Serendipity: Thanks, Horace Walpole 偶然：谢谢，霍勒斯•沃波尔
A recent post on SensitivityToThings.com , entitled Serendipity , prompted more in-depth pondering about the word and its meaning.最近的一个哨所SensitivityToThings.com题为偶然 ，促使更多的深入思考这个词及其含义。 Serendipity can be defined as pure luck in discovering unsought things , or yet more simply as good fortune .偶然可以被定义为纯粹的运气发现unsought外 ，或更简单的好运气 。 This might be a good time to explain the link between the name chosen for this site and its chosen motto.这可能是一个很好的时间来解释之间的联系，选择的名称本网站和其选择的座右铭。
Firstly, you might wonder how come this English girl has an Indian name.首先，你可能不知道这个英文的女孩来到了印度的名称。 My first name, Sumangali, is a spiritual name, given to me by my meditation teacher, Sri Chinmoy .我的第一个名字， Sumangali ，是一种精神的名字，给我的老师我的冥想， 斯里兰卡清 。 A spiritual name is like a mantra, reflecting the essence and purpose of its bearer at a very deep level.一种精神的名字是一样的口头禅，反映的本质和宗旨及其承载在一个非常深层次。 It was given to me after I had been studying and practising meditation for a few years.这是给我之后，我一直在研究与实践打坐几年。
The root of the word Sumangali ( mangal ) means auspicious .的根词Sumangali （ 曼加尔 ）指吉祥 。 Sometimes two people may have the same word as a name, but the interpretation or aspect of it may be different.有时两个人可能有相同的字作为一个名称，但在解释或方面，它可能会有所不同。 The main part of the meaning for me is auspicious good-fortune , so this is at once my essence and my primary purpose, and that’s what I hope to try and offer through this site, in any small way I can.主要部分的意义对我来说是吉祥的好运气 ，因此，这是一次我的本质和我的主要目的，这就是我希望通过尝试，并提供本网站的内容，在任何小的方式我可以。
As for the word serendipity, there’s no way I would have guessed its progenitor: Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford .至于这个词意外，就没有办法，我已经猜到其祖： 霍勒斯•沃波尔，第四奥福德伯爵 。 It seems there was a gap in our language, and so the word was born, inspired by a Persian fairy tale called The Three Princes Of Serendip (Serendip being Sri Lanka).似乎存在着差距在我们的语言，因此这个词诞生，灵感来自波斯童话所谓三王子Serendip （ Serendip被斯里兰卡） 。
So the princes were fortunate on their travels?因此，王子很幸运的旅游地点？ Well it’s not so simple.那么它就不那么简单了。 It seems they were very wise as well.看来他们是非常明智的。 Perhaps Horace won’t mind me quoting the letter in which the word was first written:也许贺拉斯不会介意我的信中引用的第一个字是写：
“I once read a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip : as their highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of: for instance, one of them discovered that a mule blind of the right eye had travelled the same road lately, because the grass was eaten only on the left side, where it was worse than on the right—now do you understand serendipity ? “我曾经愚蠢的读童话， 称为三王子Serendip ：作为其殿下前往，他们总是发现，意外事故和洞察力，对事情，他们不是在追求的：例如，其中一人发现，骡子失明的右眼曾前往同一道最近，因为只有草吃的左侧，那里不如权问题，现在你明白偶然 ？ “
Source: Wikipedia 资料来源：维基百科
Well no, Horace, in fact your definition has sparked numerous debates on its meaning.以及没有，贺拉斯，事实上您定义引发无数次辩论的意义。 Looking up The Three Princes Of Serendip we find a little more clarity: 查询三个王子Serendip我们发现一个小更清楚：
“In the camel story, the Three Princes use trace clues to precisely identify a camel they have never seen (lame; blind in one eye; missing a tooth; carrying a pregnant maiden; bearing honey on one side and butter on the other). “在骆驼的故事，三王子使用追踪线索准确识别骆驼他们还从来没见过（跛脚;一只眼睛失明;失踪牙齿;携带怀孕少女;轴承一方蜂蜜和黄油的其他） 。 This result of abductive reasoning is not what is meant by serendipity (the discovery of something not sought).这一结果的溯因推理并非指的是什么偶然（发现了一些没有要求） 。 Because of their cleverness and sagacity, they are accused of stealing the camel and are about to be put to death by Bahram Gur.因为他们的聪明和智慧，他们被指控偷窃的骆驼和即将被处死的巴赫拉姆古尔。 Suddenly and without anyone seeking him out, a traveler steps forward to say that he has just seen the missing camel wandering in the desert.突然，没有任何人要求他，旅行者步骤着说，他刚才看到了失踪的骆驼在沙漠中游荡。 Bahram spares the lives of the Three Princes, lavishes them with rich rewards and appoints them as advisors.巴赫拉姆零部件的生活，三个王子， lavishes他们具有丰富的奖励，并任命他们担任顾问。 These rewards are the unsought (serendipitous) results of their sagacious insights.”这些奖励是unsought （偶然）结果的明智的见解。 “
