What I'd Tell Myself If I Were 18 Again…如果我回到18岁我会对自己说
I like to joke that I am who I am today because I did everything wrong in my 20's. I've always been fearless, and it often got me in trouble. I wasn't afraid to start a business, borrow a bunch of money, or quit a well-paying job to travel the world.
At the same time, the fact that I took chances (and often failed) gave me the wisdom that I have today. Lessons learned through failure tend to be much more meaningful than lessons learned otherwise.
Now that I'm in my 30's, life is pretty good. While I haven't learned it all, I feel my head is screwed on straight enough that life is much less stressful. I've come into my own and built the foundation for a secure and prosperous future.
Even though things are going well, I often imagine what it would be like to go back into the past and teach myself what I know now. I know enough to be certain that I lost most of my twenties to a struggle with debt and poor decisions. If I had done things differently, maybe I could have been where I am now at age 22.
Could you imagine? Self employed and almost financially independent at age 22? No… not almost. My expenses were much less back then… I would have been financially free!
I know it doesn't do any good to ask what if. If I had known it all at age 22, I probably would have been a little cocky. Doing things the hard way seasoned my character. I like who I am and I wouldn't change a thing.
But what if…
What I'd Tell Myself at 18?
Sometimes I imagine that I'm in a fishing boat, thousands of miles away from the life I know, slowly drifting across a lake. As I recline at an uncomfortable angle created by the wood bench and aluminum hull, I glance over at the 18 year-old version of myself and upload my wisdom to him.
Here's what I say:
Don't be so Serious
Relax… You've got your whole life ahead of you. I know it can seem like the most important thing in the world is fighting the good fight, but don't let your life pass you by in the process. There'll be plenty of time for starting businesses, writing books, creating art, and solving the world's problems in your head.
It's impressive that you do those things at such a young age, but life is really about experiences. Above all, it's about sharing experiences with other people. Sometimes when you're all wrapped up in your own head, doing the things that you are determined to do, you miss a chance to connect with other people.
So take it easy. Have some fun. Do something crazy. Let loose. Call up some friends and share some great moments together.
Don't Be in Such a Hurry to Grow Up
A funny thing happens as you age: The older you get, the less of a hurry you're in. You'd think it would be the other way around: the less time you have, the more of a hurry you're in; but it's actually quite the opposite.
At 18, it seems like you have to rush everything before you get too old. You think you have to graduate college, get a good job, and get married before you turn 22, because (for some reason) you think 22 is old.
Don't take being young for granted! Being a kid without responsibility is a thing of beauty. I know you don't appreciate it now, but you will when you're my age.
22 is just getting started! In fact, life gets more enjoyable as you age. As you learn more about yourself and the world, it gets easier to enjoy what the world has to offer.
Your 20's are the perfect time to explore the world and experience new things. If you grow up before you turn 22, you'll have missed a perfect opportunity. Experiences at 18 are just not the same as when you're 25.
Travel, art, culture, sport, and adventure take on a whole new meaning when you have had some experience to build on. As you add layer upon layer, each experience is more rich than the last.
Choose Experience over Material Possessions
If you're ever faced with the choice of upgrading your lifestyle (an apartment by yourself, a new car, new clothes, etc.) or working less so you can experience more; chose the latter.
When I was your age, I thought I needed to have nice stuff so girls would like me. I ended up working so hard to pay for the stuff that I didn't have time to meet girls.
Working hard is for grown-ups. Be a kid for as long as you can, even if it means living with a roommate in a crappy apartment and riding your bike around town.
Besides, girls aren't going to like you for awhile anyway. What they really want is a man with a little confidence and life experience under his belt. Working too hard will just delay that process.
Be Confident
Oh yeah, you might as well get a head start on your confidence. Believe in yourself no matter what. Don't let self-doubt ruin your chance to meet a new girl or to try something new.
I know I just said that girls aren't going to like you anyway, but that's not entirely true. While you are accumulating the wisdom that comes with life experiences, your best shot is to project confidence.
Always act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. The biggest turn-off for a girl is self-doubt. If she still doesn't like you, take it with grace and move on quickly.
Don't start doubting yourself if you get turned down. You're going to get turned down A LOT before you finally get the girl.
Don't Get Attached
When you finally do get a girlfriend, take it easy. Along the same line as not trying to grow up too quickly, don't fall into the trap of thinking that this is the best girl you'll ever get. The second biggest turnoff for a girl is an 18 year old guy who's already thinking about marriage.
Relax a little and enjoy the moment. Besides, you're going to have several girlfriends before you find “the one.” How are you going to be able to know what you want if you don't have anything to compare it to?
As you get older, you'll naturally become more attractive to women. I had no idea this was true when I was your age. I thought that I was as attractive as I'd ever be. Not true.
It gets easier, I promise.
Don't Get a Credit Card
If I didn't get a credit card when I was your age, I would have saved myself 10 years of financial struggle.
I know it seems like you have to be a grown up and have nice things, but you've got to think long-term. If you can just have the patience to hold off a few years on the nice stuff, you'll be able to afford more of it than you can imagine.
Buying something today on credit because you can't wait will impact your financial situation for years to come.
Simply have the mind to save up for what you want to buy. If you buy with cash, you'll always own what you have, and be free to do what you want.
When people build up debt and monthly payments, they become slaves to their job. They have to work to pay for all the junk that they put on their credit cards.
Put Money Away Every Month
Take this advice and you'll never regret it. Open a savings account and set up an automatic withdrawal from your checking account each month. Don't touch the money, NO MATTER WHAT!
Even if you can only afford $10 a month, you must stick to this plan because it's your ticket to freedom. In five or ten years (whenever you decide to grow up), you'll use this money to invest in something that makes passive income, like real estate.
Travel and Learn a Language
Don't just take language classes and backpack around Europe at a furious pace; immerse yourself in a culture. Pick a place and stay there for several months.
The best time to do this is the year after you graduate from college. You'll be old enough to appreciate the experience, but young enough that you won't have any responsibility.
If you took my advice about taking your time to grow up, you won't yet be attached to a mortgage payment, a job, or a girl. Move all your stuff into a corner of your parent's basement and live abroad.
It's actually a lot more affordable that you might think especially if you don't have any expenses at home. Get a job in your chosen country if you need to.
Don't allow yourself to hang out with other English-speaking people. That's too easy. Force yourself to learn the language. It will be frustrating at first, but the life-long benefit will be greater than you can imagine.
Keep a Journal
Get a Moleskin Notebook and carry it in your back pocket wherever you go. Don't be a perfectionist with it; just jot whatever comes to your mind in it.
Having a journal will help to solidify your thoughts. The act of writing helps to close the circle of ideas from your head to your hand and back to your head.
