Unit 2 Mixed Feelings?

The Free Hugs Campaign in its present form was started by an Australian man Juan Mann in June 2004, when he began giving out hugs in the Pitt Street Mall in central Sydney. Juan's mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. Juan had been living in London when his world turned upside down and he'd had to come home. By the time his plane landed back in Sydney, all he had left was a carry-on bag full of clothes and a world of troubles. So he got some cardboard and a marker and made a sign, with the words "Free Hugs" on both sides. He had to wait 15 minutes before an elderly lady came up to him and gave him a hug. Thanks to his friend Shimon Moore, lead singer for Sick Puppies, who recorded video footage of Juan and his fellow huggers, this campaign became famous around the world. Today the "Free Hug" campaign is gaining in popularity and is making the world a warmer place to live in.?

目前這種形式的“抱抱團”運動是澳大利亞人胡安?曼恩發(fā)起的。2004年6月，他開始在悉尼市中心的皮特街購物中心給人送去擁抱。胡安要做的是伸出胳膊擁抱陌生人，點亮他們的人生。胡安以前住在倫敦，后來他的生活變得一團糟，不得不回家。等他乘飛機回到悉尼，他只剩下一個塞滿衣服的手提行李包和一大堆的麻煩。于是，他找到一塊硬紙板和一只馬克筆，做了一個指示牌，在牌子的兩面寫上“免費擁抱”。他等了15分鐘才有一個老太太走上前來，給了他一個擁抱。他的朋友，“病小狗”樂隊的主唱希蒙?摩爾，給胡安和他的“抱抱團”成員拍了一段錄像，使得“抱抱團”運動在全世界有了更大的知名度。如今，“抱抱團”運動日漸流行，它使我們生活的這個世界更加溫暖。乒乓球被稱為中國的國球有三個原因。首先，乒乓球為中國贏得了榮譽，到目前為止，中國已經(jīng)獲得了二百多個乒乓球世界冠軍。其次，乒乓球有著廣泛的群眾基礎(chǔ)，是中國最受歡迎的業(yè)余體育娛樂項目之一。最后，乒乓球運動促進了中國的對外友好交往。1971 年中美兩國在北京的乒乓球友誼賽為恢復(fù)兩國外交關(guān)系敲開了大門，史稱“乒乓外交”。如今，中國在發(fā)展自身乒乓球運動的同時，也為其他一些國家輸送了優(yōu)秀的運動員，對推動全球乒乓球運動的發(fā)展起到了積極作用。

“不以物喜，不以己悲”出自北宋文學(xué)家范仲淹的名著《岳陽樓記》，意思是凡事都要以一顆平常心看待，不因外部事物的好壞和自己的得失而或喜或悲。它是一種思想境界，體現(xiàn)了中國的傳統(tǒng)道家思想，教導(dǎo)人們追求一種淡然（detached）平靜的心態(tài)。在物質(zhì)文明高度發(fā)達的今天，保持這樣的心態(tài)仍顯得十分重要。當你擁有了這種心境，生活就會多一些陽光，多一些快樂。

Be not pleased by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses is a statement from the essay "Remarks of Yueyang Tower" by Fan Zhongyan, a writer of the Northern Song Dynasty. The statement means one should look at and accept things as they are, and remain unbothered by external matters or personal gains or losses. It is a mental outlook that reflects the traditional Taoist ideas of China, instructing people to become calm and detached. Even today, when we have a highly developed material civilization, keeping such a state of mind is still important. When you possess such a state of mind, you will be able to live a brighter and more joyous life.