原作者：
来源Why Charity Always Begins at Home
译者guaijie2007
Why Charity Always Begins at Home
慈善为何从自家开始？
What does the word “charity” mean to you?
“慈善”这个词对你来说意味着什么呢？
Do you simply switch off when there is yet another call for donations to a charity?
是否只有又一次受邀为慈善捐款的时候，你才会想起它呢？
No matter wherever you are in the world, there will always be something or someone whom you can support and help if you wished to make it a better world all around. One can support umpteen causes, most of which are worthy and deserving, whereas some can be rather frivolous and obscure.
无论你在世界的哪里，只要你愿意使世界更美好，总会有你能支持帮助的人或事。一个人可以支持很多的公益事业，其中大多数是有价值且值得为之的，尽管其中一些可能相当琐碎模糊。
Where does one begin with supporting a cause or a charity, and just as importantly, where does one stop?
公益事业、慈善事业的始点和终点一样，都是十分重要的。
There is only so much of you to give and only so many resources you can share.
你所能给予的有限，你所能分享的资源也是如此有限。
At what point does your goodwill end, and compassion fatigue set in?
你的善意达到什么程度才会终止，你的同情之心又何时开始疲惫？
I have always been fascinated with what makes people tick and what makes them do what they do. There are a variety of things that drive people but a key one is this deep desire and longing to make a difference and contribute to others.
我一直着迷于是什么让人们一往如常，又是什么驱使他们做着这些事。人们受到许多事情的驱使，但是其中的一个关键原因是那种深切的想要有所不同、为他人贡献的愿望及向往。
Ultimately we all want to help and make a difference, it’s a question of just how we choose to do so. Sometimes we are simply held back from helping others through lack of knowledge or even fear of stepping up.
最终，我们都想要帮助且希望有所不同，但是，问题在于我们如何选择这样做。有时，我们仅仅由于知识的匮乏、甚至是恐惧等因素，不得不收回援助之手。
A few months ago, I wrote what I believe to be one of my best posts – indeed in my humble opinion my “opus magnum” article – Feel the Fear and Change the World Anyway. This article is my clarion call to everyone to change the world in their own way. If you only ever read one of my other articles, please make sure you read this one:-)
几个月以前，我写下了我所最为满意的作品之一——实际上以我愚见，我的巨著——《感受恐惧，无论如何，改变世界》。这篇文章我清晰得倡导每个人用自己的方式改变世界。如果你曾读过我其他的文章的话，请你也阅读下这篇文章吧！
What is your definition of charity?
你是如何定义慈善的呢？
Wikipedia offers a number of definitions but generally being charitable refers to providing help or relief to the poor and needy. On a broader scale it is about benevolence or generosity toward others and toward humanity.
维基百科提供了不少定义，但狭义的做善事意味着为贫困的需要帮助的人提供帮助或救助。广义来说，做善事是指对他人或者人道主义的仁慈慷慨。
The word “charity” is also commonly used to describe an organization that facilitates charity benefiting people in need. It also refers to the act of giving your money, time or resources to others without expecting a reciprocation or a direct return. Of course you go get the satisfaction and fulfilment of having helped someone.
慈善这个词也广泛地用于那些惠及需要帮助的人的机构。慈善这个词也指无偿向他人贡献金钱、时间或者资源而不期回馈或者直接回报的行为。当然，你可以从帮助他人的行为中获得满足感及成就感。
Ultimately, charity is benevolence, or an act based upon a belief in the goodness and worth of other people.
最终，慈善是仁慈，一种建立在信仰善意、肯定他人价值基础上的行为。
There is literally someone you can help in every street, and sometimes in every nook and cranny.
字面上而言，你可以帮助每条街道，有时甚至是在每个角落里的人。
Yesterday morning I was in a very upmarket part of London for a client meeting and I saw a young woman sleeping in an alleyway. She seemed completely oblivious to the world passing her by.
昨天上午，我在伦敦一处高档的地方约见客户，看到一个年轻的女子睡在小巷子里。她睡得很沉，完全忘记了她所置身的环境。
Though the sight of homeless people in London has sadly become more common in recent years, I always wonder how such a person reached such a point in their life. I hesitate to say “low point” as I now understand that apparently some people choose this way of living. However for the majority, their life has taken such a turn that they now literally have to fend for themselves in the streets.
