美文：牧羊少年奇幻之旅

牧羊少年奇幻之旅

保罗·科埃略

The Alchemist Paulo Coelho

节选 【什么是天命？】

“我是撒冷之王。”老人说。

“一个国王为什么要和一个牧羊人交谈呢？”男孩问，充满敬畏而且显得局促不安。

“有好几个原因。但我觉得，最重要的是你已经发现了你的天命。”

男孩不懂什么是人的“天命”。

"I'm the king of Salem," the old man had said.

"Why would a king be talking with a shepherd?" the boy asked, awed and embarrassed.

"For several reasons. But let's say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your destiny."

The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was.

“天命就是你一直期望成功完成的事情。所有人刚步入青年时代时，都知道自己的天命是什么。”

“在他们人生的那一时刻，一切都清清楚楚，一切都是可能的。他们敢于梦想，期待他们喜欢见到的一切发生在自己的生活之中。但是，随着时光流逝，一种神秘的力量开始试图使他们相信，他们不可能实现自己的天命。”

对于老人所说的话，男孩并不太懂。但是他想知道什么是“神秘的力量”。

"It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is.

"At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny."

None of what the old man was saying made much sense to the boy. But he wanted to know what the "mysterious force" was.

“它是一种看似有害的力量，但其实它会教你如何去实现自己的天命。它能锻炼你的精神，砥砺你的意志，因为在这个地球上有一个伟大的真理：无论你是谁，或者无论你在做什么事，当你真心想得到某种东西时，那是因为这种愿望来源于宇宙的灵魂。它就是你来到世间的使命。”

"It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your destiny. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth."

“哪怕你想要的仅仅是外出旅行？或者是与一位纺织品商人的女儿结婚？”

“是的，或者甚至是去寻找财宝。世界之魂由人们的幸福所滋养，也由人们的不幸、羡慕和嫉妒所滋养。实现自己的天命是一个人唯一的真正责任。天下万物，皆归于一。”

“而且，当你有所渴求时，整个宇宙都会共同帮助你去实现自己的愿望。”

"Even when all you want to do is travel? Or marry the daughter of a textile merchant?"

"Yes, or even search for treasure. The Soul of the World is nourished by people's happiness. And also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy. To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. All things are one.

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

他们俩都沉默了片刻，望着广场和城里的人们。老人先开口说话了。

“你为什么要牧羊呢？”

“因为我喜欢旅行。”

在广场的一角，有一个面包师站在自己店铺的橱窗里，老人用手指着他说：“在他小时候，也一直希望四处旅行。但他却决定要先买下属于自己的面包店，攒些钱。等他老了，再到非洲去待上一个月。他从来都不明白，不论在自己人生的何种时候，人都有能力去做自己梦想的事情。”

They were both silent for a time, observing the plaza and the townspeople. It was the old man who spoke first.

"Why do you tend a flock of sheep?"

"Because I like to travel."

The old man pointed to a baker standing in his shop window at one corner of the plaza. "When he was a child, that man wanted to travel, too. But he decided first to buy his bakery and put some money aside. When he's an old man, he's going to spend a month in Africa. He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of."

“他要选择当一个牧羊人就好了。”男孩说。

“唔，他曾经考虑过，”老人说，“但是面包师比牧羊人更有地位。面包师有自己的房子，而牧羊人却要露宿野外。作父母的宁可把女儿嫁给面包师也不嫁给牧羊人。”

老人继续说：“说到底，对人们来说，人们对面包师和牧羊人的看法，竟比他们自己的天命还更重要。”

"He should have decided to become a shepherd," the boy said.

"Well, he thought about that," the old man said. "But bakers are more important people than shepherds. Bakers have homes, while shepherds sleep out in the open. Parents would rather see their children marry bakers than shepherds."

The old man continued, "In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own destinies."

“你为什么要跟我讲这些呢？”

“因为你正要努力去实现自己的天命。而就在现在这个节骨眼儿，你险些就要放弃它。”

“你总是在这种时刻出现吗？”

“并不总以这种方式。但我总是会出现，要么以这种形式，要么以那种形式。有时我会以一个好办法或一个好主意的形式出现。有时，在关键时刻我会让事情变得更容易些。我还做了其他一些事。只不过大多数时候别人并不知道我做了。”

“人们很早就知道了他们生存于世的意义，”老人语气苦涩地说。“也许正因为如此，他们也很早就不再相信它。但其实实现人生的意义就得如此。”

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because you are trying to realize your destiny. And you are at the point where you're about to give it all up."

"And that's when you always appear on the scene?"

"Not always in this way, but I always appear in one form or another. Sometimes I appear in the form of a solution, or a good idea. At other times, at a crucial moment, I make it easier for things to happen. There are other things I do, too, but most of the time people don't realize I've done them."

"People learn, early in their lives, what is their reason for being," said the old man, with a certain bitterness. "Maybe that's why they give up on it so early, too. But that's the way it is."

男孩提醒老人，他说过一些有关宝藏的事情。

“流水的力量可以使宝藏显露，同样也可以将其掩埋，”老人说。“如果你想知道有关自己宝藏的情况，就得把你的羊分十分之一给我。”

“把我的宝藏的十分之一给你行吗？”

老人露出失望的神情。“如果你把还没有到手的东西许诺出去，你就会失去努力得到它的愿望。”

男孩告诉老人，他已经答应将财宝的十分之一分给那个吉卜赛人。

“吉卜赛人让别人做这种事儿是很拿手的，”老人叹息道，“无论如何，你懂得了生活中的一切都是有代价的，这是件好事。”

The boy reminded the old man that he had said something about hidden treasure.

"Treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents," said the old man. "If you want to learn about your own treasure, you will have to give me one-tenth of your flock."

"What about one-tenth of my treasure?"

The old man looked disappointed. "If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it."

The boy told him that he had already promised to give one-tenth of his treasure to the Gypsy.

"Gypsies are experts at getting people to do that," sighed the old man. "In any case, it's good that you've learned that everything in life has its price."

老人把书还给了男孩。

“明天，还是这个时候，你把你十分之一的羊儿带过来。我会告诉你如何去找到那批宝藏。再见。”

接着他就在广场的一个拐角消失了。

The old man returned the book to the boy.

"Tomorrow, at this same time, bring me a tenth of your flock. And I will tell you how to find the hidden treasure. Good afternoon."

And he vanished around the corner of the plaza.