繁重的学业，快节奏的生活，电脑、手机等高科技设备的出现……现代社会的纷纷扰扰、熙熙攘攘让我们渐渐忽略了大自然的美好，变得紧张焦虑、迷茫失落。想一想，你有多久没有投入大自然的怀抱了呢？一花一世界，一鸟一天堂。当你来到大自然，你会在不知不觉间卸下身心的包袱，重拾点滴的幸福。你，听到大自然的召唤了吗？
Alarmed by an unfamiliar noise， I took my eyes off the path beneath my feet just in time to see a little green bird take off in front of me. I rushed after it， my camera ready， hoping to capture its unique splendor.
My eyes focused on the bird as it darted1） off to the right. After it had disappeared from sight， my eyes readjusted. The beauty of what lay before me was striking： from the edge of the trail2）， I was presented with a complete image of the Kenyan landscape. The lush3） forests of Mt. Kenya rushed down the mountain and blended with the flourishing farmland， which in the distance reached the wide-open plains of the savanna4）. In this moment， the vast beauty of the country overwhelmed me.
My trip to Kenya was not a leisurely sequence5） of five-star safari6） camps found in travel journals， rather I had come to Kenya as an assistant teacher working in a rural primary school， and volunteering at the nearby orphanage which meant that I kept a busy schedule. Although there was a lot of work to be done， I was pleased to take a day off to experience what Kenya had to offer by spending the day hiking Mt. Kenya.
I took a moment to explore the other details that I had been overlooking as my mind wandered from my to-do list to my calendar and back. Once I had escaped from my unconscious distractions， I was awed by what I found： colobus7） monkeys hiding behind the vines8） of an African oak， leopard tracks trailing off9） into the bush and an army of driver ants10） scurrying11） to find shelter from the approaching storm. Off in the distance I heard the grunting12） of a water buffalo that drowned out13） the chirps14） of the birds that were gathering seeds from an African rosewood15）.
I never cease to be astounded16） by the exquisite17） beauty in our world that goes unnoticed as daily concerns consume our lives. Whether it be rushing from the car to front door and failing to admire the fresh spring day， or that moment of panic when I realized how much time the hike had taken， I regularly find that my life revolves around18） the need for expediency19）. We live in a world in which Wikipedia and YouTube have become substitutes20） for learning through experience ourselves. It only takes a small but significant moment to remind us that there is a world around us that operates outside the sphere21） of technology， work and efficiency. In these moments， I remember that we are all part of a greater picture22）. As a result， those daily worries become mere trivialities23）. On that hike， I found satisfaction in the knowledge that the drifting thoughts and daily concerns that previously spanided us had faded as we developed an appreciation for the same view that stood before each of us. In that moment none of us thought about the college essay we had to write， or the flights home that we had to check in to that night. As modern conveniences become more accessible， the importance we place on expediency distracts us from the richness of a world around us that operates at a different pace. I have found the most remarkable moments in my life to be those in which I am able to take a step back from the chaos that is my day-to-day life， and absorb the natural wonders of the earth. When I am overwhelmed by daily stresses， I think back to those birds， darting in and out of the canopy24） of trees， adding color and life to an already vibrant landscape. Remembering that moment， I remind myself of how fortunate I am to live in such a beautiful place， and my worries are slightly diminished. Those moments have served as a source of comfort to me over the years as the demands and pressures of modern society continue to build and weigh upon25） my shoulders.
