与上帝的对话

 　　Come in," God said to me, "so, you would like to interview Me?"

　　“进来吧”，上帝对我说道：“你是想采访我？”

　　"If you have the time," I said.

　　”如果你有时间的话，” 我说。

　　He smiled through His beard and said: "My time is called eternity¹ and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"

　　他微笑着说：“我的时间是无尽的，可以做任何事情;你想问我什么？”

　　"None that are new to you. What's the one thing that surprises you most about mankind?"

　　“一切的问题对你来说都不是新的。人类什么事情是让你最惊讶的？”

　　He answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they never had never lived..."

　　上帝回答道：“人们厌倦了做小孩子，急于长大，然而长大之后又渴望再成为小孩。人们以损害健康的方式拼命挣钱，然后又花钱来获得健康。人们活着的时候就好像不会死亡，死时又好像是从没有活过一样。”

　　His hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said, "May I ask you another question?"

　　他紧紧的握住我的手，我们都沉默了好一会儿，之后，我说：“可以再问你一个问题吗？”

　　He replied with a smile.

　　他微笑着应允。

　　"As a Father, what would you ask your children to do for the new year?"

　　“作为一个父亲，你希望你的孩子在新的一年里做些什么？"

　　"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.

　　要学会他们不能迫使任何人爱他们，他们能做的就是让自己值得被爱。

　　To learn that it takes years to build trust, and a few seconds to destroy it.

　　要知道建立信任要花几年的功夫，然而要摧毁它仅在片刻之间。

　　To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.

　　要懂得最珍贵的并不是在他们的生活中所拥有的，而是生活中拥有什么人。

　　To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. There will be others better or worse than they are.

　　要知道和别人比较是不好的事，因为总有比他们更好或者更差的人。

　　To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

　　要懂得真正富有的人不是他拥有的最多，而是他需要的最少。

　　To learn that they should control their attitudes, otherwise their attitudes will control them.

　　要学会控制自己的态度，不然，态度将会控制他们。

　　To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound² wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.

　　要知道揭开我们所爱的人的伤疤只需要十几秒钟，然而伤口的愈合却要花上好些年。

　　To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

　　要学会原谅宽恕。

　　To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to show their feelings.

　　要知道有很多人深深的爱着他们，只是不知道如何表达他们的感情。

　　To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

　　要懂得钱可以买到很多，却惟独不能买到幸福。

　　To learn that while at times they may be entitled³ to be upset, that does not give them the right to upset those around them.

　　要知道有时自己烦心的时候，并没有权利让周围的人也变得很不开心。

　　To learn that great dreams do not require great wings, but a landing gear⁴ to achieve.

　　要懂得实现远大的理想并不需要坚实的翅膀，需要的是实现梦想的方法。

　　To learn that true friends are scarce, he/she who has found one has found a true treasure.

　　要知道真正的朋友是很少的，找到一个知己的人也就是发现了一笔财富。

　　To learn that they are masters of what they keep to themselves and slaves of what they say.

　　要懂得自己是拥有的主宰，却是所说的奴隶。

　　To learn that they shall reap⁵ what they plant; if they plant gossip⁶ they will harvest intrigues⁷, if they plant love they will harvest happiness.

　　要学会播种什么就会收获什么。如果播种的是流言蜚语，收获的也将是阴谋。如果播种爱，便会收获幸福。

　　To learn that true happiness is not to achieve their goals but to learn to be satisfied with what they already achieved.

　　要懂得真正的快乐并不是达到目标，而是要学会满足于所获得。

　　To learn that happiness is a decision. They decide to be happy with what they are and have, or die from envy and jealousy⁸ of what they lack.

　　要知道幸福其实就是一个决定。自己可以决定是幸福的满足于已经拥有的，还是死于对自己所缺的东西的羡慕与嫉妒。

　　To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.

　　要知道不同的人对待同样的事物会有完全不同的看法。

　　To learn that those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences go far in life.

　　要懂得不论结果如何都对自己诚实的人生活中就会成功。

　　To learn that even though they may think they have nothing to give, when a friend cries with them, they find the strength to appease⁹ the pain.

　　要知道，即使有人觉得自己没有什么可以给予的，但有朋友向他们哭诉的时候，他们仍有方法减轻痛苦。

　　To learn that by trying to hold on to love ones, they very quickly push them away; and by letting go of those they love, they will be side by side forever.

　　要懂得紧紧抓住所爱的人只会让他们很快的离开;试着对自己所爱的人放手，他们才会永远和你在一起。

1 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

2 profound   

adj.深奥的，造诣深的；深度的，极度的

参考例句：

• I give you my profound thanks for saving my life.我对您的救命之恩深表谢意。
• He has a profound knowledge of mathematics.他数学知识渊博。

3 entitled   

有资格的

参考例句：

• You will be entitled to your pension when you reach 65. 你到65岁就有资格享受养老金。
• He entitled us to enter his office at any time. 他授权给我们可以随时进入他的办公室。

4 gear   

n.齿轮，传动装置，设备，衣服；vt.使适应

参考例句：

• We have to gear our lives to the new changes.我们必须使自己的生活适应新的变化。
• The teeth of the wheel gear into each other.齿轮互相啮合。

5 reap   

v.得到，获得（报酬、成果等），收割，收获

参考例句：

• It is not easy to reap the harvest of my hard work.获得自己辛勤工作的成果是不容易的。
• As a man sows,so he shall reap.种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。

6 gossip   

n.流言蜚语，爱说长道短的人；vi.传播流言

参考例句：

• She broadcast the gossip all over the town.她将这个流言传遍全镇。
• They spread a lot of tacky gossip about his love life.关于他的爱情生活，他们散播了许多不堪的闲言闲语。

7 intrigues   

n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• He was made king as a result of various intrigues. 由于搞了各种各样的阴谋，他当上了国王。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Those who go in for intrigues and conspiracy are doomed to failure. 搞阴谋诡计的人注定要失败。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

9 appease   

v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足

参考例句：

• He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
• The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。