[英国]罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森/Robert Louis Stevenson

　　As we grow old, a sort of equable jog-trot of feeling is substituted for the violent ups and downs of passion and disgust;the same influence that restrains our hopes, quiets our apprehensions;if the pleasures are less intense, the troubles are milder and more tolerable;and in a word, this period for which we are asked to hoard up everything as for a time of famine, is, in its own right, the richest, easiest, and happiest of life. Nay, by managing its own work and following its own happy inspiration, youth is doing the best it can to endow the leisure of age. A full, busy youth is your only prelude to a self-contained and independent age;and the muff inevitably develops into the bore. There are not many Doctor Johnsons, to set forth upon their first romantic voyage at sixty-four. If we wish to scale Mont Blanc or go down in a diving dress or up in a balloon, we must be about it while we are still young. It will not do to delay until we are clogged with prudence and limping with rheumatism, and people begin to ask us:“What does Gravity out of bed?”Youth is the time to go flashing from one end of the world to the other both in mind and body;to try the manners of different nations;to hear the chimes at midnight;to see sunrise in town and country;to be converted at a revival;to circumnavigate the metaphysics, write halting verses, run a mile to see a fire, and wait all day long in the theatre to applaud HERNANI.

　　在我们渐渐变老的过程中，一种平淡而缓慢的感觉替代了强烈的爱憎沉浮；同样的感觉让我们收敛自己的希望，抚慰我们的忧惧。如果说快乐能少几分**，那么烦恼也变得更加微不足道，更能够忍受。总之，在这段时间里，我们需要储备一切，以备不时之需。在整个生命的历程中，这段时间是最丰富多彩、最闲适、最幸福的。不仅如此，通过管理自己的行为，跟随快乐的灵感而动，年轻人在竭尽全力赋予自己的时代以安逸的成分。充实、忙碌的青年时代是独立、自由的晚年生活的前奏；那些不能完成这些的人，其晚年生活不可避免是令人厌烦的。这个世界上，约翰逊博士并不多，在64岁的时候才开始他们的第一次浪漫之旅。如果我们想要丈量勃朗峰，或是穿着潜水服潜水，或是坐着热气球升天，就必须趁着年轻去做，不要等到变得谨小慎微、腿脚不便的时候才想着去做。那样的话，人们就会问我们：“怎么这么不安分？”无论是脑力还是体力上，青年时代都是周游世界的时期。去领略不同国家的人文风情；去聆听午夜的钟声；去观看城市与乡村的日出；去虔诚悔过；去统览玄学，编写牵强的诗句，跑远路去看篝火，还为了给《艾那尼》喝彩而在剧院等上一天。

　　As we grow old, a sort of equable jog-trot of feeling is substituted for the violent ups and downs of passion and disgust;the same influence that restrains our hopes, quiets our apprehensions;if the pleasures are less intense, the troubles are milder and more tolerable;and in a word, this period for which we are asked to hoard up everything as for a time of famine, is, in its own right, the richest, easiest, and happiest of life. Nay, by managing its own work and following its own happy inspiration, youth is doing the best it can to endow the leisure of age. A full, busy youth is your only prelude to a self-contained and independent age;and the muff inevitably develops into the bore. There are not many Doctor Johnsons, to set forth upon their first romantic voyage at sixty-four. If we wish to scale Mont Blanc or go down in a diving dress or up in a balloon, we must be about it while we are still young. It will not do to delay until we are clogged with prudence and limping with rheumatism, and people begin to ask us:“What does Gravity out of bed?”Youth is the time to go flashing from one end of the world to the other both in mind and body;to try the manners of different nations;to hear the chimes at midnight;to see sunrise in town and country;to be converted at a revival;to circumnavigate the metaphysics, write halting verses, run a mile to see a fire, and wait all day long in the theatre to applaud HERNANI.

　　在我们渐渐变老的过程中，一种平淡而缓慢的感觉替代了强烈的爱憎沉浮；同样的感觉让我们收敛自己的希望，抚慰我们的忧惧。如果说快乐能少几分**，那么烦恼也变得更加微不足道，更能够忍受。总之，在这段时间里，我们需要储备一切，以备不时之需。在整个生命的历程中，这段时间是最丰富多彩、最闲适、最幸福的。不仅如此，通过管理自己的行为，跟随快乐的灵感而动，年轻人在竭尽全力赋予自己的时代以安逸的成分。充实、忙碌的青年时代是独立、自由的晚年生活的前奏；那些不能完成这些的人，其晚年生活不可避免是令人厌烦的。这个世界上，约翰逊博士并不多，在64岁的时候才开始他们的第一次浪漫之旅。如果我们想要丈量勃朗峰，或是穿着潜水服潜水，或是坐着热气球升天，就必须趁着年轻去做，不要等到变得谨小慎微、腿脚不便的时候才想着去做。那样的话，人们就会问我们：“怎么这么不安分？”无论是脑力还是体力上，青年时代都是周游世界的时期。去领略不同国家的人文风情；去聆听午夜的钟声；去观看城市与乡村的日出；去虔诚悔过；去统览玄学，编写牵强的诗句，跑远路去看篝火，还为了给《艾那尼》喝彩而在剧院等上一天。

　　心灵小语

　　及时行乐！我们慢慢变老的时候，平淡和缓慢渐渐代替了强烈的沉浮，也让我们收敛了希望。有些事，就要趁着年轻去做，不能等到变得谨小慎微、腿脚不便才想着去做。

　　词汇笔记

　　violent['vai?l?nt]adj.暴力的，猛烈的

　　One must deplore their violent behavior.

　　人人都会强烈谴责他们的残暴行为。

　　restrain[ris'trein]v.抑制，阻止，束缚

　　He couldn't restrain his curiosity.

　　他抑制不住自己的好奇心。

　　leisure['le??]n.空闲，闲暇

　　How do you spend your leisure time?

　　你的业余时间都是怎么度过的？

　　prudence['pru:d?ns]n.审慎，慎重，精心明辨

　　Fear is one part of prudence.

　　恐惧是慎重的一部分。

　　小试身手

　　如果说快乐能少几分**，那么烦恼也变得更加微不足道，更能够忍受。

　　译______________________________

　　充实、忙碌的青年时代是独立、自由的晚年生活的前奏。

　　译______________________________

　　无论是脑力还是体力上，青年时代都是周游世界的时期。

　　译______________________________

　　短语家族

　　As we grow old, a sort of equable jog-trot of feeling is substituted for the violent ups and downs of passion and disgust.

　　substitute for：代替

　　造______________________________

　　And in a word, this period for which we are asked to hoard up everything……

　　in a word：总而言之

　　造______________________________