Plus, you'll have a record of your thoughts for generations to come.
Get to Know People
As you travel and try new things, make it a point to meet people. As I said before, the most valuable things in life are shared experiences with other people.
There is so much you can learn from people. Open your mind and take in different perspectives. Put yourself in their shoes and try to understand why they think the way they do.
Your success in life will depend on your network of people. It's impossible to achieve success in a vacuum. You never know what opportunities will present them when you meet new people.
There's No Rush to Have it All Figured Out
When I was your age, I felt pressure to have my life's purpose figured out. I think a lot of young people think there's something wrong with them if they haven't “found themselves” by age 22.
Most people don't figure things out until much later in life (if at all). That's what your twenties are for: exploring different paths, making mistakes, falling on your face, and building your character.
Take your time figuring it all out. You don't want to rush such a grand decision as your life's purpose.
Savor the Moment
Experience the textures, sights, sounds, and feelings of each moment. Time moves faster than you think. Your youth is special and you'll want to remember it for the rest of your life.
Start Businesses without Borrowing Money
When you decide to start a business, don't go into debt over it. Most businesses fail, and it's better to be left with nothing than to not have anything and still owe someone else money.
Pick a business that doesn't cost much to start and grow slowly, reinvesting your earnings.
Choose a business that's as passive as possible. Bulk vending is a good one to start with while you're young.
Stay away from services. I made the mistake when I was your age of starting a T-shirt design service. The problem with services is that you have to re-create your work if you want to get paid again. Find something that pays you over and over for work done once.
Pick Something and Stick With It
Once you've had your fun traveling the world and being young, find a line of work that you are passionate about. Don't worry about the money that will come with time. As long as you are out of debt and putting money into savings each month, you're going to be just fine.
Don't get into the habit of changing your mind all the time. Each time you change course, you lose all your start-up energy. Learn how exponential growth can affect your level of success in your chosen field.
If you are passionate about what you do, and stick with it, you can't help but be successful.
Back to Reality...
It's fun to think about what might have been, but in reality, we can't change the past. Ten years from now, I'll have a whole new list of things I wish I knew in my 30's. I would do well to take my own advice, and enjoy each moment.
我常开玩笑说,我之所以是现在的我,完全是因为我二十几岁时把一切事情都做错了。那个时候,我什么都不怕,所以经常惹麻烦。我不怕为了创业而借一屁股的债,又或者是辞去高薪的工作只是为了周游世界。
也正因为那时候的我抓住了很多机会(虽然经常以失败告终),才让今天的我学到了许多智慧。相较之下,从失败中吸取的教训比从其他地方学到的东西更加深刻。
现在,我过着幸福的三十岁生活。尽管我还没有掌握到生活的全部,但是我觉得已经足够让自己的生活不太有压力。我有着自己的生活方式,并且给未来打下了安全、繁荣的基础。
尽管一切都在顺利地进行,我还是经常想象,如果我回到过去并且把我现在学到的东西教给那个时候的我,事情会变成什么样子。我非常清楚,二十几岁的我大部分时间都在和债务以及自己的糟糕决定纠缠。如果我能用另外一种方式去做事,也许在我22岁的时候就能有今天的成就。
你能够想象在22岁的时候就自己当老板并且财政独立么?不,不可想象啊。我那时的花费非常的低,说不定那时我就可以财政自由了!
我也知道说“如果……”是没有什么意义的。如果我在22岁的时候就能知道这些了,我可能会变得有些骄傲自大。困难让我成长。我喜欢现在的我,我不打算去改变什么。
但是如果……
如果我回到18岁我会告诉我自己什么呢?
有时候我会想象我在一艘渔船上,离真实的生活千里之遥,慢慢的在湖中漂荡。我不太舒服的躺在木凳上,瞥一眼18岁的自己,然后把自己现在的智慧传给他。
我会告诉他:
不要太认真
放松点……人生还长着呢。我也知道,似乎世界上最最要紧的事情就是打一个漂亮仗,但是请不要与你的生活擦肩而过。对于你而言,还有大把的时间去创业、写书、创作,去解决那些你考虑的世界问题。
能够在年轻的时候就做出那些成就的确让人印象深刻,可生活的真谛在于经历。最首要的,就是和他人分享那些经历。有时候,当你自己规划好一切,做那些你决心要做的事情,却错失了和他人交流的机会。
所以,要放松点。去享受乐趣,去作一些疯狂的事情,不要把自己绷得太紧。和朋友们一起分享一些美好时光。
不要急着长大
你那个年龄是很奇妙的:你年岁越大,你越少着急。但你也许却有另外一种思路:你有的时间越少,你越着急。可是事实其实是完全相反的。
18岁的时候,看上去你必须要在自己变得太老之前急冲冲地做完一些事情。你认为自己必须要从大学毕业,找个好工作然后在22岁之前结婚,因为(不知道什么原因)你认为22岁已经老了。
不要把年轻看的那么理所当然!做一个不需要负太多责任的小孩是一件很美妙的事情。也许现在的你不太赞同,可当你到了我这个年纪的时候就会明白了。
22岁只是生命的开始。事实上,生活随着时间的流逝变得更有趣。当你对自己和世界了解的越多,就更容易去享受世界所提供的东西。
二十几岁是探索世界、体验新东西的最佳时段。如果你在22岁之前就长大了,你会失去这个最佳机会。18岁的感受绝对不会和25岁的感受一样。
当你有所积累之后,旅行、艺术、文化、运动和冒险都会有一种不同的新面貌。你一层层地叠加起来,每种经验都会比上一次来的更加丰富。
比物质享受更重要的是经验
如果你面临这样的选择:改善你的生活(自己的公寓、一部新车、一套新衣服等等),或者是减少工作时间去经历更多的事情,那么我建议你选择后者。
当我在你那个年龄的时候,我曾认为只有拥有许多物质才能让女孩子喜欢我。于是我努力的为拥有物质去工作,结果却是因为我太忙而没有了时间去结识女孩子。
埋头工作是成年人的事情。尽可能延长和享受你的青春吧,即使这意味着你要和室友共享一个公寓,并且在镇上骑着自行车乱逛。
另外,女孩子们在那时候总归不会喜欢你的。她们真正想要的是一个有自信、有生活经验的男人。而埋头工作只会推迟这一天的来临。
要自信
是的,你要建立自信。不管是什么一定要相信自己。不要让自我怀疑毁了你去结识女孩子或者尝试新东西的机会。
我知道我刚刚说了女孩子们不会喜欢你的,但是也不尽然。当你从生活经验中积累了智慧之后,你的杀手锏就是展现你的自信。
一定要表现的知道自己在干什么,就算你其实不知道。对女孩子而言,最扫兴的就是自我怀疑。如果她仍然不喜欢你的话,要从容的接受现实然后向下一个目标出发。
不要在被拒绝的时候开始怀疑自己。追求成功之前你总是会遭遇无数次的拒绝的。
不要被束缚
当你有了女朋友,不要太紧张。和不要急着长大的道理一样,不要过早的认定这就是你一生的最爱。对女孩子而言,第二扫兴的事情就是一个18岁却已经考虑结婚的人。
轻松的享受当下。另外,在找到真命天女之前你可能会有好几个女朋友。如果没有可以比较的参照物,你如何得知你究竟想要什么呢?
