It all began with a stop at a red light.

    Kevin Salwen was driving his 14-year-old daughter,Hannah,back from a sleepover in 2006.While waiting at a traffic light,they saw a black Mercedes Coupe on one side and a homeless man begging for food on the other.

    "Dad,if that man had a less nice car,that man there could have a meal," Hannah protested.The light changed and they drove on,but Hannah was too young to be reasonable.She pestered（纠缠）her parents about inequity,insisting that she wanted to do something.

    "What do you want to do?" her mom responded. "Sell our house?"

    Warning!Never suggest a grand gesture to an idealistic teenager.Hannah seized upon the idea of selling the luxurious family home and donating half the proceeds（收入）to charity,while using the other half to buy a more modest replacement home.

    Eventually,that's what the family did.The project—crazy,impetuous（鲁莽的）and absolutely inspiring—is written down in detail in a book by father and daughter scheduled to be published next month: The Power of Half.It's a book that,frankly,I'd be nervous about leaving around where my own teenage kids might find it.An impressionable child reads this,and the next thing you know your whole family is out on the street.

    At a time of enormous needs in Haiti and elsewhere,when so many Americans are trying to help Haitians by sending everything from text messages to shoes,the Salwens offer an example of a family that came together to make a difference—for themselves as much as the people they were trying to help.In a column a week ago,it described neurological（神经生物学的）evidence from brain scans that unselfishness lights up parts of the brain normally associated with more primary satisfaction.The Salwens' experience confirms the selfish pleasures of selflessness.

    Mr.Salwen and his wife,Joan,had always assumed that their kids would be better bigger house.But after they downsized,there was much less space to retreat to,so the family members spent more time around each other.A smaller house unexpectedly turned out to be a more family-friendly house.

    Despite their popularity, only three of Jin Yong's martial arts novels have been translated into English. But fans will soon get more from the writer as his most popular trilogy, named after the first of the three books, Legends of the Condor Heroes, is scheduled to hit bookstores in February.

    Jin Yong is the pen name of Louis Cha. And the author, who lives in Hong Kong, is one of the best-selling Chinese authors alive. With regard to Jin Yong's works this latest translation project is the most ambitious. The trilogy, written by Jin Yong in the 1950s and 60s, covers the Song Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, and features hundreds of characters.

    According to the publishing house, Maclehose Press, the translated work will come in 12 volumes, including Legends of the Condor Heroes; Divine Condor, Errant Knight; and Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre.

    Speaking of the project which she took up in 2012, Holmwood, a self-employed translator focusing on Chinese-English literary translations, says in an email interview: “It had to be Jin Yong then. It was the obvious place to start, not only because of the quality of his writing, but also because of his standing and reputation in Asia.”

    Having studied history at the University of Oxford, Holmwood was determined to learn Chinese due to her previous trip to China. She then went to Taiwan Normal University for language training in 2,009. In a bookshop there, she saw a whole shelf dedicated to Jin Yong. She bought a copy of Jin Yong's work—Lu Ding Ji (The Deer and the Cauldron), the longest of his novels. “What is a bigger challenge for the translator is making the original pace and excitement into English. It's all about whether the English reader will be lured by the emotions and characters.”

    It took five years for Holmwood to finish the translation of the first volume. As for why his works need to be translated, she says: “Many have considered Jin Yong's world too foreign, too Chinese for an English-speaking readership.Impossible to translate.” “And yet this story of love, loyalty, honor and the power of the individual against successive corrupt (腐败的) governments and invading forces is as universal as any story could hope to be.” “The greatest loss that can occur in translation can only come from not translating it at all.”

    Weaving hammocks is an art that takes a sharp eye, a skilled hand and lots of patience. But in Lenwood Haddock's case, being blind works to his advantage. His trained, sensitive hands are acutely aware of every step of the process. Since beginning his craft in 1986, Lenwood has woven about 145, 000 perfect hammocks.

    Lenwood lost his sight in 1973, at age 18, during a hunting accident. “My whole working career has been blind,” he says. He first found a job as a woodworker, but when that organization closed, the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind connected him with Hatteras Hammocks. On his first day of work. “I did a total of one hammock,” Lenwood recalls, laughing. “And then I came home and lay down to sleep. I lift weights, but I wasn't as tough as I thought until I started weaving.lt takes a lot of energy, and you're standing up all day.”