我被某种不寻常的声音所惊扰，便把视线从我脚下的小径移开，刚好看到一只绿色的小鸟从我面前飞起。我慌忙追赶着它，并将我的相机准备就绪，希望捕捉到它独特的美丽。
我紧盯着这只小鸟，看着它猛地向右飞去。当它从我的视线中消失之后，我重新调整了下视线。我眼前的美景令人震撼：从小路的边缘放眼望去，一幅肯尼亚景观的全貌呈现在我的面前。肯尼亚山那郁郁葱葱的森林从山上倾泻而下，与繁茂的农田融为一体，农田又在远处与广袤的稀树大草原连成一片。此时此刻，这片国土广阔无垠的美景令我深深地陶醉。
我的肯尼亚之行并不是在旅行杂志上能看到的那种不紧不慢地参加一个接一个的五星级野生动物考察野营活动。相反，我是以助教身份来到肯尼亚的。我在一所乡村小学教书，并在学校附近的孤儿院担任义工，这意味着我的日程安排很紧。尽管有许多工作需要完成，我还是很开心可以抽出一天的时间，利用这一天去肯尼亚山徒步，体验肯尼亚的自然馈赠。
我花了一点时间仔细地观察了一下别的一些细节，它们被我给忽略掉了，因为我的思绪刚才在我的待办事项和日程安排之间来回游走。我一摆脱这种无意识的走神，眼前的一切就令我惊叹不已：一只只疣猴躲在一棵非洲橡树的藤蔓后面；豹子的足迹渐渐消失于灌木丛中；一大群矛蚁飞快地爬着，寻找着藏身之所，以躲避即将到来的暴风雨。我听到远处传来一只水牛的哼哼声，那声音淹没了正从一棵非洲黄檀木上采集树籽的鸟儿们的啁啾鸣唱声。
随着日常纷扰消耗我们的生命，世界的那种精致之美总是被人忽视，但我却从未有一刻不被这种美所震撼。无论是从车里冲向大门而未能领略到清新的春日时光，还是当我意识到徒步旅行花掉了我那么多时间时所感到的片刻恐慌，我常常发现自己的生活都是围绕一时所需而展开的。在我们所生活的世界里，维基百科和YouTube业已替代了通过亲身体验来学习。我们只需要用小小的一瞬间（但这一瞬间却意义重大）就可以提醒自己：在我们周围还存在着这样一个世界，它的运转无关技术、工作和效率。在这些瞬间，我想起来我们都是一个更广阔世界当中的一部分。这么一想，那些日常的烦恼就变成了区区琐事。那次徒步旅行中，我感到很满足，因为我意识到当我们开始欣赏在我们每个人面前都存在着的同一处景色时，那些之前令我们产生分歧的纷飞思绪和日常担忧就逐渐消失不见了。在那一瞬间，我们当中没有一个人在想着我们不得不写的大学论文，也没有一个人在想着我们必须要在那天晚上办理登机手续的归家航班。
随着现代化的便利设施变得越来越触手可及，我们对一时所需的重视让我们看不到周遭世界的丰富多彩――那个世界以另外一种节奏在运转。我发现我人生中最精彩的时刻会是这样的一些时刻：我能从自己日常生活的烦扰中后退一步，并充分感悟地球上的自然奇观。当我因日常压力感到不堪重负时，我就会回想起那些鸟儿，它们在树冠中忽而飞进忽而飞出，为那已然充满生机的风景更添色彩和活力。每当回想起那个时刻，我就提醒自己，能生活在这样一个美丽的地方是何其的幸运，而我的烦恼也因此而稍微少了一点。随着这些年来现代社会的种种要求和压力不断强健我的双肩并不断给我的双肩加压，在肯尼亚的那些时刻已然成了我的慰藉之源。
What's More
Go outside. Choose a place that you think that you could thoroughly enjoy. One of the key things is that it must be calm and quiet. Any natural setting26） will do， whether it is a forest or grassland， lake or mountain.
Sit down on a rock， some dry leaves， or simply on the ground. Get comfortable with your surroundings， and really take in the sounds and the feel of everything around you. Try not to focus on "the big picture"―instead， notice the little details of things； for example： how many veins27） are there on a leaf？ Do you see any animals （or bugs） around you？ Do something peaceful， such as fishing or meditating28） in the woods. You will be amazed at how relaxing it is to just sit back and enjoy the natural sounds of the woods and birds. Don't forget to look at the stars， whether you know anything about them or not. Often， they will appear brighter and more numerous when you are away from the light and smog of cities.
（From wikihow.com）
1. dart [d?t] vi. 猛冲；飞奔
2. trail [tre?l] n. （乡间或森林里的）小路，小径
3. lush [l??] adj. （植物）茂盛的，繁茂的，郁郁葱葱的
4. savanna [s??v?n?] n. （尤指非洲等热带国家的）稀树草原
5. sequence [?si?kw?ns] n. 一系列；一连串
6. safari [s??f?ri] n. （尤指在东非进行的）考察野生动物之行，游猎
7. colobus [?k?l?b?s] n. （非洲）疣猴
8. vine [va?n] n. 藤，藤蔓
9. trail off： 逐渐变小，减弱
10. driver ant： 矛蚁（产于非洲和亚洲，大队成群出行，食昆虫、动物等）
11. scurry [?sk?ri] vi. 碎步疾跑
12. grunt [r?nt] vi. 像猪一样发呼噜声；咕哝；嘟哝
13. drown out： （声音等）压过，盖过，淹没
14. chirp [t???p] n. （尤指鸟的）啁啾声；吱喳声；唧唧声
15. rosewood [?r??zw?d] n. 黄檀木，花梨木（产于热带，木质坚硬，气味芬芳，用于制作高档家具）
16. astound [??sta?nd] vt. 使震惊；使大惊
17. exquisite [?k?skw?z?t] adj. 赏心悦目的；精美的；精致的
18. revolve around： 围绕；以……为中心
19. expediency [?k?spi?di?nsi] n. 不得已而做的事；权宜之计
20. substitute [?s?bst?tju?t] n. 代替物
21. sphere [sf??（r）] n. 范围；领域
22. picture [?p?kt??（r）] n. 情况；局面
23. triviality [?tr?vi??l?ti] n. 琐事；小事
24. canopy [?k?n?pi] n. 顶篷似的树阴；树冠层
25. weigh upon： 加重……的心理负担；使……陷入困境
26. setting [?set??] n. 环境
27. vein [ve?n] n. 叶脉
28. meditate [?med?te?t] vi. 沉思；冥想
