A few years ago, my husband Dawn and I were in Key West for a long weekend with our three- and four-year-old daughters. As we went back and forth¹ about what to do next, our girls jumped right in and told us exactly what they wanted to do. "We want to go to a museum of butterflies," said Ariela and Eliana.

几年前，我和丈夫道恩带着我们三岁和四岁大的两孩子去西锁岛度小长假。当我们还在犹豫接下来该玩什么时，孩子们直接表达了她们的意见。艾瑞尔拉和埃利安娜说：“我们想去蝴蝶博物馆！”

注：西锁岛是美国佛罗里达州的一小岛，它属于佛罗里达州南部一串岛链中最南部和最西部的小岛。

Having never been to a museum of butterflies, Dawn and I looked at the map, and sure enough there it was: a museum of butterflies. We looked at each other and said, "Let's go."

道恩和我都没去过蝴蝶博物馆，我和道恩查看地图：的确有一家蝴蝶博物馆。我们相视一眼后，说：“咱们出发吧。”

As soon as we walked into the main area we were immediately surrounded by thousands and thousands of beautiful butterflies, all flapping² their multicolored wings.

一走进博物馆的主展示区，我们便发现自己被成千上万只美丽的蝴蝶围绕，它们扇动着色彩斑驳的翅膀。

I looked down at our girls. They were jumping up and down and clapping their hands. I knew we had made the right decision to come to the museum. They were having so much fun.

我低头看看孩子们，她们蹦哒着，开心地拍手。我便知道来博物馆的这个决定没错。她们玩得很开心。

I turned to our museum tour guide--just because I was curious--and asked, "How long do butterflies live?"

只因好奇心使然，我转过身问博物馆导游：“蝴蝶能存活多久？”

She said, "About ten days."

她回答说：“十天左右。”

I thought to myself, "Ten days. What can you do in ten days?" So I asked her, "What do butterflies do in ten days?"

我对自己说：“十天，十天能做什么？”于是我又问她：“蝴蝶这十天里会做什么？”

The guide stopped, looked at me, and said, "They make the world a more beautiful place."

导游停了下来，看着我说：“它们让这个世界变得更美丽。”

"Wow," I said, "I never thought about butterflies like that. Thank you."

“哇！我从没有把蝴蝶想象成这样，谢谢你！”我对她说。

After we said goodbye, I couldn't stop thinking about what the guide had said. She was right: We all have something to offer the world with the time we have. When we focus our natural gifts on taking care of each other every day, we Make a Difference.

我们道别后，不禁想着导游说过的话：她说的没错。我们都能用自己的时间为这个世界做点事。当我们每天发自内心、自然而然地关爱彼此，我们便能让世界有所改变。

Appreciate³ the impact you have on your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Like a butterfly, you have your own way of making the world a little better for everyone. Embrace⁴ the opportunity to contribute to others. Your life matters. Make it a point in coming days to demonstrate⁵ the impact you have on others by offering a hand to people in need.

享受你对亲朋好友，同事与邻居产生的影响吧。像蝴蝶般，你能用自己的方式使世界更美好。热情把握造福他人的机会。你的人生是有意义的，从今以后，请给需要帮助的人伸出援手，展现你对他人的影响力吧。