聽說候鳥南遷的時候，總是順著海岸線飛行，晚上則棲息在海邊的溼地上。原因何在呢？因為早上陸地的溫度比較高，候鳥便能利用熱空氣上升的原理，乘著這股上升氣流起飛，滑翔。

　　It is said that when moving southwards, migrant birds always fly along the coastline and rest on the wetland by the sea at night.  Why is that?  It is because the land temperature is higher in the daytime, so migrant birds can soar and glide with the aid of rising hot air.

　　我今天想談的倒不是候鳥的智慧，而是上升氣流的特性。產生上升氣流的條件是地面的溫度比較高。換句話說，如果我們自己能發出一點小小的光和熱，就可以在我們四周產生一股上升氣流，可以讓周圍的人比較輕鬆地飛上去－飛上去做什麼？不知道！也許可以看看不同的風景？

　　What I'm going to talk about today is not the wisdom of migrant birds but the features of the air current.  It occurs when the land is warm.  In other words, if we generate any small amount of warmth, we can lift up the people around us and help them to soar - to what, I don't know, but perhaps there is something extraordinary up there!

　　不過上升氣流有另外一個特點，它並不是直線上升的，而是一股螺旋狀的氣流，慢慢把熱空氣帶上去。所以我們在幫助別人的時候，也無法要求別人直線上升，立即進步。任何事，都需要一點時間，需要一點過程。但是，只要能上升，就是好事，是吧？

　　Another feature of the current is its slow, spiraling ascent.  This suggests that we are not supposed to expect speedy progress from others immediately after they receive our help.  Everything takes time to come into being.  But any ascent is positive, isn't it?