当你日渐长大,你会很自然的对女性越来越有吸引力。我在你那个年龄的时候完全不知道这事情。我认为那个时候的我是最有吸引力的。这是不对的。
我保证,这会随着时间而变得越来越容易。
不要申请信用卡
假如在我年轻时没有申请信用卡的话,我能够减少10年的财政困难。
我知道你感觉作为一个成人应该物质生活丰富,但是你要从长远来看这件事情。如果你能够有耐心为更优渥的物质生活多等几年,你会诧异的发现你能够过上更好的生活。
如果只是因为你等不及了就刷信用卡购物的话,这将会对你接下来许多年的财政状况产生影响。
只需要为你想买的东西存钱。如果用现金付账的话,你会一直拥有你拥有的,并且能够自由地去做你想做的。
当人们有了债务开始分期付款的时候,他们就成为了工作的奴隶。他们不得不为那些用信用卡刷出来的垃圾而工作。
每月定期储蓄
你接受这个建议就绝对不会后悔的。给自己开一个零存整取账户,然后每个月存入一定的数额。不论发生什么事情,都不要去碰这一笔钱。
就算每个月只能存入10美元,你也一定要坚持,因为这是自由的门票钱。五年或者十年内(当你决定成人的时候),你能用这笔钱去投资一些能带来收入的东西,比如房地产。
旅行,并且学习一门外语
不要只是参加语言学习班,并且背包游玩欧洲各地。你应该使自己沉浸在一种文化里。选择一个地方,并在那里呆上几个月。
这件事最好在你刚刚毕业那一年的时候做。那个时候的你成熟的足以体验,又年轻的没有任何责任要去负担。
如果你接受了我的建议打算慢慢长大,你就不应该被按揭付款、工作或者一个女孩所牵绊。把你所有的东西打包放在父母家的地下室里,然后去国外生活吧。
其实这个比你想象的更容易实现,尤其是你在国内还没有什么花费的情况下。如果需要的话,还可以在你选择的国家找一份工作。
不要总是和说你母语的人呆在一起,那太没有挑战性了。强迫自己去学习当地的语言,也许一开始会很痛苦,但是它会带来终身享用的好处。
写日记
买个日记本,无论去哪里都带上它。不需要文辞华丽,只要记下你心中的点点滴滴。
写日记可以让你理清思路。写作这一过程能够让想法从脑袋里的碎片变成文字上的完整,然后再度回到你的思考里面去。
另外,时间的流逝中,你还能让自己的想法留下印记。
与人交际
在旅途中、在新的尝试中,一定要记得与不同的人的交往。正如我前面所提到的,生命中最有价值的就是与他人分享经历。
你可以从别人那里学到许多的东西。要宽容的去接受各种角度的看法。设身处地的去理解别人的苦衷和做法。
你的成功会取决于你的交际网络。在真空中的人是无法成功的。你永远无法预测当你认识新的朋友的时候会出现什么样的机会。
不要急着给自己的人生定义
我在你那个年龄的时候,我总是有一种要把人生全部规划好的压力。我想许多年轻人也都如此,如果他们没有在22岁之前“找到人生的架构”的话会觉得不正常。
大多数的人都是很多年之后才真正找到了人生的方向。而你的二十几岁应该去探索不同的路、犯错误、丢脸以及塑造自己的个性。
慢慢的来规划自己的人生吧。这样的人生大事,你可不能急匆匆的下决定啊。
咀嚼时光
去体验触觉、视觉、听觉,去感受每一刻。时间消逝的速度超乎你的想象。每一个青春都是特别的,而你会希望它值得在余生中被铭记。
创业,但不要借债
当你决定创业的时候,不要借贷。大多数创业会失败,这时,一无所有总比什么都没有还一屁股债有利吧。
选择一个入门成本不太大的事业来做,并且一步一步成长,把收益再度投资。
选择的业务越稳定越好。在你年轻的时候,散装销售会是一个好的开始。
不要涉入服务行业。当我年轻的时候,我做了个错误的决定——提供T恤设计的服务。服务行业的问题在于如果你想再次获利就必须再度劳动。去找一些做一次工作却能不断收钱的事情吧。
选择并坚持一件事情
当你周游列国之后,趁年轻你应该选择一份你对它很有热情的工作。不要为钱财担忧,时间到了面包总是会有的。只要你没有债务而且定期储蓄的话,你就不会有问题的。
不要养成经常改变主意的习惯。每一次你改变方向,那些前期工作都白费了。要知道,不懈的努力和持续的发展可以在你选择的领域里影响你成功的程度。
如果你热衷你所做的事情并且能够持之以恒,那么你一定能够成功。
回到现实……
想象“如果”是个很有趣的事情,但事实上,谁都不能改变历史。十年后,我会有一个新的单子,写满那些“我三十岁时应该知道的事情”。我会认真地作每一个决定,享受每一分钟。
If I Were A Boy Again假如我又回到了童年
If I were a boy again, I would practice perseverance more often, and never give up a thing because it was or inconvenient. If we want light, we must conquer darkness.
Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results. “There are only two creatures,” says a proverb, “who can surmount the pyramids—the eagle and the snail.”
If I were a boy again, I would school myself into a habit of attention; I would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand. I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.
The habit of attention becomes part of our life, if we begin early enough. I often hear grown up people say “ I could not fix my attention on the sermon or book, although I wished to do so”, and the reason is, the habit was not formed in youth.
If I were to live my life over again, I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory. I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means, and on every possible occasion. It takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately; but memory soon helps itself, and gives very little trouble. It only needs early cultivation to become a power.
假如我又回到了童年,我做事要更有毅力,决不因为事情艰难或者麻烦而撒手不干,我们要光明,就得征服黑暗。
毅力在效果上有时能同天才相比。俗话说:“能登上金字塔的生物,只有两种——鹰和蜗牛。”
假如我又回到了童年,我就要养成专心致志的习惯;有事在手,就决不让任何东西让我分心。我要牢记:优秀的滑冰手从不试图同时滑向两个不同的方向。
如果及早养成这种专心致志的习惯,它将成为我们生命的一部分。我常听成年人说:“虽然我希望能集中注意听牧师讲道或读书,但往往做不到。”而原因就是年轻时没有养成这种习惯。
假如我现在能重新开始我的生命,我就要更注意记忆力的培养。我要采取一切可能的办法,并且在一切可能的场合,增强记忆力。要正确无误地记住一些东西,在开始阶段的确要做出一番小小的努力;但要不了多久,记忆力本身就会起作用,使记忆成为轻而易举的事,只需及早培养,记忆自会成为一种才能。
Following Youth青春的飞逝
There are gains for all our losses.