So, Horace, what you mean is that wisdom is often rewarded, and if we do not seek to receive a specific reward, but receive it nonetheless, then we are serendipitous?因此，贺拉斯，你的意思是，往往是智慧的回报，如果我们不寻求获得具体奖励，但收到尽管如此，那么我们是偶然？ Ergo: wisdom - expectation reward = serendipity.故：智慧-期望 奖励=偶然。
Back to SensitivityToThings.com , John Gillespie cited a quote from Sri Chinmoy about rainbows.回到SensitivityToThings.com ，约翰吉莱斯皮引引自斯里兰卡清约彩虹。 Sri Chinmoy says that a rainbow siginifies success and progress, but we must be looking towards the sky in order to see it.斯里兰卡清说，彩虹siginifies的成功和进步，但我们必须着眼天空才能看到它。 In this case wisdom is looking at the sky.在这种情况下，智慧是望着天空。 Rainbows are rare so we can hardly dare expect them.彩虹是罕见的，所以我们就很难指望他们不敢。 The reward for looking upwards anyway is the rainbow, so that’s serendipity.该悬赏寻找向上反正是彩虹，所以这是偶然。 The rainbow is already there, we just have to be looking up in order to appreciate it: an analogy which could stretch to any corner of life.彩虹已经出现，我们必须抬起头来，以感谢：比喻可以延伸到任何一个角落的生命。
These days employers are starting to realise a fact already well-known in the field of research and development (an industry heavily dependent on serendipity): that employees need a certain amount of time in order to be creative.这些天来的雇主也开始意识到这个事实已经众所周知的领域中的研究和开发（工业严重依赖于偶然） ：员工需要一定的时间才能创造性。 One caveat is that that the optimum pressure–freedom ratio is different for each individual.一个先提条件是，最佳的压力，自由比率是不同的每一个人。 There’s an interesting post on the subject entitled Time For Innovation at SlowLeadership.org.还有一个有趣的帖子关于这个问题的题为时间的创新 SlowLeadership.org 。 In this case wisdom is taking enough time out.在这种情况下，智慧是足够的时间了。
In other cases it might mean breaking out of routine.在其他情况下，这可能意味着打破常规。 Have you noticed how problems you’ve been brooding over often resolve themselves if you have a break from ‘solving them’ and go for a run or walk?你有没有注意到的问题如何您一直盘算着往往自行解决，如果你有一个突破'解决问题' ，并去跑步或步行？ Ever taken a wrong turning and found something interesting that you otherwise never would have known was there?以往任何时候都采取了错误的转折点，并发现了一些有趣的是你，否则永远不会知道在那里呢？ I wrote a little something along those lines in My Day finds A Motto .我写了一点根据这些方针在我今天发现的座右铭 。
Meditation is certainly conducive to serendipity, and it’s one reason I meditate every day.沉思肯定是有利于偶然，它的一个原因，我每天都在沉思。 Even a few minutes can bring a fresh perspective, often bringing forward solutions to things I would not have thought of while facing them head on.甚至几分钟可以带来新的视角，往往提前解决的事情，我不会想到的，而他们面临头部。 Rather than shutting me away from the world it makes me more aware of my surroundings, and reminds me of what’s good in the world around me.而不是关闭我远离世界它使我更加了解我周围的环境，并让我想起了什么是好，我周围的世界。
I could go on… Wikipedia has much to say on the subject of serendipity —much more than a blog-post-worth.我可以继续...维基百科有很多要说的主题偶然 ，远远超过了博客员额价值。 One section says simply “See also Synchronicity “.简单地说，一节“也见同步 ” 。 Don’t get me started…不要误解我的开始...
Image: The Horace Walpole at the National Portrait Gallery, London图片： 在霍勒斯•沃波尔在国家肖像画廊，伦敦
February 25th, 2007 at 11:50 am 2007年2月25日在上午11时50分
Very nice post Sumangali.非常好后Sumangali 。 You appear to have found a rich vein of material in the topic of serendipity, and I for one certainly look forward to further elucidations.您似乎找到了丰富的材料中静脉的专题偶然，我的一个肯定期待着进一步的阐发。
Two mentions to A Sensitivity to Things ?两个提到到 A 敏感性的东西 ？ The least I could do was return the compliment: Life is but a dream…至少我所能做的就是返回的恭维： 生命不过是一场梦...