温馨夜读 PART4 11 Relish The Moment 拥抱现在

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[00:01.08]Relish The Moment 拥抱现在

[00:07.32]Tucked away in our subconscious¹ is an idyllic² vision.

[00:11.37]We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent.

[00:16.08]We are traveling by train.

[00:18.37]Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways,

[00:24.60]of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside,

[00:29.96]of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, 

[00:35.54]of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, 

[00:40.25]of city skylines and village halls.

[00:43.31]But uppermost in our minds is the final destination.

[00:47.03]On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull in the station.

[00:50.96]Bands will be playing and flags waving.

[00:53.81]Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true

[00:57.20]and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw³ puzzle.

[01:01.35]How restlessly we pace the aisles⁴, damning the minutes for loitering—

[01:06.19]waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

[01:09.04]“When we reach the station, that will be it!”We cry.

[01:12.43]“When I’m 18.”“When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz!”

[01:17.58]“When I put the last kid through college.”

[01:20.10]“When I have paid off the mortgage!”“When I get a promotion⁵.”

[01:23.93]“When I reach the age of retirement⁶, I shall live happily ever after!”

[01:28.19]Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, 

[01:33.22]no one place to arrive at once and for all.

[01:36.72]The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream.

[01:41.09]It constantly outdistances us.

[01:43.50]“Relish the moment”is a good motto, 

[01:46.68]especially when coupled with Psalm⁷ 118：24：

[01:50.72]“This is the day which the Lord hath made；

[01:53.89]we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

[01:56.52]It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad.

[01:59.80]It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow.

[02:03.96]Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

[02:08.66]So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles.

[02:12.81]Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream,

[02:16.86]go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, 

[02:20.03]watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less.

[02:24.19]Life must be lived as we go along.

[02:26.81]The station will come soon enough.

1 subconscious   

n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的)

参考例句：

• Nail biting is often a subconscious reaction to tension.咬指甲通常是紧张时的下意识反映。
• My answer seemed to come from the subconscious.我的回答似乎出自下意识。

2 idyllic   

adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的

参考例句：

• These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

3 jigsaw   

n.缕花锯，竖锯，拼图游戏；vt.用竖锯锯，使互相交错搭接

参考例句：

• A jigsaw puzzle can keep me absorbed for hours.一副拼图就能让我沉醉几个小时。
• Tom likes to work on jigsaw puzzles,too.汤姆也喜欢玩拼图游戏。

4 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

5 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 psalm   

n.赞美诗，圣诗

参考例句：

• The clergyman began droning the psalm.牧师开始以单调而低沈的语调吟诵赞美诗。
• The minister droned out the psalm.牧师喃喃地念赞美诗。