一生中最美好的時光

佚名等

It was June 15， and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.

My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day， he noticed I wasnt full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached his age， so I asked him， “What was the best time of your life？”

Without hesitation， Nicholas replied， “Well， Joe， this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question.

“When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents， that was the best time of my life.

“When I was going to school and learning the things I know today， that was the best time of my life.

“When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts， that was the best time of my life.

“When I met my wife and fell in love， that was the best time of my life.

“The Second World War came， and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America， that was the best time of my life.

“When we came to Canada and started a family， that was the best time of my life.

“When I was a young father， watching my children grow up， that was the best time of my life.

“And now， Joe， I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health， I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life.”

那天是6月15日，再過兩天我就要30歲了。要進入生命中又一個新的十年，我對此感到忐忑不安，擔心自己最美好的歲月已經離我遠去了。

我每天上班前都去體育館鍛煉一陣。每天早上我都會在體育館見到我的朋友尼古拉斯。他79歲，身材棒極了。那天我跟他打招呼時，他注意到我不像往常那樣充滿活力，便問我出了什么事。我告訴他自己就要30歲了，心里很擔憂。我不知道自己要是到了他的歲數會怎么回顧自己的一生，于是我問他：“你一生中最美好的時光是在什么時候？”

尼古拉斯毫不遲疑地答道：“好吧，喬，以下就是我對于你那富有哲理的問題所給出的富有哲理的回答。

“小時候我在奧地利，一切都被照顧得好好的，我在父母的撫育下成長，那是我一生中最美好的時光。

“上學的時候我學著至今都牢記的知識，那是我一生中最美好的時光。

“當我找到第一份工作，承擔了工作中的職責并且因自己的努力獲得報酬時，那是我一生中最美好的時光。

“當我遇到我的妻子并墜入愛河時，那是我一生中最美好的時光。

“二戰來臨，妻子和我為活命不得不逃離奧地利。當我們一起安安全全地坐上駛往北美洲的輪船時，那是我一生中最美好的時光。

“當我們來到加拿大建立了家庭時，那是我一生中最美好的時光。

“當我成了一位年輕的父親，看著自己的孩子一點點長大時，那是我一生中最美好的時光。

“而現在，喬，我79歲了。我身體健康，感覺很好，而且還和初次相遇時一樣愛著我的妻子。這是我一生中最美好的時光。”endprint