令人伤心的是，近几年来伦敦附近你可以看到越来越多的无家可归的人，我却仍然希望这样的人在他们的一生中，可以达到这样的一个点。我踟蹰而言我现在所能够理解的“低点”是，显然，很多人选择了过这样的生活方式。尽管如此，大部分人，他们的人生有这样的转折，现在他们为了养活自己，不得不流浪街头。
I still feel a heavy tug at my heart strings whenever I see homeless people in London. I always wonder how this could even happen in our so called modern and privileged society today.
每当我在街上看到无家可归的流浪者时，我仍然感到心情沉重。我一直在想，在我们所谓的现在特权社会，何以仍然会出现这样的事。
Why are we not doing a lot more to help?
我们为什么不多做些事情来帮助他们呢?
Conversely in some developing countries it is quite a common sight to see homeless people living in the streets, so common that we even switch off after a while from noticing human beings lying in gutters. I definitely felt like this ealier this year when I visited India.
相反地，在发展中国家，流浪汉徘徊流浪街头的事司空见惯，如此常见，以至于我们甚至有时可以看到人类睡在水洼中。今年早期我去印度事，亲眼看到这种景象。
At the same time, it’s always heartening to see how even homeless people strive to help themselves out of their situation, despite all their challenges.
与此同时，尽管困难重重，看到流浪者们努力帮助彼此脱离困境，是件令人欢欣鼓舞的事。
Here in London, I always chat to a homeless person selling The Big Issue – it really doesn’t take much to take some time out of your routine and just have a normal conversation.
在英国，我一直和那些流浪汉交流，向他们推销《大问题》——事实上这并不花费巨大，也不需要花费你日常生活的很多时间，只是需要进行正常的谈话而已。
There is this famous story of Mother Teresa holding and hugging a dying man in Calcutta rescued from a gutter. The man was not bitter, but happy and grateful that he was going to die with some dignity and love.
有个关于特雷休修女的很出名的故事，她在加尔各答将一个濒临死亡的男人拖出了排水沟。这个男人并不觉得痛苦，反之，他为他能够死得有尊严和爱而感到幸福自豪。
At least for the last few moments in his life, this man felt wanted and loved. And how amazing it is to be able to give such a gift.
至少在他生命的最后时分，这个男人觉得自己是被人需要的，被人所爱。能够有这样的转变是多么的令人惊奇。
Give up on wanting to change the world big time
放弃总是想要改变这个世界大时间的想法
Yesterday morning when I met up with a friend, she mentioned how she had given up on the notion of always wanting to change the world big time. She was finally comfortable that she didn’t have to go and feed starving babies in Africa, so as to feel that she was making a difference!
昨天上午，我偶然遇见了一个朋友，她提到现在她已经放弃了想要改变这个世界大时间的想法。她对于自己不需要去非洲喂养那些饥饿儿童而感到舒心，以至于她觉得她正在改变，变得不一样。
My friend’s comment resulted in this blog post – it’s always amazing where inspiration can come from.
我朋友的评论是这篇博客诞生的原因——灵感的来源总是惊人。
So get this once and for all – it really is okay not to want to abandon your daily life and go and help starving babies say in Africa or take on some other grand project in the world.
为了一劳永逸，事实上，不想放弃你的日常生活去帮助非洲那些饥饿的孩子，或者做世界上其他的伟大事业是可以的。
Band aid in the mid eighties probably started this myth that the only way to help out in the world is to go and devote your life rescuing starving babies. Even now so many people seem to want to go to Africa or India and help children.
在八十年代中期，团队救助开启了这样一个神话，它指明了去帮助这个世界，为拯救那些饥饿的儿童奉献一生的一条道路。即使是现在，还是有如此之多的人想要去非洲、印度，帮助那些儿童。
Funnily enough, I too used to talk about doing this and luckily 10 years ago I was able to do just that when I visited Nirvana School – do check out the video below or at this link – you are so beautiful.
