英语名篇诵读 生命的季节（在线收听）

The Seasons of Life

生命的季节

How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and the old wishing they were young again! Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting any time in useless regrets.

Childhood is a time when there are few duties to make life hard. If a child has good parents, he is fed , looked after, and loved whatever he may do. It's impossible for him to be given so much again in his life without having to do anything in return . Besides, life is always giving new things to the child. A child finds pleasure in playing in the rain, or in the snow. His first visit to the seaside makes him wild. But a child has his pains: he is not free to act as he wishes. He is continually being told not to do this, not to do that, or being punished for what he has done wrong. His life is therefore not perfectly happy.

When the young man starts to make his own living, he becomes free from the discipline of school and parents. But at the same time he is forced to accept duties. He can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the law of society as he used to break the law of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble, and has good health, he can have the great happiness of seeing himself make steady progress in his job and of building up his own position in society.

Old age has always been thought of as the worst age, but it is not necessary for the old to beunhappy. With old age should come wisdom and the ability to help others with advice wisely given. They can have the joy of seeing their children making progress in life; they can watch their grandchildren growing up around them and, perhaps, best of all, they can, if their life has been a useful one, feel the happiness of having come through the battle of life safely and of having reached a time when they can lie back and rest, leaving others to continue the fight. 

人们多少次听孩子们说希望自己长大成人，多少次听老人们说希望自己青春重现！人生的每个阶段都有欢乐和痛苦，最幸福的人是尽情享用每个阶段的赐予，而不在无用的懊悔中浪费时光。

童年的时光，很少有什么职责，生活也就不那么艰难。如果一个孩子有慈爱的父母，他便衣食无忧，在方方面面得到关爱。在他以后的生活中，不可能再给予他这么多，而他不必给予任何回报了。此外，生活总是不断地给予孩子新鲜的东西。孩子快乐地在雨中玩耍，在雪中打雪仗。他第一次来到大海边使他欣喜若狂。但是孩子也有苦恼：他不能随心所欲地做事。他老是被指派做这做那，或因做错了事而受到惩罚。所以，孩子的生活并非完全无忧无虑。

当年轻人开始自己谋生时，他就摆脱了学校和父母的管束。但同时他不得不承担责任。他不能再指望别人为他的食物、衣服和住房付款，要生活得舒适，必须工作才行。如果他像孩提时期那样把大部分时间花在玩耍上，他就将挨饿。如果他像从前违背父母的规矩那样违反社会的法律，他就要坐牢。但是，如果他辛勤工作，不惹是生非，体魄强健，他就能满心欢喜地看着自己在工作中取得稳步的发展，在社会中逐步奠定自己的地位。

老年总被认为是最糟糕的人生阶段，但是老年人没有必要不快活。随着年龄的增长，人们会更富有智慧，更有真知灼见以助他人。他们看到孩子们在生活中取得进步，十分欣喜；看到孙辈们在他们身边渐渐长大，其乐融融；也许最好的是，如果一生丰富充实，他们便能感受到平安经历了人生风雨后的幸福，感受到自己得以安度晚年而让他人继续奋斗的欣慰。