    In time, however, Lenwood found he had a knack (窍门) for the job. At first he worked on-site at the company, but after a year Lenwood moved his operation to the home workshop where he had worked for 10 years during his woodworking days.

    There, he creates dozens of hammocks each week from ropes in a variety of sizes. One day, he realized the step counter on his phone recorded him walking eight miles without ever leaving his shop.

    The process of weaving a hammock involves making and catching hundreds of loops (环). A single missed stitch (织针) creates a hole that can widen and make the hammock uncomfortable or even dangerous to use. Experienced weavers miss loops sometimes, but to his company's knowledge, Lenwood has never turned in a hammock with even one dropped stitch. Lenwood's skilled fingers are quick to catch and fix any mistakes.

    The company has acquired other brands and changed its name to The Hammock Source. Today, it is the world's largest maker and seller of hammocks, all built by hand.

    However, Lenwood's routine has changed little. He works his fingers back and forth across the rows, looping the rope and pulling it. With every hammock, Lenwood presents himself a perfect product. “I'm not sure how sighted people do it,” he admits.

    On a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the New York railway station, playing his violin. The music was so great that many people stopped to put some money into the hat of the young man.

    The next day, the young artist came to the same place, and put his hat on the ground gracefully. Different from the day before, he took out a large piece of paper and laid it under his hat. Then he began to play the violin. It sounded more pleasant than ever.

    Soon he was surrounded with people who were attracted by the words on that paper. It said, “Last night, a gentleman named George Sang put an important thing into my hat by mistake. Please come to claim (认领) it soon.”

    After about half an hour, a middle-aged man rushed through the crowd to the violinist and said, “Yes, it's you. I knew that you were an honest man and would certainly come here.” The young violinist asked calmly, “Are you Mr George Sang?” The man nodded. The violinist asked, “Did you lose something?”“It's a lottery ticket,” said the man. The violinist took out a lottery ticket on which George Sang's name was seen. “Is it?” he asked. George nodded and took the lottery ticket and kissed it, then danced with the violinist.

    The violinist was a student at an arts college and had planned to attend advanced studies in Vienna. Later his classmate asked the violinist, “At that time you needed money to pay the tuition and you had to play the violin in the railway station every day to make money. Why didn't you keep the lottery ticket for yourself?”

    The violinist said, “Although I don't have much money, I live happily. But if I lose honesty I won't be happy forever.” Through our lives, we can gain a lot and lose so much. But being honest should always be with us.

    Asia is such a vast and diverse continent for anyone dreaming of an escape. Here are some best destinations to visit over the next 12 months.

    Xi'an, China

    Xi'an, China is supreme and then there's the biggie (重要的事物)-the Army of Terracotta Warriors, celebrating 30 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

    Xi'an is vast, but a relaxed way of living and recent openings have boosted an already superb accommodation market. A crop of new bars and cafes are thrown in here. There's never been a better time to visit.

    South of Tokyo, Japan

    Two cities in south of Tokyo are well worth visiting.

    Yokohama is just a 20-mixinte train journey from the capital and packs considerable appeal with its bayside location, architecture, beer and tasty cuisine.

    Less than an hour from Tokyo, fantastic seaside town Kamakura »s known for its surfing scene, but also offers an attractive selection of relaxed cafes and restaurants.

    Sri Lanka's Hill Country

    Sri Lanka may be “so hot right now”, but Lonely Planet recommends a different experience.

    Try getting ahead of (and away from) the pack by taking a scenic train to Sri Lanka's Hill Country for a wonderfully temperate escape from the nation's humid coasts.

    This island owns a mountainous interior that is every bit as scenic as the coast, blessed by pleasantly cool temperatures that rarely above 21℃.

    Raja Ampat, Indonesia

    “Raja” means “king” and this grand title is apparent. Packed with white-sand beaches, lush jungle and unusual mushroom-shaped small islands. Raja Ampat is a biological hotspot.

    Home to some of the richest, most diverse coral reefs on the planet—over 200 diving spots are still in a state of nature—and this, paired with a growing ecotourism (生态旅游) offering, means Raja Ampat will no doubt remain king of the islands.

    We have many trips for you to explore the world your way. Our travel ideas are as diverse as the world itself and are designed to let you experience it. Please start with the following four trips.

Athens and Crete Explorer

London for Families

Australia & New Zealand

Classic Egypt