美文欣賞:Today and tomorrow 今天和明天

A white-bearded ancient man was walking over the hills and valleys of the world. On his back he carried a bag which moved uneasily as if something was trying to escape from it， but he settled it between his shoulders and walked on.

He was Father Time， traveling forever， and the bag he bore was filled with Tomorrows， all struggling to get out.

Each night at twelve o’clock， he opened the bag and flew out a Tomorrow， just one， with its wings of blue， and its shining feathers rising with hope. All the rest were kept back by Time’s strong hands and pushed deep in the bag.

Down flew the Tomorrow beating its lovely feathers， but as it touched the earth， off fell its blue wings and it changed to an ordinary white bird which could not fly. It had become a Today. Everyone knows that Today isn’t as wonderful as Tomorrow， for Today can be held in one’s hands， accepted， unloved， but Tomorrow is full of mystery and beauty. It is desired by all the world. Even those with little hope sigh， “Tomorrow may bring a change. Tomorrow’s life will be different.”

Everybody tried to catch the Tomorrow before it fell to the ground. They thought if they knew before hand what the Tomorrow carries， they could prepare for it. So they put great nets on the trees， seeking to catch one before it changed his feather. Yet although they tried every means， the birds escaped and flew to the ground as Todays.

一位胡子花白的老人在世界各地的山脈及山谷間旅行。他背著一個袋子，袋子里的東西在不安分地躁動著，好像要往外跑似的。他把袋子往肩膀上放好，繼續前行。

他就是時間老人，他永遠在前行。而裝在袋子里的是明天，它們都想爭著往外跑。

每天午夜十二點，時間老人就會打開袋子，放飛一個明天，只放飛一個!它揮動著藍色的翅膀，展現出發亮的羽毛，帶著希望飛走了。時間老人用其有力的雙手把其他的明天關在袋子深處。

明天揮動著可愛的翅膀飛向大地。可當它到達地面時，它的藍色翅膀就掉了，變成一只不會飛的白色的普通的鳥。它變成了今天。每個人都知道今天沒有明天好，因為每個人可以把今天抓在手中，接受它，卻不去愛它，但是明天充滿神奇和美麗。世界上的每個人都想擁有明天，即使那些心中沒有希望的人也會嘆息說:“明天也許會帶來一些變化，明天的生活會很不一樣。”

每個人都想在明天到達地面時抓住它。他們認為，如果能事先知道明天帶來的是什么，他們便會有所準備。所以他們在樹上掛好大網，試圖想在明天的羽毛變化之前抓住它。然而，盡管他們用盡了一切方法，也沒能抓住明天，它還是來到了地面，變成了今天。