There are balms for all our pain;
But when youth, the dream, departs
It takes something from our hearts,
And it never comes again.
We are stronger, and are better,
Under manhood's sterner reign;
Still we feel that something sweet
Following youth, with flying feet,
And will never come again.
Something beautiful is vanished,
And we sigh for it in vain;
We behold it everywhere,
On the earth, and in the air,
But it never comes again!
我们失去的一切都能得到补偿,
我们所有的痛苦都能得到安慰;
可是梦境似的青春一旦消逝,
它带走了我们心中的某种美好,
从此一去不复返。
我们变得日益刚强、更臻完美,
在严峻的成年生活驱使下;
可是依然感到甜美的情感,
已随着青春飞逝,
不再返回。
美好已经消逝,
我们枉自为此叹息;
尽管在天地之间,
我们处处能见青春的魅力,
可是它不再返回!
Feeling Of Youth青春常在
No young man believes he shall ever die. It was a saying of my brother’s, and a fine one. There is a feeling of Eternity in youth, which makes us amend for everything. To be young is to be as one of the Immortal Gods. One half of time indeed is flown-the other half remains in store for us with all its countless treasures; for there is no line drawn, and we see no limit to our hopes and wishes. We make the coming age our own—
The vast, the unbounded prospect lies before us.
Deaths, old age, are words without a meaning. That passes by us like the idea air which we regard not. Others may have undergone, or may still be liable to them-we "bear a charmed life”, which laughs to scorn all such sickly fancies. As in setting out on delightful journey, we strain our eager gaze forward—
Bidding the lovely scenes at distance hail!
And see no end to the landscape, new objects presenting themselves as we advance; so, in the commencement of life, we set no bounds to our inclinations. Nor to the unrestricted opportunities of gratifying them. We have as yet found no obstacle, no disposition to flag; and it seems that we can go on so forever. We look round in a new world, full of life, and motion, and ceaseless progress; and feel in ourselves all the vigor and spirit to keep pace with it, and do not foresee from any present symptoms how we shall be left behind in the natural course of things, decline into old age, and drop into the grave. It is the simplicity, and as it were abstractedness of our feelings in youth that (so to speak) identifies us with nature and (our experience being slight and our passions strong) deludes us into a belief of being immortal like it. Our short-lives connection with existence we fondly flatter ourselves is an indissoluble and lasting union-a honeymoon that knows neither coldness, jar, nor separation. As infants smile and sleep, we are rocked in the cradle of our wayward fancies, and lulled into security by the roar of the universe around us0we quaff the cup of life with eager haste without draining it, instead of which it only overflows the more-objects press around us, filling the mind with their magnitude and with the strong of desires that wait upon them, so that we have no room for the thoughts of death.
年轻人不相信自己会死。这是我哥哥的话,可算得一句妙语。青春有一种永生之感——它能弥补一切。人在青年时代好像一尊永生的神明。诚然,生命的一半已消逝,但蕴藏着不尽财富的另一半还有所保留,我们对它也抱着无穷的希望和幻想。未来的时代完全属于我们——
无限辽阔的远景在我们面前展现。
死亡,老年,不过是空话,毫无意义;我们听了,只耳边风,全不放在心上。这些事,别人也许经历过,或者可能要承受,但是我们自己,“在灵符护佑下度日”,对于诸如此类脆弱的念头,统统付之轻蔑的一笑。像是刚刚走上愉快的旅程,极目远眺——
向远方的美景欢呼!
此时,但觉好风光应接不暇,而且,前程更有美不胜收的新鲜景致。在这生活的开端,我们听任自己的志趣驰骋,放手给它们一切满足的机会。到此为止,我们还没有碰上过什么障碍,也没有感觉到什么疲惫,因此觉得还可以一直这样向前走去,直到永远。我们看到四周一派新天地——生机盎然,变动不居,日新月异;我们觉得自己活力充盈,精神饱满,可与宇宙并驾齐驱。而且,眼前也无任何迹象可以证明,在大自然的发展过程中,我们自己也会落伍,衰老,进入坟墓。由于年轻人天真单纯,可以说是茫然无知,因而将自己跟大自然划上等号;并且,由于经验少而感情盛,误以为自己也能和大自然一样永世长存。我们一厢情愿,痴心妄想,竟把自己在世上的暂时栖身,当作千古不变、万事长存的结合,好像没有冷淡、争执、离别的蜜月。像婴儿带着微笑入睡,我们躺在用自己编织成的摇篮里,让大千世界的万籁之声催哄我们安然入梦;我们急切切,兴冲冲地畅饮生命之杯,怎么也不会饮干,反而好像永远是满满欲溢;森罗万象纷至沓来,各种欲望随之而生,使我们腾不出工夫想死亡。
Letting Go Of Yesterday 让昨日随风
On Saturday, February 12 two thousand, two things happened that changed everything in my life. The first was that on this day my baby sister was married. She was twenty-six this day, and yet to me she was still my baby sister. I suppose that I pictured her as a little girl, and treated her like one in order to hold onto and preserve my own youth. Until I saw her in her wedding dress I still had a vision of her with chubby little cheeks and long, dark-brown pigtails blowing in the wind, perhaps even a permanent smudge of chocolate around her pink lips. I guess it's true that you see only what you want to see. Where did this beautiful woman with the glowing complexion and gentle curves come from?
I was happy that day, and also sad. Gone were the days of me bossing her around and telling her what she should do with her life. My bossy behavior had earned me the nickname Lucy. If you are a Peanuts fan then you can clearly imagine my behavior as an older sister. To me it wasn't an insult; I rather like the nickname Lucy. I happen to think that Lucy is strong and has incredible self-confidence, although she is a little overbearing at times. I did my best to live up to the standards set forth by this dynamic cartoon character.
I left the reception to get some air because suddenly I was overcome with grief at the realization that I was no longer a child. I went outside and walked to a nearby playground where there were children playing on the slide, the swings and digging in the dirt. There was a little girl twirling around on a bar, one knee wrapped tightly around the bar and fashioned behind her knee. It was all I could do to sit there and just watch, for I too wanted to get on that bar with her and see if I could still hold the all-time twirling record (ninety-nine times in fifth grade). Somewhere inside I knew that I would break my neck, and I was wearing a bridesmaid dress. Not exactly play ground material. And so I sat watching the children play. I'm not sure how long I sat there before my sister came and joined me. We talked about how we are grown up now and shed a few tears for our childhood days gone by. As she wiped a tear from my eye she lovingly said, "You’ll always be Lucy to me." We hugged.
