7 WAYS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Author: E.C. LaMeaux

作者：E.C.拉梅奥克斯 翻译：莉莉娅

The idea of changing the world can be daunting. It’s not only easy but understandable to think, “I’m only one person; what can I really do?” If every person thinks that, nothing will get done. But if every person did just one thing to make the world a better place today, billions of acts of kindness, social responsibility and generosity would take place — and wouldn’t that alone change the face of this planet?

改变世界的想法可能会让人望而生却。我们很容易陷入思考的胡同“我只是一个势单力薄的个体，我又能做什么呢？”如果我们每个人都这么想，那什么事情也做不成。但是，如果我们每个人今天起，哪怕只做一件让世界变得更美好的事情，那数以百万的善意的、有社会责任感的、慷慨的行为就会发生——难道这些还改变不了地球的面貌吗？

Helen Keller said, “I am only one, but still I am one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and just because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” That is the attitude in which authors Linda Catling and Jeffery Hollender wrote the book How to Make the World a Better Place: 116 Ways You Can Make a Difference. Here is a list of some of their ideas, and a few others, on how to make the world a better place one small action at a time.

海伦·凯勒说过“我虽然只身一人，但是我仍有一人之力。我虽然不能做到所有的事情，但是我仍可以做到一些事情。正是因为我无法做到所有的事情，所以我才不会拒绝去做我可以做到的事情。”正是这种态度让琳达·凯特琳和杰弗瑞·霍兰德写出了《如何让这个世界变得更美好：116个方法你可以改变世界一点点》这本书。下面是他们的和其他人的一些想法，如何一次一小步的让这个世界变得更美好。

1. VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AT LOCAL SCHOOLS 在当地的学校做志愿者

Whether you have a school-age child or not, children are the future of this world. Spend time helping them reach their potential by tutoring, mentoring or taking part in an after-school program.

无论你们家里是否有一个学龄儿童，孩子们是世界的未来。花费时间帮助他们激发自身的潜能，教育他们，指导他们，或者参与一项课后活动。

2. RECOGNIZE THE HUMANITY OF OTHER PEOPLE, AND RESPECT THEIR DIGNITY 意识到人性之美，尊重他人的尊严

Consciously realize that the homeless man you pass on the street every day is, in fact, a man. Through choices of his own or circumstances out of his control, he ended up in this situation, and that makes him no less human. Say hello and warmly greet him. Your greeting could bring healing to his heart, and help heal the world one person at a time. Treat people as equals, no matter how you interpret their social standing.

有意识地觉察到每天你走过的那条马路上的那个流浪汉其实也是一个人类。洞察到无论是他自己的选择还是事情的发展不受他的控制，他已经沦落至此，但是这并不改变他是个体人类的事实。跟他打招呼，温暖地问候他。你的问候也许会为他的心灵带来疗愈，每一次帮助治愈地球上的一个人。无论你如何解读他们的社会地位，平等地看待众生。

3. USE LESS PAPER 节约用纸

Our forests are being cut down at an alarming rate. Conserve the trees by conserving paper. Send an e-mail instead of a letter, type directions into your cell phone instead of writing them down, and bring your own fabric shopping bags to the store.

我们的森林正在以令人担忧的速度被砍伐。保护树木从节约用纸开始。不发信件，发送电子邮件，把要去的地方记在手机里而不是写在纸上，去商店带上自己的购物布袋子。

4. DRIVE LESS 少开车

Even the use of hybrid vehicles contributes to carbon emissions, greenhouse gases, and reduced air quality. Take a moment to consider how you can use your personal vehicle less. You could carpool or take public transportation to work, walk to church, or bike to pick up a few things from the store and make the world a better place.

即使使用混合动力汽车也会导致碳排放，温室气体和空气质量下降的现象。花点时间思考一下如何减少私家车的使用。您可以拼车或乘坐公共交通工具去上班，步行去教堂，或者骑自行车去商店买东西让世界变得更美好。

5. CONSERVE WATER 节约用水

Taking long showers and letting the water run as you brush your teeth are indulgences that negatively impact our world. Try to limit your water usage by timing how long you have the water running, and trying to beat that time the next time you turn on the faucet.

花很长时间洗个澡，在刷牙的时候让水一直流淌——这都是对我们世界有消极影响的放纵行为。通过计时自来水的流淌时间来限制用水，在下次你打开水龙头时打败上次的计时时长。

6. DONATE TO CLEAN WATER CHARITIES 捐助清洁水慈善组织

A large portion of the world is without fresh drinking water. Educate yourself about the drought epidemic, and make the world a better place by donating to organizations and charities helping to fight against the lack of clean water around the globe. Your donation could result in the reduction of preventable, water-related diseases.

世界上很大一部分地区没有新鲜的饮用水资源。了解旱灾流行病，进行自我教育，并通过向组织和慈善机构捐款以帮助应对全球缺乏清洁水的问题，让世界变得更加美好。你的捐赠也许可以减少与水有关的可预防的疾病。

7. BE GENEROUS 慷慨一点

It’s easy to be selfish with your time, money, and resources by getting caught up in our material-driven societal expectations. Try being generous and see how your life changes. Buy coffee for the person behind you in line at Starbucks, read to children at your local library, or simply stop and listen for the answer when you ask a friend how they’re doing. Chances are that your generosity will energize you, and you’ll feel less helpless about how to make the world a better place.

沉湎于达到以物质为动力的社会期望很容易让我们开始吝啬自己的时间、金钱和资源。试着变得更加慷慨，看看你的生活将如何改变。在星巴克为你后面排队的人买咖啡，在当地图书馆给孩子们读书，或者只是停下脚步听听朋友对询问他近况的回答。你的慷慨会为你带来增能充电的可能，由此你也能更加明白如何让世界变得更美好。

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https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/7-ways-to-make-the-world-a-better-place