美文故事之找谁倚靠 （36）乞丐 The mendicant
The mendicant
乞丐
When I think how long I have lived
每当我想起自己年高寿长
I am struck by life’s injustice:
命运的不公让我愕然；
Others have lived much less
他人的生命何其短暂
Some have been given less than an hour of life.
一些人在出生短短时间后便告别尘寰。
I recall my childhood
我想起了我的童年
And the various stages of my growth.
和生命成长的各个阶段。
I have been blessed, indeed, beyond anything
我，事实上，受到了绝无仅有的
I expected or deserved!
我所期望的，和我值得的眷顾！
I think of the experiences that life has given me—happy ones that filled my heart,
我想起生命赋予我的种种经历—幸福的事儿充满我的心房，
Painful ones that helped me grow—
痛苦的事儿帮助我成长—
Of the discoveries I have made…
我思考，那些我的发现…
Of the persons I was privileged to meet…
那些我有幸遇到的人…
And of my talents and abilities,
我的才华与能力，
Of sight
视力，
And hearing,
听力，
Smell and taste and touch
嗅觉，味觉和触觉
And mind and will and memory
思想，意愿和记忆
And the limbs and organs of my body.
四肢及器官。
If I were to die today
如果我今天就要离去
I should certainly have had more than my fair share of life’s blessings.
当然，我已经受到自己不应该有的那份人生眷顾。
Whatever else life has in store for me is an added gift
不管未来的人数还有什么在等待着我，
Quite undeserved.
那都是一件额外的礼物。
Having accepted this, I make myself aware of the fact
我诚惶诚恐甚感不配拥有。
That I have another day of life to live and relish.
知道这个，我清楚了我要认真生活，体味生命中的另一天
I see myself go through the morning,
我要看着自己穿过清晨，
The afternoon,
走过下午，
And evening,
度过夜晚，
And accept my good luck gratefully.
感激地接收我的好运气。
I think of the person who to me is the dearest
我想到了哪个我生命中最重要的人
Of all who are alive today,
所以至今还健在的人们，
Of how he or she has enriched my life.
他或她让我的生命更加富丽斑斓。
Tomorrow I may lose her…
明天也许我就会失去她….
Such is life’s fragility.
生命就是如此脆弱。
And if I did, I should have no cause for complaint.
如果我真的失去了她，我也不应该有理由抱怨。
I have had her for so long,
我已经拥有她太长时间了，
God knows I have no right to her for a single hour.
上天知道，我无权再据她为己有，哪怕只有一小时。
Life has been unjust:
人生是不公正的；
I think of those who never had
我想起那些从未拥有过
The riches she has brought me.
如她给我带来的财富的人们。
I tell her this in fantasy
我似在幻梦中告诉她此事
And see what happens.
等待会发生什么。
I now become aware
我现在明白了
That she is here for yet another day
她还会在这儿度过另一天
And I am grateful.
我感激不尽。
1.be privileged to有特权
People vote me, I’d be privileged to serve them.
人们选我，我将很荣幸为他们服务。
We’d be privileged to sit down and pray with her, okay?
我们都会专门坐下为她祷告，好吧？
2.in store贮藏,准备
Maybe there’s still some surprises in store.
也许还是有一些惊喜的商店。
But there was no wedded bliss in store for her.
但没有拘泥于在她的商店幸福。
3.aware of意识到，知道
Customers and the public should be aware of that.
客户和公众应该意识到这一点。
The earliest one I’m aware of dates back to 1988.
我所知道的最早一篇发表于1988年。
4.cause for原因
The likeliest cause for the taxi driver’s reproductive problem?
出租车司机生殖健康问题最有可能的原因何在？
Any new shock will add cause for further retrenchment.
任何一种新的震荡都将增加进一步缩减开支的理由。