My cousin Mike walked over and told my sister that it was time to cut the cake. And then he dropped bomb number two on me. "Hey, did you guys hear that Charles Schultz died today?" He said it like it was no big deal. He took my sister's arm and turned to head back for the reception hall. "Coming?" They asked. "In a minute." I replied, and sat back down on the bench, dizzy from what he had just told me.
Dead? How could Charles Schultz be dead? He was my creator! And though I have never met the man personally, he has always been like an invisible father to me. He did, after all, fashion a famous character after me. I lost so many things on this day. Innocence slipped away from me like a thief in the night: come and gone before I could do anything about it, taking with it all the treasures that I held most valuable in my heart. I felt myself grow up, all in one moment. Reality rushed in around me like a hurricane tide. There was nowhere to run to. All I could do was sit there and watch it destroy and reshape what had existed only a moment before. I was no longer a child. I was no longer Lucy who knew what was best for everyone else. I saw, for the first time, what I really was—a thirty-year old woman with a husband of my own, and soon, a child of my own.
I allowed the tide to carry my sadness out with it. Take it out to sea, for it serves no purpose in my life. I stood up from the bench; a little taller than I was when I sat down. I turned and headed back to the hall, hoping I didn't miss the cutting of the cake. It was the day my sister grew wings of her own and left the nest. It was the day that Lucy died, and I was born.
2000年2月12日,星期六,那天发生的两件事改变了我此后的生活。第一件是小妹妹那天结婚了。当时她已经26岁了,但对我来说,她还是我的小妹妹。我总是把她看作小女孩,也把她当一个小女孩来对待。我想这是因为我希望通过这种方式来永葆青春。直到看到她身着婚纱的那一刻,浮现在我脑海的还是那个小圆脸蛋,长长的褐色马尾巴在风中摆动的小女孩;也许还有一块巧克力总是粘在她那粉红色的嘴唇上。我想人总是看见自己想看的东西。眼前这位容光焕发、线条优美的女人是谁呢?
那天我既高兴又伤心。过去我对她呼来唤去,告诉她生活应该怎样过的日子已经一去不回了。因为独断蛮横,我得到了“露西”这个外号。如果你也喜欢看《花生》这部动画片,那你一定可以想象我作为一个大姐姐的样子。我不觉得这个外号是一种侮辱,反倒很喜欢它。我有时还想,强大的露西自信得令人难以置信,虽然她有时也让人难以忍受。我努力向这个生气勃勃的卡通形象看齐。
我离开了婚礼现场,到外面去呼吸些新鲜空气。我突然伤感不已,因为自己已经不再是个孩子了。我走到外面,来到附近的一个运动场边,小孩子正在那里玩滑梯、荡秋千、玩泥沙。有个小女孩正在一个杠上快速地转动,一条腿紧紧地勾在杠上。而我所能做的只是坐在那里看看,我也想跟她一起玩,看看能否再重现当年自己转圈的最高记录(五年级时一次达到99次)。但我很清楚,这样我可能会扭断脖子。再说我正穿着伴娘服,不适合运动。于是我只好坐在那里看孩子们玩耍。不知过了多久,妹妹来到我身边。我们谈起自己已经长大了,并为逝去的孩童时光流下了泪。她替我擦干眼泪,充满爱意地说:“你永远都是我的露西。” 我们拥抱在了一起。
表弟迈克走过来告诉妹妹该切蛋糕了。接着他给我扔下了第二颗炸弹。“嘿,你们知道查尔斯·舒尔兹今天去世了吗?”他说得很轻松,然后挽着妹妹的手臂向婚礼现场走去。“来吗?”他们问道。“等会儿。”我回答说,又在椅子上坐了下来,他刚刚告诉我的消息让我眩晕。
去世了?查尔斯·舒尔兹怎么可能会去世呢?是他创造了我!虽然我从来没和他见过面,但对于我来说,他一直都像是一位看不见的父亲一样。他毕竟为我创造了一个有名的角色。就在那一天,我失去了那么多东西,童真就像一个在夜里行窃的小偷一样,无声无息地溜走了:在我还来不及做点什么的时候就已经走了,带走了我心底深处最宝贵的财富。就在那一刻,我意识到自己已经长大了。现实像暴风浪一样向我袭来。我无处可逃。我只能坐在那里,看着它把刚刚还存在的东西毁掉,接着又重塑。我不再是个孩子。我知道不再是那个神通广大的露西了。我第一次意识到真正的我——一个有自己的丈夫,很快会有我们的孩子的三十岁的女人。
我任由巨浪带走我的悲伤,送到大海中去。因为它对于我的生命来说再没什么意义了。我从椅子上站了起来,比我坐着时高了一些。我转身向婚礼现场走去,希望没错过切蛋糕的场面。今天是妹妹展翅出巢的一天,也是露西死去,我得到新生的一天。
Youth Is Not A Time Of Life, It Is A State Of Mind青春不是年华,而是心境
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees. It is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep spring of life.
Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exits in a man of 60, more than a boy of 20.nobody grows merely by the number of years; we grow old by deserting our ideas. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust1 bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.
Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from infinite, so long as you are young.
When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with the snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you’ve grown old, even at 20, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there’s hope you may die young at 80.
青春不是年华,而是心境;青春不是桃面、丹唇、柔膝,而是深沉的意志、宏伟的想象、炽热的感情;青春是生命的深泉在涌流。
青春气贯长虹,勇锐盖过怯弱,进去压倒苟安,如此锐气,二十后生有之,六旬男子则更多见。年年有加,并非垂老;理想丢弃,方堕暮年。岁月悠悠,衰微只及肌肤;热忱抛却,颓唐必至灵魂。烦忧、惶恐、丧失自信,定使心灵扭曲,意气如灰。
无论年届花甲,抑或二八芳龄,心中皆有生命之欢乐,奇迹之诱惑,孩童般天真久盛不衰。人人心中皆有一台天线,只要你从天上人间接受美好、希望、欢乐、勇气和力量的信号,你就青春永驻,风华常存。
一旦天线倒塌,锐气被冰雪覆盖,玩世不恭、自暴自弃油然而生,即使年方二十,实已垂老矣;然则只要竖起天线,捕捉乐观的信号,你就有望在八十高龄告别尘寰时仍觉得年轻。
The Last Rose Of Summer夏日最后的玫瑰
'Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.
I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter
Thy leaves o'er the bed
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.
Soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from Love's shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie withered,
And fond ones are flown,
O! Who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?
这是夏日最后的玫瑰
独自绽放着;
所有昔日动人的同伴
都已凋落残逝;
身旁没有同类的花朵,
没有半个玫瑰苞,
映衬她的红润,
分担她的忧愁。
我不会离开孤零零的你!
让你单独地憔悴;
既然美丽的同伴都已入眠,
去吧!你也和她们一起躺着。
为此,我好心在散放
你的丽叶在花床上
那儿,也是你花园的同伴
无声无息躺着的地方。
不久我也可能追随我朋友而去,
当友谊渐逝,
像从灿烂之爱情圈中
掉落的宝石。
当忠诚的友人远去,
所爱的人飞走,
啊!谁还愿留在
这荒冷的世上独自凄凉?
A Psalm Of Life人生礼颂
Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art , to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined and our way;
But to act,
That much to-morrow.
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and time is fleeting.
And our hearts, though stout and brave.
Still, like muffled drums, are beating.
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no future.however howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God O’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again,
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing
Learn to labour and to wait.
请别用哀伤的诗句对我讲;
人生呵,无非是虚梦一场!
因为沉睡的灵魂如死一般,
事物的表里并不一样。
人生是实在的!人生是热烈的!
人生的目标决不是坟墓;
你是尘土,应归于尘土。
此话指的并不是我们的精神。
我们的归宿并不是快乐,
也不是悲伤,
实干,
才是我们的道路,
每天不断前进,蒸蒸日上。
光阴易逝,而艺海无涯,
我们的心啊——虽然勇敢坚强,
却像被布蒙住的铜鼓,
常把殡葬的哀乐擂响。
在这人生的宿营地,
在这辽阔的世界战场,
别做无言的牲畜任人驱赶,
做一名英雄汉立马横枪!
别相信未来,哪怕未来多么欢乐!
让死去的往昔将死亡一切埋葬!
上帝在上,我们胸怀勇气,
行动吧——趁现在活着的好时光!
伟人的生平使我们想起,
我们能使自己的一生变得高尚!
当我们辞别人间,
能把足迹留在时间的流沙上,
也许有个遭了船灾的苦难弟兄,
他曾在庄严的人生大海中飘航,
见到我们的脚印,
又会满怀信心。
让我们起来干吧,
下定决心,不管遭遇怎样;
不断胜利,不断追求,
要学会苦干和耐心等待。
Stray Birds飞鸟集
Stray birds of summer come to my window to sing and fly away.
And yellow leaves of autumn, which have no songs, flutter and fall there with a sign.
夏天的飞鸟,飞到我的窗前唱歌,又飞去了。
秋天的黄叶,它们没有什么可唱,只叹息一声,飞落在那里。
Troupe of little vagrants of the world; leave your footprints in my words.
世界上的一队小小的漂泊者呀,请留下你们的足印在我的文字里。
The world puts off its mask of vastness to its lover.
It becomes small as one song, as one kiss of the eternal.
世界对着它的爱人,把它浩瀚的面具揭下了。
它变小了,小如一首歌,小如一回永恒的接吻。
It is the tears of the earth that keep here smiles in bloom.
是大地的泪点,使她的微笑保持着青春不谢。
The mighty desert is burning for the love of a blade of grass who shakes her head and laughs and flies away.
无垠的沙漠热烈追求一叶绿草的爱,她摇摇头笑着飞开了。
If you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars.
如果你因失去了太阳而流泪,那么你也将失去群星了。
The sands in your way beg for your song and your movement, dancing water. Will you carry the burden of their lameness?
舞动着的流水呀,在你途中的泥沙,要求你的歌声、你的流动呢。你肯挟瘸足的泥沙而俱下么?
Her wishful face haunts my dreams like the rain at night.
她的热切的脸,如夜雨似的,搅扰着我的梦魂。
Once we dreamt that we were strangers.
We wake up to find that we were dear to each other.
有一次,我们梦见大家都是不相识的。
我们醒了,却知道我们原是相亲相爱的。
10
Sorrow is hushed into peace in my heart like the evening among the silent trees.
忧思在我的心里平静下去,正如暮色降临在寂静的山林中。
11
Some unseen fingers, like an idle breeze, are playing upon my heart the music of the ripples.
有些看不见的手,如懒懒的微风似的,正在我的心上奏着潺沅的乐声。
12
What language is thine, O sea?
The language of eternal question.
What language is thy answer, O sky?
The language of eternal silence.
“海水呀,你说的是什么?”
“是永恒的疑问。”
“天空呀,你回答的话是什么?”
“是永恒的沉默。”
13
Listen, my heart, to the whispers of the world with which it makes love to you.
静静地听,我的心呀,听那世界的低语,这是它对你求爱的表示呀。
14
The mystery of creation is like the darkness of night—it is great.
Delusions of knowledge are like the fog of the morning.
创造的神秘,有如夜间的黑暗——是伟大的。而知识的幻影却不过如晨间之雾。
15
Do not seat your love upon a precipice because it is high.
不要因为峭壁是高的,便让你的爱情坐在峭壁上。
16
I sit at my window this morning where the world like a passer-by stops for a moment, nods to me and goes.
我今晨坐在窗前,世界如一个路人似的,停留了一会儿,向我点点头又走过
去了。
17
There little thoughts are the rustle of leaves; they have their whisper of joy in my mind.
这些微思,是树叶的籁籁之声呀;它们在我的心里欢悦地微语着。
18
What you are you do not see, what you see is your shadow.
你看不见你自己,你所看见的只是你的影子。
19
My wishes are fools, they shout across thy song, my Master. Let me but listen.
神呀,我的那些愿望真是愚傻呀,它们杂在你的歌声中喧叫着呢。
让我只是静听着吧。
20
I cannot choose the best.
The best chooses me.
我不能选择那最好的。
是那最好的选择我。
21
They throw their shadows before them who carry their lantern on their back.
那些把灯背在背上的人,把他们的影子投到了自己前面。
22
That I exist is a perpetual surprise which is life.
我的存在,对我是一个永久的神奇,这就是生活。
23
We, the rustling leaves, have a voice that answers the storms, but who are you so silent?
I am a mere flower.
“我们萧萧的树叶都有声响回答那风和雨。你是谁呢,那样的沉默着?”
“我不过是一朵花。”
24
Rest belongs to the work as the eyelids to the eyes.
休息与工作的关系,正如眼睑与眼睛的关系。
25
Man is a born child; his power is the power of growth.
人是一个初生的孩子,他的力量,就是生长的力量。
26
God expects answers for the flowers he sends us, not for the sun the earth.