有趣的是，我过去也常常谈论关于如何做此事，而10年前，我有幸地能够在我访问涅槃中学
的时候做这件事——检查下面的视频或此链接——你是如此美丽。
Charity begins at home
慈善从自家开始
There is this well known saying that charity begins at home – this really means that you should try to help your family and friends before you help other people.
善行始于足下是非常出名的一种说法——这实际上意味着你应当在帮助他人之前，尝试帮助你的家庭、朋友。
Charity certainly begins at home – and it is key to understand and accept this. Once you accept that charity begins at home, you can then consciously look for opportunities in and around your home and not wait for one future day to pack your bags for Africa, or indeed anywhere else where a worthy charitable cause appeals to you.
善行当然要从自己的家开始——理解并且接受它是很关键的。一旦你接受了善行应当从自家开始的理念，那么，你就能够有意识地在自己家及周边寻找机会，而不是等待在将来的某一天，打包自己的行囊前往非洲或者其他吸引你的值得你去参与慈善事业的地方。
Of course, charity at home is much more than giving donations and giving your unwanted clutter to others.
当然了，慈善从自家开始远远不止慈善捐款及将那些给予你不想要的琐碎物件赠与他人。
There is so much more we can all do for all the people around us – my friend John Sherry recently summed this up beautifully in his article about how to contribute to the world from the heart and not just the pocket.
我们能够为我们身边的人做的事远远不止于此——我的朋友约翰·谢里最近在他的文章中优秀地诠释了如何从 内心而不是仅从金钱方面为这个世界做贡献。
So yes, contribute to the world from the heart and not just the pocket – and begin in your own backyard. Change the world around you first and one day you can take on the rest of the world.
是的，奉献于世界并不仅仅从金钱，而是从内心——从自家的后院做起。首先改变你自己所处的小世界，总有一天，你可以改变整个其他的世界。更重要的是，记住，所谓“慈善”要从自己开始。首先好好照顾自己，然后是你身边的人，最后惠及整个世界。
Even more importantly, remember that “charity” begins with you. Look after yourself first and then the people around you and ultimately the world.
在这里输入译文
So be selfish to help the world.
救助世界也是需要自私的
I am not advocating being selfish and ignoring others at all costs, but saying that you look after your own needs first – after all, if you can’t look after yourself, how will you look after anyone else?
我并不是提倡变得自私，从而不计一切代价的忽视其他人，而是说，你先要好好照顾自己的需求——毕竟，如果你自己都不能照顾好自己，你又如何能够好好照顾其他人呢？
enjoy being charitable
享受行善
At the same time enjoy all the abundance around you, both natural and material – it’s there to be enjoyed to the full and shared as appropriate and as much as possible.
与此同时，享受你身边的自然的物质的一切资源——它存在的价值就是能够被完全的享用，合理的尽可能的被分享。
I don’t belong to the school of thought that one should deprive themselves of material things, and suffer in sympathy with those suffering and who have less material goodness than you.
我并不属于那种思维的群体，认为应该被剥夺一切物质，经历那些与你无法享有同等物质的人们的同情。
“No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he only had good intentions. He had money as well”. – Margaret Thatcher
“如果只是拥有美好的愿望的话，是没人会记住撒玛利亚人的。”——撒切尔夫人。
Of course, don’t go too far the other way in terms of chasing and gathering materials and building up your clutter – keep your life simple. Learn to be a minimalist – please do check out this “Minimalist Guide” from my friend Leo Babauta.
当然，也不要愈行愈远地坠入一条追逐堆积物质的路，为你制造一片混乱——让你的生活保持简单。学会做个最低要求的人——请实际确认来自我朋友里奥·班巴塔的“最低要求引导”。
To end, no matter where and how you are drawn to carry out an act of charity, always remember these famous words from St Francis of Assisi:-
最后无论你从哪里、怎样开始你的善行，请始终铭记这些来自于圣·弗朗西斯·阿西西的名言：
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
哪里有仇恨，请播撒爱的种子；
where there is injury,pardon;
如果受到伤害，请谅解；
where there is doubt, faith;
如果有疑问，请建立信仰；
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
如果感到绝望，不要忘记还有希望；
如果被黑暗掩埋，不要忘记还有光明；
and where there is sadness, joy
如果感到悲伤，请不要忘记微笑！
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