本文授权转载自中国日报双语新闻
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生命中最重要的是什么?人们常常寻问这个问题。
同样的问题,也许在生命走到尽头的时候,就会得出不一样的答案。那些平时困扰我们的糟心事原来都不再重要。
霍莉·布彻(Holly Butcher)是一位来自澳大利亚的姑娘,她不幸患上了尤文肉瘤(Ewing's sarcoma),一种罕见癌症,27岁就与世长辞。
在她离世后的几个小时里,家人依照她的心愿,在社交网络上发布了一篇她写给世界的信。
在生命的尽头,她像一位挚友一样,向我们吐露了她的生活感悟。
这封信让许多网友一时间停下忙碌的生活,思考人生的意义。下面,我们一起静下心来,读完她留给大家的忠告。
A bit of life advice from Hol
It's a strange thing to realize and accept your mortality at 26 years young. It's just one of those things you ignore.
在26岁时就意识到并接受自己的死亡是一件很奇怪的事情。因为死亡是我们一直以来都忽视的事情。
The days tick by and you just expect they will keep on coming; until the unexpected happens.
一天天时光飞逝,你以为日子会永远这样过下去,直到意外发生。
I always imagined myself growing old, wrinkled and grey — most likely caused by the beautiful family (lots of kiddies) I planned on building with the love of my life. I want that so bad it hurts.
我总是想象自己慢慢变老、满面皱纹、头发花白,这极有可能都是被我美好的家庭(和一堆小淘气)给累的……我一直计划着用全部的爱来建造一个小家庭,我真的太渴望有这样的家庭了,有时会想到心痛。
That's the thing about life; It is fragile, precious and unpredictable and each day is a gift, not a given right.
这就是生活,脆弱、珍贵,却不可预知。每一天都是一份礼物,而不是你应有的权利。
I'm 27 now. I don't want to go. I love my life. I am happy. I owe that to my loved ones. But the control is out of my hands.
我27岁了,我还不想死。我爱生活。我很快乐。我对我所爱的人感到亏欠。但我现在却束手无策。
27岁,对一个姑娘来说是花一样的年华,霍莉和许多姑娘一样,有爱她的家人和朋友,对未来充满憧憬与幻想。
在生命的最后时光,她割舍不下的是家人、朋友、爱人和她的狗。
我们总觉得死亡离我们很遥远,把每一天的到来看成理所应当,但如果你突然被宣判了人生的期限呢?
在死亡面前,任何烦心的琐事都微不足道。
❶
“你的问题多小呀,克服它不就完了么”
I haven't started this "note before I die" so that death is feared — I like the fact that we are mostly ignorant to its inevitability.
我还没有开始写“死前留言”,它会让人们对死亡恐惧。其实我觉得人们几乎没意识到死亡是不可避免的,这还挺好的。
Except when I want to talk about it and it is treated like a "taboo" topic that will never happen to any of us. That's been a bit tough.
但当我和人谈起死亡时,它却被当作一个“禁忌”话题,仿佛死亡永远不会发生,那就有点难办了。
I just want people to stop worrying so much about the small, meaningless stresses in life and try to remember that we all have the same fate after it all so do what you can to make your time feel worthy and great, minus the bullshit.
我只是想让人们不再纠结于生活中那些琐碎、无意义的压力,而是记着,我们最终都有同样的命运,所以尽你所能地让自己的时间充实而精彩,别再管那些烦心事。
I have dropped lots of my thoughts below as I have had a lot of time to ponder life these last few months. Of course it's the middle of the night when these random things pop in my head most!
过去的几个月里,我有很多时间思考人生。所以,我在下面写了许多自己的想法。当然,总是在夜里,我的脑海里会突然冒出些零零碎碎的东西。
Those times you are whinging about ridiculous things (something I have noticed so much these past few months), just think about someone who is really facing a problem. Be grateful for your minor issue and get over it. It's okay to acknowledge that something is annoying but try not to carry on about it and negatively affect other people's days.
有时,你会抱怨一些莫名其妙的事情(我在过去的几个月里这些事见了不少),这种时候就想想那些真正有困难的人吧。心存感激吧,你的问题多小呀,克服它不就完了么。我承认有些事很烦人,但尽量不要放大这种情绪,不要对别人的生活产生负面影响。
生活的小烦恼无可避免,但我们不能放大烦恼,更不能让这种负面情绪影响到身边的人。
有的人总是习惯于碌碌无为,把时间浪费在没有意义的抱怨和不满上。为什么不把自己的眼光转移到更美好的事物上呢?