神希望我们酬答他,在于他送给我们的花朵,而不在于太阳和土地。
27
The light that plays, like a naked child, among the green leaves happily knows not that man can lie.
光明如一个裸体的孩子,快快活活地在绿叶当中游戏,它不知道人是会欺诈的。
28
Beauty, find thyself in love, not in the flattery of thy mirror.
啊,美呀,在爱中找你自己吧,不要到你镜子中去找寻。
29
My heart beats her waves at the shore of the world and writes upon it her signature in tears with the words, I love thee.
我的心把她的波浪在世界的海岸上冲激着,以热泪在上边写着她的题记:
“我爱你。”
30
Moon, for what do you wait?
To salute the sun for whom I must make way.
“月儿呀,你在等候什么呢?”
“向我将让位给他的太阳致敬。”
31
The trees come up to my window like the yearning voice of the dumb earth.
绿树长到了我的窗前,仿佛是谙哑的大地发出的渴望的声音。
32
His own mornings are new surprises to God.
神自己的清晨,在他自己看来也是新奇的。
33
Life finds its wealth by the claims of the world, and its worth by the claims of love.
生命从世界得到资产,爱情使它得到价值。
34
The dry river-bed finds no thanks for its past.
枯竭的河床,并不感谢它的过去。
35
The bird wishes it were a cloud.
The cloud wishes it were a bird.
鸟儿愿为一朵云。
云儿愿为一只鸟。
36
The waterfall sing, I find my song, when I find my freedom.
瀑布歌唱道:“我得到自由时便有了歌声了。”
37
I cannot tell why this heart languishes in silence.
It is for small needs it never asks, or knows or remembers.
我说不出这心为什么那样默默地颓丧着。
是为了它那不曾要求,不曾知道,不曾记得的小小的需要。
38
Woman, when you move about in your household service your limbs sing like a hill stream among its pebbles.
妇人,你在料理家务的时候,你的手足歌唱着,正如山间的溪水歌唱着在小石中流过。
39
The sun goes to cross the Western sea, leaving its last salutation to the East.
当太阳横过西方的海面时,对着东方留下他的最后的敬礼。
40
Do not blame your food because you have no appetite.
不要因为你自己没有胃口而去责备你的食物。
41
群树如表示大地的愿望似的,踮起脚来向天空窥望。
The trees, like the longings of the earth, stand atiptoe to peep at the heaven.
42
You smiled and talked to me of nothing and I felt that for this I had been waiting long.
你微微地笑着,不同我说什么话。而我觉得,为了这个,我已等待得久了。
43
The fish in the water is silent, the animal on the earth is noisy, the bird in the air is singing.
But Man has in him the silence of the sea, the noise of the earth and the music of the air.
水里的游鱼是沉默的,陆地上的兽类是喧闹的,空中的飞鸟是歌唱着的。
但是,人类却兼有海里的沉默,地上的喧闹与空中的音乐。
44
The world rushes on over the strings of the lingering heart making the music of sadness.
世界在踌躇之心的琴弦上跑过去,奏出忧郁的乐声。
45
He has made his weapons his gods.
When his weapons win he is defeated himself.
他把他的刀剑当着他的上帝。
当他的刀剑胜利的时候他自己却失败了。
46
God finds himself by creating.
神从创造中找到他自己。
47
Shadow, with her veil drawn, follows Light in secret meekness, with her silent steps of love.
阴影戴上她的面幕,秘密地,温顺地,用她的沉默的爱的脚步,跟在“光”后边。
48
The stars are not afraid to appear like fireflies.
群星不怕显得向萤火那样。
49
I thank thee that I am none of the wheels of power but I am one with the living creatures that are crushed by it.
谢谢神,我不是一个权力的轮子,而是被压在这轮子下的活人之一。
50
The mind, sharp but not broad, sticks at every point but does not move.
心是尖锐的,不是宽博的,它执着在每一点上,却并不活动。
51
You idol is shattered in the dust to prove that God's dust is greater than your idol.
你的偶像委散在尘土中了,这可证明神的尘土比你的偶象还伟大。
52
Man does not reveal himself in his history, he struggles up through it.
人不能在他的历史中表现出他自己,他在历史中奋斗着露出头角。
53
玻璃灯因为瓦灯叫它做表兄而责备瓦灯。但明月出来时,玻璃灯却温和地微笑着,叫明月为——“我亲爱的,亲爱的姐姐。”
While the glass lamp rebukes the earthen for calling it cousin the moon rises, and the glass lamp, with a bland smile, calls her,"—My dear, dear sister."
54
Like the meeting of the seagulls and the waves we meet and come near.
The seagulls fly off, the waves roll away and we depart.
我们如海鸥之与波涛相遇似地,遇见了,走近了。海鸥飞去,波涛滚滚地流开,我们也分别了。
55
My day is done, and I am like a boat drawn on the beach, listening to the dance-music of the tide in the evening.
我的白昼已经完了,我像一只泊在海滩上的小船,谛听着晚潮跳舞的乐声。
56
Life is given to us; we earn it by giving it.
我们的生命是天赋的,我们惟有献出生命,才能得到生命。
57
We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.
当我们是大为谦卑的时候,便是我们最接近伟大的时候。
58
The sparrow is sorry for the peacock at the burden of its tail.
麻雀看见孔雀负担着它的翎尾,替它担忧。
59
Never be afraid of the moments—thus sings the voice of the everlasting.
决不要害怕刹那——永恒之声这样唱着。
60
The hurricane seeks the shortest road by the no-road, and suddenly ends its search in the Nowhere.
风于无路之中寻求最短之路,又突然地在“无何有之国”终之了它的追求。
61
Take my wine in my own cup, friend.
It loses its wreath of foam when poured into that of others.
在我自己的杯中,饮了我的酒吧,朋友。
一倒在别人的杯里,这酒的腾跳的泡沫便要消失了。
62
The perfect decks itself in beauty for the love of the Imperfect.
“完全”为了对“不全”的爱,把自己装饰得美丽。
63
God says to man, I heal you therefore I hurt, love you therefore punish.
神对人说:“我医治你所以伤害你,爱你所以惩罚你。”
64
Thank the flame for its light, but do not forget the lampholder standing in the shade with constancy of patience.
谢谢火焰给你光明,但是不要忘了那执灯的人,他是坚忍地站在黑暗当中呢。
65
Tiny grass, your steps are small, but you possess the earth under your tread.
小草呀,你的足步虽小,但是你拥有你足下的土地。
66
The infant flower opens its bud and cries, Dear World, please do not fade.
幼花的蓓蕾叫道:“亲爱的世界呀,请不要萎谢了。”
67
God grows weary of great kingdoms, but never of little flowers.
神对于那些大帝国会感到厌恶,却决不会厌恶那些小小的花朵。
68
Wrong cannot afford defeat but Right can.
