英文美文分享: The Shoes She Never Wore（那双从未穿过的鞋）

“Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” – Rabbi Hyman Schachtel

“幸福不是拥有你想要的，而是珍惜你所拥有的。” — 拉比·海曼·沙赫特尔

In a quiet Italian town, an elderly woman named Lucia lived alone in a stone cottage by the lake.

在意大利一个宁静的小镇，老妇人露西亚独自住在湖边一座石屋中。

Every Sunday, she polished a pair of red leather shoes sitting on a velvet cushion.

每逢周日，她都会擦拭一双放在天鹅绒垫上的红色皮鞋。

They were stunning—never worn, never scuffed.

那鞋子美丽动人——从未穿过，一尘不染。

Her neighbors often asked, “Why don’t you wear them?”

邻居们常问：“你为何从不穿它们？”

Lucia would smile and say, “I’m waiting for the right occasion.”

露西亚总是微笑回答：“我在等一个合适的时机。”

Decades passed. Her hair turned silver, and her walks became slower.

几十年过去了。她的头发变得银白，步伐也慢了。

One spring, a fire broke out nearby.

某个春天，附近突发大火。

Lucia had just minutes to escape.

露西亚只有几分钟的时间逃离。

She grabbed nothing—not the jewelry, not the red shoes.

她什么都没拿——不拿首饰，也不拿那双红鞋。

When the fire was over, her home was gone.

火灾过后，她的家已化为灰烬。

She sat by the lake, barefoot, and whispered, “I waited too long.”

她赤脚坐在湖边，低语道：“我等得太久了。”

Summary: “Joy lives in the moments we stop waiting and start living.”

总结：“快乐藏在那些我们停止等待、开始生活的时刻里。”