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（英会話リスニングスクリプト）
A friend of mine has a top job in a computer
company.
He has an apartment in a fashionable part
of town, a sports car, and takes two or three holidays abroad
a year.
A few weeks ago, we were having a drink
together and I asked him if all his money and possessions
made him happy.
He thought for a moment, then said, "No.
No it doesn't make me happy. My life is boring."
This led to our having a conversation about
what happiness is and what made us happy.
One thing, we decided, is that fun and happiness
are two completely different things.
Going out on a Friday night with friends
or visiting an amusement park may be fun, but it isn't happiness.
My friend said that the last time he was
really happy was when he took his nephew to the zoo, and
I thought my last time was when an old friend came to stay
at my place for a few days.
We have a friend, who is married to a millionaire,
and they certainly aren't happy; they often talk fondly
about the early years of their marriage when life was a
struggle.
They say they were happy then.
Another couple we know dropped out of society
and opened a small hotel in a remote part of Scotland.
They don't have much money, but they seem
to be happy.
There is an English saying; "If you
want to be happy for a night, get drunk. If you want to
be happy for two years, get married. If you want to be happy
for ten years, get a dog, and, if you want to be happy forever,
get a garden."
I used to think that this was a joke, but
now I'm starting to wonder if it is true!
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