如果生命再来一次

 　　在肯塔基州路易斯维尔，有位已故的老人，她叫Nadine Stair ，在她85岁高龄的时候，有人问她，如果她再有一次生命的话，她会做些什么。“下次我犯的错误会更多，”她回答道。

　　When the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again.

　　在肯塔基州路易斯维尔，有位已故的老人，她叫Nadine Stair ，在她85岁高龄的时候，有人问她，如果她再有一次生命的话，她会做些什么。

　　I'd make more mistakes next time, she said. "I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than  I have been on this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary¹ ones.

　　“下次我犯的错误会更多，”她回答到。“我应该会很放松；我会把身子锻炼得很柔软；我应该会比现在还傻；我会更加温和地处理问题；我会抓住更多的机会；我会爬很多高山，游更多的河流；我会吃很多的冰激凌，少吃点大豆；也许，我会碰到很多的现实生活中的麻烦事，但是，一些想象中的麻烦事将不会更多了。”

　　You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly² and sanely³ hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer⁴, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I would travel lighter⁵ than I have.

　　“你也知道，我是那种每一秒都活得很理性的人。哦，我度过了生命中的光阴，如果再让我过一次的话，我将会拥有更多的时间。可事实上，除了这些我一无所有。只是几多片刻，一个接一个地，并不是在每天前已经生活了很多年。如果他们不带寒暑表，不带热水壶，不带一件雨衣的话，他们就不会去任何地方，我以前曾经就是这幅样子。但是，如果我可以再走一次人生的话，我就会轻装上阵，旅行得更远。

　　If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds and I would pick more daisies.

　　“如果我再有一次生命的话，我就会从早春赤脚到深秋，我会多跳几次舞，我会多骑几次旋转木马，还有，我会多采些雏菊花……”。

1 imaginary   

adj.想象中的，假想的，虚构的，幻想的；虚数的

参考例句：

• All the characters in this book are imaginary.此书中的所有人物都是虚构的。
• The boy's fears were only imaginary.这小孩的恐惧只是一种想象。

2 sensibly   

adv.明智地；理智地；能感觉得出地；切合实际地

参考例句：

• There's a lot to be said for eating sensibly. 饮食合理的好处不胜枚举。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They sensibly invested their prize money rather than spending it. 他们明智地把奖金用于投资而不是花掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sanely   

ad.神志清楚地

参考例句：

• This homogenization simplifies and uncomplicated the world enough to model It'sanely. 这种均质化的处理方式，简化了世界，足以能够稳妥地为它建模。
• She is behaving rather sanely these days even though we know she is schizophrenic. 尽管我们知道她有精神分裂症，但那些天她的举止还算清醒。

4 thermometer   

n.温度计，寒暑表

参考例句：

• She put the thermometer in his mouth.她把体温表放入他口中。
• The thermometer fell to zero last night.寒暑表昨夜降至零度。

5 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。