错误经不起失败,但是真理却不怕失败。
69
I give my whole water in joy, sings the waterfall, though little of it is enough for the thirsty.
瀑布歌唱道:“虽然渴者只要少许的水便够了,我却很快活地给与了我的全部的水。
70
Where is the fountain that throws up these flowers in a ceaseless outbreak of ecstasy?
把那些花朵抛掷上去的那一阵子无休无止的狂欢大喜的劲儿,其源泉是在哪里呢?
71
The woodcutters axe begged for its handle from the tree.
The tree gave it.
樵夫的斧头,问树要斧柄。
树便给了他。
72
In my solitude of heart I feel the sigh of this widowed evening veiled with mist and rain.
这寡独的黄昏,幕着雾与雨,我在我的心的孤寂里,感觉到它的叹息。
73
Chastity is a wealth that comes from abundance of love.
贞操是从丰富的爱情中生出来的财富。
74
The mist, like love, plays upon the heart of the hills and bring out surprises of beauty.
雾,像爱情一样,在山峰的心上游戏,生出种种美丽的变幻。
75
We read the world wrong and say that it deceives us.
我们把世界看错了,反说它欺骗我们。
76
The poet wind is out over the sea and the forest to seek his own voice.
诗人的风,正出经海洋森林,追求它自己的歌声。
77
Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.
每一个孩子出生时都带来信息说:神对人并未灰心失望。
78
The grass seeks her crowd in the earth.
The tree seeks his solitude of the sky.
绿草求她地上的伴侣。
树木求他天空的寂寞。
79
Man barricades against himself.
人对他自己建筑起堤防来。
80
Your voice, my friend, wanders in my heart, like the muffled sound of the sea among these listening pines.
我的朋友,你的语声飘荡在我的心里,像那海水的低吟声绕缭在静听着的松林之间。
81
What is this unseen flame of darkness whose sparks are the stars?
这个不可见的黑暗之火焰,以繁星为其火花的,到底是什么呢?
82
Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves.
使生如夏花之绚烂,死如秋叶之静美。
83
He who wants to do good knocks at the gate; he who loves finds the gate open.
那想做好人的,在门外敲着门;那爱人的,看见门敞开着。
84
In death the many becomes one; in life the one becomes many.
Religion will be one when God is dead.
在死的时候,众多和而为一;在生的时候,一化为众多。
神死了的时候,宗教便将合而为一。
85
The artist is the lover of Nature, therefore he is her slave and her master.
艺术家是自然的情人,所以他是自然的奴隶,也是自然的主人。
86
How far are you from me, O Fruit?
I am hidden in your heart, O Flower.
“你离我有多远呢,果实呀?”
“我藏在你心里呢,花呀。”
87
This longing is for the one who is felt in the dark, but not seen in the day.
这个渴望是为了那个在黑夜里感觉得到,在大白天里却看不见的人。
88
You are the big drop of dew under the lotus leaf, I am the smaller one on its upper side, said the dewdrop to the lake.
露珠对湖水说道:“你是在荷叶下面的大露珠,我是在荷叶上面的较小的露珠。”
89
The scabbard is content to be dull when it protects the keenness of the sword.
刀鞘保护刀的锋利,它自己则满足于它的迟钝。
90
In darkness the One appears as uniform; in the light the One appears as manifold.
在黑暗中,“一”视如一体;在光亮中,“一”便视如众多。
在静听着的松林之间。
91
The great earth makes herself hospitable with the help of the grass.
大地借助于绿草,显出她自己的殷勤好客。
92
The birth and death of the leaves are the rapid whirls of the eddy whose wider circles move slowly among stars.
绿叶的生与死乃是旋风的急骤的旋转,它的更广大的旋转的圈子乃是在天上繁星之间徐缓的转动。
93
Power said to the world: You are mine.
The world kept it prisoner on her throne.
Love said to the world, I am thine.
The world gave it the freedom of her house.
权势对世界说道:“你是我的。”
世界便把权势囚禁在她的宝座下面。
爱情对世界说道:“我是你的。”
世界便给予爱情以在它屋内来往的自由。
94
The mist is like the earth's desire.
It hides the sun for whom she cries.
浓雾仿佛是大地的愿望。
它藏起了太阳,而太阳原是她所呼求的。
95
Be still, my heart, these great trees are prayers.
安静些吧,我的心,这些大树都是祈祷者呀。
96
The noise of the moment scoffs at the music of the Eternal.
瞬刻的喧声,讥笑着永恒的音乐。
97
I think of other ages that floated upon the stream of life and love and death and are forgotten, and I feel the freedom of passing away.
我想起了浮泛在生与爱与死的川流上的许多别的时代,以及这些时代之被遗忘,我便感觉到离开尘世的自由了。
98
The sadness of my soul is her bride's veil.
It waits to be lifted in the night.
我灵魂里的忧郁就是她的新婚的面纱。
这面纱等候着在夜间卸去。
99
Death's stamp gives value to the coin of life; making it possible to buy with life what is truly precious.
死之印记给生的钱币以价值,使它能够用生命来购买那真正的宝物。
100
The cloud stood humbly in a corner of the sky.
The morning crowned it with splendour.
白云谦逊地站在天之一隅。
晨光给它戴上霞彩。
101
The dust receives insult and in return offers her flowers.
尘土受到损辱,却以她的花朵来报答。
102
Do not linger to gather flowers to keep them, but walk on, for flowers will keep themselves blooming all your way.
只管走过去,不必逗留着采了花朵来保存,因为一路上花朵自会继续开放的。
103
Roots are the branches down in the earth.
Branches are roots in the air.
根是地下的枝。
枝是空中的根。
104
The music of the far-away summer flutters around the Autumn seeking its former nest.
远远去了的夏之音乐,翱翔于秋间,寻求它的旧垒。
105
Do not insult your friend by lending him merits from your own pocket.
不要从你自己的袋里掏出勋绩借给你的朋友,这是污辱他的。
106
The touch of the nameless days clings to my heart like mosses round the old tree.
无名的日子的感触,攀缘在我的心上,正像那绿色的苔藓,攀缘在老树的周身。
107
The echo mocks her origin to prove she is the original.
回声嘲笑她的原声,以证明她是原声。
108
God is ashamed when the prosperous boasts of His special favour.
当富贵利达的人夸说他得到神的特别恩惠时,上帝却羞了。
109
I cast my own shadow upon my path, because I have a lamp that has not been lighted.
我投射我自己的影子在我的路上,因为我有一盏还没有燃点起来的明灯。
110
Man goes into the noisy crowed to drown his own clamour of silence.
人走进喧哗的群众里去,为的是要淹没他自己的沉默的呼号。
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