❷
“你还能继续呼吸,这是多么的幸运”
Once you do that, get out there and take a freaking big breath of that fresh Aussie air deep in your lungs, look at how blue the sky is and how green the trees are; It is so beautiful. Think how lucky you are to be able to do just that — breathe.
当你停止了抱怨,不妨走出去,在澳洲新鲜的空气里,大口呼吸;看看蓝蓝的天、绿绿的树;一切都是如此美好。你还能继续呼吸,这是多么的幸运。
◆
You might have got caught in bad traffic today,
也许你今天遇上了堵车,
or had a bad sleep because your beautiful babies kept you awake,
或是被你那可爱的宝宝闹得整夜未眠,
or your hairdresser cut your hair too short.
又或是发型师把你的头发剪得过短。
Your new fake nails might have got a chip,
也许你新做的指甲劈了,
your boobs are too small,
或是你的胸太小,
or you have cellulite on your arse and your belly is wobbling.
屁股太大,肚子上还有赘肉在晃动。
Let all that shit go. I swear you will not be thinking of those things when it is your turn to go. It is all SO insignificant when you look at life as a whole.
让这些烦恼都见鬼去吧!我保证,在生命将尽之际,你是不会想这些事儿的。当你回首整个人生,这些烦恼简直微不足道。
I'm watching my body waste away right before my eyes with nothing I can do about it and all I wish for now is that I could have just one more Birthday or Christmas with my family, or just one more day with my partner and dog. Just one more.
当我眼看着自己的身体日渐虚弱,却无能为力之时,我只希望还可以和家人一起再多过一个生日或圣诞节,或者只是和我的爱人和狗狗在一起多待一天,哪怕只有一天。
有人说,健康就像朋友,直到失去才知道要珍惜。认真生活吧,身体健康真的很重要。
❸
“多运动,多吃新鲜的食物”
I hear people complaining about how terrible work is or about how hard it is to exercise — Be grateful you are physically able to.
我听到人们抱怨工作多糟糕,或者抱怨锻炼多困难——感激你的身体还允许你能做这些事情吧。
Work and exercise may seem like such trivial things ... until your body doesn't allow you to do either of them. I tried to live a healthy life, in fact, that was probably my major passion.
工作和锻炼可能看上去是些无关紧要的琐碎小事,等你的身体不能做任何事情的时候,可能你就不这么想了。我曾试着过健康的生活,实际上,那很可能是我当时生活的主要动力。
Appreciate your good health and functioning body — even if it isn't your ideal size. Look after it and embrace how amazing it is. Move it and nourish it with fresh food. Don't obsess over it.
感激自己有个健康的好身体吧,即使没有你理想中的体型。好好照顾自己的身体,好好体会它的神奇。多运动,多吃新鲜的食物。别对你的身体太吹毛求疵了。
Remember there are more aspects to good health than the physical body. Work just as hard on finding your mental, emotional and spiritual happiness too. That way you might realise just how insignificant and unimportant having this stupidly portrayed perfect social media body really is.
记住,健康包含很多方面,不仅仅指身体健康。同样地,你要努力寻找心理、情感和精神上的快乐。这样你就会意识到,傻傻地浪费时间在社交媒体上,把自己弄得“完美无缺”,其实毫无意义。
While on this topic, delete any account that pops up on your news feeds that gives you any sense of feeling shit about yourself. Friend or not. Be ruthless for your own well-being.
说到这儿,如果社交媒体的推送消息让你觉得难受,就删了这个账号。不管是不是朋友,关乎自己的快乐,就是要态度坚决些。
Be grateful for each day you don't have pain and even the days where you are unwell with man flu, a sore back or a sprained ankle, accept it is shit but be thankful it isn't life-threatening and will go away.
感激那些没有病痛的日子,同样也要感激那些你遭受流感,背痛或者脚踝扭伤的日子,接受这些小病小痛很烦人,但也要感恩它们并不会危及你的生命并且都会好起来的。
sprained adj. 扭伤的
如果问霍莉生命中最重要的是什么,她一定会告诉你是亲人、是朋友,为别人做事会获得更多的快乐。
❹
“我真希望我以前能为别人多做一些事”
Whinge less, people! And help each other more.
少一点抱怨吧!多帮助他人。
whinge v. 气愤地抱怨;抱怨不停
Give, give, give. It is true that you gain more happiness doing things for others than doing them for yourself. I wish I did this more.
