《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》 14 老人希望男孩履行天命

The old man pointed¹ to a baker² standing³ in his shop window at one corner of the plaza⁴.

老人用手指着广场一角的那个站在橱窗前的面包店店主说：

"When he was a child, that man wanted to travel, too.

“那个面包店店主小时候也总想出去游荡，

But he decided⁵ first to buy his bakery and put some money aside.

但却选择了开一家面包店，年复一年地攒钱。

When he's an old man, he's going to spend a month in Africa.

等到年老的时候，他将去非洲待上一个月。

He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of."

他从来就不明白，人们总有条件去实现自己的梦想。”

"He should have decided to become a shepherd," the boy said.

“他应该选择当一个牧羊人。”男孩说。

"Well, he thought about that," the old man said.

“他曾经想过当牧羊人。”老者说，

"But bakers⁶ are more important people than shepherds. Bakers have homes, while shepherds sleep out in the open.

“但是，面包店店主比牧羊人有地位。面包店店主有房子住，而牧羊人只能在野外露宿。

Parents would rather see their children marry bakers than shepherds."

人们宁愿把女儿嫁给面包店店主，也不愿嫁给牧羊人。”

The boy felt a pang⁷ in his heart, thinking about the merchant's daughter.

男孩想起了那个女孩，心中一阵刺痛。

There was surely a baker in her town.

在她居住的镇上，应该也会有面包店店主。

The old man continued, "In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own personal legends."

“总而言之，人们更重视对于面包店店主和牧羊人的看法，甚至超过了对天命的重视。”

The old man leafed through the book, and fell to reading a page he came to.

老人翻看着那本书，阅读着其中一页。

The boy waited, and then interrupted the old man just as he himself had been interrupted.

男孩等了一会儿，随后便以老人先前对待他的方式，打断了老人的阅读。

"Why are you telling me all this?"

“您为什么跟我讲这些事情？”

"Because you are trying to realize your personal legend. And you are at the point where you're about to give it all up."

“因为你意欲履行自己的天命，并差一点就放弃了。”

"And that's when you always appear on the scene?"

“您总是在这种时刻出现吗？”

"Not always in this way, but I always appear in one form or another.

“一向如此，但是，不见得总以这种方式出现。

Sometimes I appear in the form of a solution, or a good idea.

有时候，我的方式是一条好出路，一个好主意。

At other times, at a crucial moment, I make it easier for things to happen.

还有的时候，我会在关键时刻让事情变得更容易。

There are other things I do, too, but most of the time people don't realize I've done them."

诸如此类。不过大部分人察觉不到这一点。”

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 bakers   

n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三

参考例句：

• The Bakers have invited us out for a meal tonight. 贝克一家今晚请我们到外面去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bakers specialize in catering for large parties. 那些面包师专门负责为大型宴会提供食品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。