Ladies and gentlemen
女士们,先生们
Wear sunscreen
记得抹防晒霜哦
If I could offer you only one tip for the future
如果我只能给你们的未来提一点建议
Sunscreen would be it
那就是抹防晒霜
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists
科学家已证实过抹防晒霜能长久防晒这个好处
Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or reliable, Than my own meandering experience
然而我自身的游历比我的建议更有依据性
I will dispense this advice now
我现在开始分享我的建议
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind
尽情享受年轻带给你的青春活力,噢,你听不听无所谓
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth ,until they've faded
你永远不会意识到年轻带给你的一切,直到容颜消殒,力量耗尽(不见棺材不落泪)
But trust me,
但要相信我
In 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself
二十年内,你会翻看以前的照片
recall in a way you can't grasp now
追忆年轻时的美好
How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked
你会意识到曾有种种可能摆在你眼前,也会难以相信你竟那么美丽迷人
You are not as fat as you imagine
你还会觉得自己并没有想象中那么胖
Don't worry about the future, or worry
别担心未来,别担心
But know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum
担心就像企图用嚼泡泡糖来解代数方程式一样无用
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind
真正的麻烦往往是你从未担心过的东西
The kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday
就像无聊的周二下午四点突然从你脑子里冒出来的东西
***
Enjoy the rhythm.
***
Do one thing every day that scares you
每天做一件令自己感到恐惧的事
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts
不要怠慢别人的心意
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours
当然,不要忍受怠慢你心意的人
Floss
多用牙线(骚年们)
Don't waste your time on jealousy
不要浪费时间去嫉妒别人
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind
有时你跑在前面,有时你被甩在后面
The race is long and in the end, it's only with yourself
人生是一场漫长的赛跑,到最后你的对手其实就是你自己
Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults
如果你只记得别人对你的赞扬,而忘记他们对你的侮辱(指不要脸)
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how
请告诉我你是如何做到的
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements
保留你的旧情书,扔掉你的旧银行账单(去伪存真)
Stretch
放松自己
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life
如果你不知道自己未来想做什么,别总是羞愧
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives
我结识的最有趣的人中也有在22岁时仍不知道自己要做什么
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't
有的甚至40岁了依然迷惘
Get plenty of calcium
多补钙
Be kind to your knees
保护好你的膝盖
You'll miss them when they're gone
别等他们不好使时才懂得挽留
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't
也许你们有人会结婚,有人不会
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't
有的会有自己的孩子,有的没有
Maybe you'll divorce at 40,
也许有人会在四十岁时离婚
Maybe you'll dance the 'Funky Chicken' on your 75th wedding anniversary
也有人会在75周年结婚纪念日上跳“酷鸡舞” (一种靠即兴发挥的独特舞步)
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much
无论你做过什么,别沾沾自喜
Or berate yourself either
同样也别妄自菲薄
Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's
你的每一次选择都有一半的机遇,所有人都一样
***
Enjoy the rhythm again.
***
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can
享受自己的身体,随便你怎样用都行。
Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it
别畏畏缩缩,别太在意别人的危言耸听
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own
你的身体是你拥有的最好工具
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room
跳舞吧,即便只能在客厅里跳
Read the directions even if you don't follow them
阅读指导,即便你不愿跟从它们
Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly
不要看美容杂志,他们只会让你自惭形秽
Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good
多陪陪父母,了解他们,你永远不知他们何时会离开这个世界
Be nice to your siblings, they're your best link to your past, and the people most likely to stick with you in the future
好好待你的兄弟姐妹,无论过去还是将来,他们永远是你相亲相爱的人
Understand that friends come and go
要明白人来人往的事实
But a precious few, who should hold on
但要珍惜对你来说弥足珍贵的知己
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle
努力打破(同知己)在地理位置和生活方式上的隔阂
For as the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young
当你渐渐老去,你就愈发需要年轻时的那些朋友的陪伴
Live in New York City once but leave before it makes you hard
可以去纽约生活,但要在它让你觉得举步维艰时离开
Live in northern California once but leave before it makes you soft
造访加利福尼亚北部,但要在它快让你适应享乐前回来
Travel
多去旅行
Accept certain inalienable truths
接受那些血的事实吧
Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you, too, will get old
物价会涨,政客会玩弄权利手段,你也会变老
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young
当你真的变老,你就会幻想自己年轻时
Prices were reasonable, politicians were noble
物价合理,政客名副其实
And children respected their elders
晚辈都很尊重长辈
Respect your elders
尊敬你的长辈
Don't expect anyone else to support you
别太指望别人会对你伸出援手
Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse
也许你有一笔信托基金,也许你找了个富婆或者傍了个大款
But you never know when either one might run out
但你永远不知他们何时会消失
Don't mess too much with your hair
不要在你的头发上花太多心思
Or by the time you're 40 it will look 85
不然你40岁时,看起来会像85岁一样苍老
***
Enjoy the rhythm one more time.
***
Be careful whose advice you buy
金钱买来的忠告要谨慎对待
But
但是
Be patient with those who supply it
别人无偿给予的建议要耐心聆听
Advice is a form of nostalgia,
买来的忠告像是一种怀旧的形式
dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal,
执行别人给的意见就像把“过去”从垃圾里钓上来
wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts
洗干净,重绘过去丑陋的部分
And recycling it for more than it's worth
反复这样,收获超越事物自身的价值
But trust me on the sunscreen
也许你对我上述的意见不以为然,但相信我:一定抹好防晒霜!
出自记者Mary Schmich的《涂防晒霜》,97年的Chicago Tribune专栏文章,作者本人在2012凭借这个专栏获得普利策奖。这个演讲并没有什么故事性的内容,而是以老人的口吻给出的一些人生建议。回顾往昔,堪称金玉良言。