编者：今天英国《太阳报》 刊登了比尔盖茨的公开信，这封信引到极大关注，得到很多人转发，人们称赞比尔盖茨是真正的智者，人们在第一时间就把他的公开信翻译成中文。编者读了这封信和译文，感到盖茨的话语直至心灵，非常受教育。希望大家都能读一读他的信，看看新冠病毒给我们上了一堂什么样的课、又教会了我们什么。下面是比尔盖茨的信。（不知什么原因，原文在SUN的网站已被删除。https://www.thesun.co.uk/legal-removal/11238171/bill-gates-coronavirus-letter-reminds-us-we-are-all-equal/）
我坚信发生的每一件事后面都有一个精神层面的目的，无论我们认为是好还是坏。
当我沉思时，我想与大家分享我的心得，新冠病毒究竟对我们做了些什么。
1) 病毒提醒我们，人都是平等的，无论我们的文化、宗教、职业、经济状况，或是一个人有多么出名。在病毒眼中我们都是平等的，也许我们也应该平等对待他人。如果你不相信我的话，那就去问汤姆·汉克斯。
2) 病毒提醒我们，我们的命运都是联在一起的，影响一个人的事情同时也会影响另一个人。病毒也提醒我们，我们建立的虚假国境线毫无价值，因为病毒并不需要护照。病毒还提醒我们，虽然我们暂时受到压迫，世界上还有人一生都受到压迫。
3) 病毒提醒我们，健康多么珍贵。而我们却忽视健康，吃垃圾食品，喝被各种化学品污染的水，如果我们不照顾自己，我们当然就会生病。
4) 病毒提醒我们，生命苦短，什么是我们应该做的最重要的事情，特别是那些已经生病的老年人。人生在世的目的不是买一卷卷的厕纸。
5) 病毒提醒我们，我们的社会已经变得物质至上，当我们遇到困难时，我们才想起我们的基本需求是食物、饮水和药品，而不是并没有什么价值的奢侈品。
6) 病毒提醒我们，家庭是何等重要，但我们却忽视了这一点。病毒强迫我们回到我们的房子里，所以我们可以把房子建成家庭，并建立牢固的家庭纽带。
7) 病毒提醒我们，我们真正的工作并不是我们打的那份工，我们固然需要打工，然而上帝创造我们的目的并不是让我们打工。我们真正的工作是互相照顾、互相保护、互助互利。
8) 病毒提醒我们，我们不能妄自尊大。病毒还提醒我们，无论你觉得自己多伟大，也无论别人觉得你多么伟大，一个小小的病毒就能让整个世界停摆。
9) 病毒提醒我们，自由掌握在我们自己手中。我们可以选择合作互助、分享、付出、互相支持，或者我们也可以选择自私、囤积和自顾自。只有在困难的时候才能看出一个人的真面目。
10) 病毒提醒我们，我们既可以耐心，也可以恐慌。我们既可以理解这种情况在历史上已经发生过多次，但最后都过去了，我们也可以恐慌，以为世界末日到了，结果伤害了我们自己。
11) 病毒提醒我们，疫情既是结束也是开始。我们现在可以反省和理解，从错误里吸取教训。疫情也可以是一个轮回的开始，而且还会继续下去，直至我们吸取教训为止。
12) 病毒提醒我们，我们的地球病了。病毒还提醒我们，我们必须看到森林消失的速度，也必须看到一卷卷厕纸从货架上消失的速度。我们都病了，因为我们的家庭病了。
13) 病毒提醒我们，困难总会过去，然后就容易了。生活是周期性的，现在只是周期里的一个阶段。我们不必恐慌，疫情一定会过去。
14) 许多人认为新冠病毒的疫情是一场灾难，但我觉得这是一次“伟大的纠错”。
下面是《太阳报》刊登的原文。
MICROSOFT founder Bill Gates has released a powerful message about what we can learn from the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.
As of Monday, the disease has killed more than 16,000 people worldwide and around 370,000 have been infected.
But multi-billionaire Gates, 64 – who donated £85 million to combat the virus last month – believes that despite the chaos, there is ‘a spiritual purpose behind everything that happens’.
In an open letter, entitled ‘What is the Corona/ Covid-19 Virus Really Teaching us?’, he wrote:
‘A SPIRITUAL PURPOSE’
“I’m a strong believer that there is a spiritual purpose behind everything that happens, whether that is what we perceive as being good or being bad.
“As I meditate upon this, I want to share with you what I feel the Corona/ Covid-19 virus is really doing to us.
1) It is reminding us that we are all equal, regardless of our culture, religion, occupation, financial situation or how famous we are. This disease treats us all equally, perhaps we should to，If you don’t believe me, just ask Tom Hanks.
2) It is reminding us that we are all connected and something that affects one person has an effect on another.
It is reminding us that the false borders that we have put up have little value as this virus does not need a passport.
It is reminding us, by oppressing us for a short time, of those in this world whose whole life is spent in oppression.
3) It is reminding us of how precious our health is and how we have moved to neglect it through eating nutrient poor manufactured food and drinking water that is contaminated with chemicals upon chemicals.
If we don’t look after our health, we will, of course, get sick.
4) It is reminding us of the shortness of life and of what is most important for us to do, which is to help each other, especially those who are old or sick.
Our purpose is not to buy toilet roll.
5) It is reminding us of how materialistic our society has become and how, when in times of difficulty, we remember that it’s the essentials that we need (food, water, medicine) as opposed to the luxuries that we sometimes unnecessarily give value to.
6) It is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how much we have neglected this.
It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our home and to strengthen our family unit.
‘OUR TRUE WORK’
7) It is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do.
Our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and to be of benefit to one another.
8) It is reminding us to keep our egos in check.
It is reminding us that no matter how great we think we are or how great others think we are, a virus can bring our world to a standstill.
9) It is reminding us that the power of freewill is in our hands.
We can choose to cooperate and help each other, to share, to give, to help and to support each other or we can choose to be selfish, to hoard, to look after only our self.
Indeed, it is difficulties that bring out our true colours.
10) It is reminding us that we can be patient, or we can panic.
We can either understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass, or we can panic and see it as the end of the world and, consequently, cause ourselves more harm than good.
11) It is reminding us that this can either be an end or a new beginning.
This can be a time of reflection and understanding, where we learn from our mistakes, or it can be the start of a cycle which will continue until we finally learn the lesson we are meant to.
12) It is reminding us that this Earth is sick.
It is reminding us that we need to look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which toilet rolls are disappearing off of shelves. We are sick because our home is sick.
13) It is reminding us that after every difficulty, there is always ease.
Life is cyclical, and this is just a phase in this great cycle. We do not need to panic; this too shall pass.
14) Whereas many see the Corona/ Covid-19 virus as a great disaster, I prefer to see it as a *great corrector*
It is sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten and it is up to us if we will learn them or not.
