off, representing the great moral cultivation.
学习认错是美好的，是一个大修行。
02
Learn to be soft-hearted
学习柔和
Human teeth are hard while the tongue is soft. When a man breathes his last, his teeth are all gone but his tongue remains there, so if you can remain soft-hearted all along, your life can last much longer. On the contrary, if you are hard-hearted, you will get the worst of it.
人的牙齿是硬的，舌头是软的，到了人生的最后，牙齿都掉光了，舌头却不会掉，所以要柔软，人生才能长久，硬反而吃亏。
If you are soft-hearted, it is the greatest progress made by you in your moral cultivation. We generally describe the character or personal nature of people like this: you are as cold-minded or hard-hearted as the iron. If we ordinary people can cultivate ourselves or adjust our mentality for a better physical and spiritual condition, so our heart will be softened unlike an untamed or wild horse or monkey, and we can have the longevity and a happier life.
心地柔软了，是修行最大的进步。 一般形容执着的人说，你的心、你的性格很冷、很硬，像钢铁一样。如果我们像禅门说的调息、调身、调心，慢慢调伏像野马、像猴子的这颗心，令它柔软，人生才能活得更快乐、更长久。
03
Learn to be more patient
学习生忍
If we can bite the bullet for a while, everything goes smoothly. Take a step back and we can enjoy a better view. Tolerance helps us to dispel all worries, cope with troubles and resolve conflicts. We can minimize problems and totally resolve problems with wisdom and capacity.
这世间就是忍一口气，风平浪静，退一步海阔天空； 忍，万事都能消除。忍就是会处理、会化解，用智慧、能力让大事化小、小事化无。
We earn a living, live on and seek a better life with more patience, and we have to separate the good ones from the bad ones, distinguish clearly between good and evil, right and wrong, or even accept it.
要生活、要生存、要生命，有了忍，可以认清世间的好坏,善恶,是非.甚至接受它。
04
***Learn to effectively communicate ***
学习沟通
The lack of communication can easily lead to a dispute, conflict and misunderstanding.
缺乏沟通，会产生是非、争执与误会。
What really maters is communication, mutual understanding and mutual aid. Every one of us are close friends like brothers, so how can we hit it off well if we fight each other without amicable communication?
最重要的就是沟通，相互了解、相互体谅、相互帮助，大家都是龙兄虎弟，互相争执、不沟通怎么能和平呢？
05
Learn to let go
学习放下
Life is like a leather trunk. Lift it up when you use it and lay it down while it is not used. If you cannot put it down as it should be, you are pulling along the heavier luggage, feeling ill at ease. Life is quite limited, so apology, respect and forgiveness can help us relax ourselves and feel at ease by letting go.
人生像一只皮箱，需要用的时候提起，不用的时就把它放下，应放下的时候，却不放下，就像拖着沉重的行李，无法自在。人生的岁月有限，认错、尊重、包容才能让人接受，放下才自在啊！
06
***Learn to show affection to others ***
学习感动
We should be happy when others obtain benefits and can feel satisfied in face of good deeds and kind-hearted people around.
看到人家得好处，要欢喜；看到好人好事，要能感动。
Showing affection is the very love for others. Many things and words of others in the past several decades could have emotionally move us greatly, so we should try to find ways to emotionally move us.
感动是一个爱心、在几十年的岁月里，有许多事情、语言感动了我们,所以我们也很努力的想办法让别人感动。
07
Learn to live a better life
学习生存
We are supposed to keep fit for a better life, and the good health can not only do us good and our friends and family can rest assured about it, so it can be deemed as a filial behavior.
为了生存，要维护身体健康，身体健康不但对自己有利，也让朋友、家人放心，所以也是孝亲的行为。
It's better to search your soul before you turn in: “Did I lose my temper today?”
每天晚上睡觉前问问自己：今天我发脾气了吗？
阎成席 资深翻译、独特发音和朗读方法的研学者、知名英语网站专栏作家，也是在线语音、口语、语法、阅读和翻译等课程主讲，特别是《新概念》、《阎老师四六级翻译课程》等。
文章的中文由《英语共读》收集整理，英文是阎老师编译。