给予、付出、奉献。为别人做事情比为自己做事更能让你获得快乐。我真希望我以前能为别人多做一些事。
Since I have been sick, I have met the most incredibly giving and kind people and been the receiver of the most thoughtful and loving words and support from my family, friends and strangers; more than I could I ever give in return. I will never forget this and will be forever grateful to all of these people.
自从生病以来,我遇见了很多善良的人,他们为我付出很多。我收到了家人、朋友和陌生人体贴、温暖的祝福与支持,这些我都无以为报。我永远不会忘记这一点,我将永远感激所有的这些人。
It is a weird thing having money to spend at the end, when you're dying. It's not a time you go out and buy material things that you usually would, like a new dress. It makes you think how silly it is that we think it is worth spending so much money on new clothes and "things" in our lives.
在弥留之际还花钱是件很奇怪的事。生命殆尽之时,你不会像往常一样买一堆物质上的东西,比如一件新衣服。这会让你觉得我们愿意在新衣服和生活中的“东西”上花这么多钱,是一件多么愚蠢的事情。
Buy your friend something kind instead of another dress, beauty product or jewellery for that next wedding.
给你的朋友买一点好东西吧,别再买下次参加婚礼用的晚礼裙、美容产品或珠宝了。
1. No-one cares if you wear the same thing twice; 2. It feels good.
1. 没人会在意你一件晚礼裙是否穿了两次;2. 给予善意会让你感觉很好。
Take them out for a meal, or better yet, cook them a meal. Give/ buy them a plant, a massage or a candle and tell them you love them when you give it to them.
带他们出去吃饭, 或者更好的是,给他们做一顿饭。送他们一株植物,一次按摩或者一支蜡烛,并告诉他们你有多爱他们。
Value other people's time. Don't keep them waiting because you are shit at being on time. Get ready earlier if you are one of those people and appreciate that your friends want to share their time with you, not sit by themselves, waiting on a mate. You will gain respect too! Amen sister.
珍惜他人的时间,别让其他人因为你不守时而一直等着。如果你真的不是很守时,那就早点准备好,并感激你的朋友愿意与你共度时光,而不是让他们独自坐着等待。你会也因此得到尊重!阿门。
❺
“把你的钱用来体验人生”
This year, our family agreed to do no presents and despite the tree looking rather sad and empty (In early cracked Christmas Eve!), it was so nice because people didn't have the pressure of shopping and the effort went into writing a nice card for each other.
今年,我的家人同意不互送礼物了,虽然这让圣诞树看起来光秃秃的,很悲伤(即使是在圣诞夜晚上也这样),但是这样很好,因为大家不会有购物的压力,可以把更多心思放在给彼此写美好的贺卡祝福上。
Plus imagine my family trying to buy me a present knowing they would probably end up with it themselves. Strange! It might seem lame but those cards mean more to me than any impulse purchase could. Mind you, it was also easier to do in our house because we had no little kiddies there. Anyway, moral of the story — presents are not needed for a meaningful Christmas. Moving on.
而且,试想一下,他们明知给我买的礼物最终大概会回到他们手里,却还给我买礼物,多奇怪啊。可能听上去挺差劲的,但相比购物冲动,这些贺卡对我而言意味着更多。不过提醒一句,这在我们家实施起来更容易,因为我们家没有小孩。总之,一个有意义的圣诞节不一定需要礼物。我们继续说。
Use your money on experiences. Or at least don't miss out on experiences because you spent all your money on material shit.
把你的钱用来体验人生。至少别为了把钱花费在物质上而错过了人生体验。
Put in the effort to do that day trip to the beach you keep putting off. Dip your feet in the water and dig your toes in the sand. Wet your face with salt water. Get amongst nature.
如果你一直想去海边度假,那你就去吧。把你的脚浸在水里,埋在沙子里。用咸咸的海水里打湿你的脸。融入自然。
Try just enjoying and being in moments rather than capturing them through the screen of your phone. Life isn't meant to be lived through a screen nor is it about getting the perfect photo. Enjoy the bloody moment, people! Stop trying to capture it for everyone else.
尝试去享受并活在那些重要的时刻,而不是通过手机屏幕拍下来。你的生活不该活在屏幕中,也不该只是一张完美的照片。享受真实而鲜活的时间吧,大家!别再为了给别人看而拍个不停啦。
Random rhetorical question. Are those several hours you spend doing your hair and make up each day or to go out for one night really worth it? I've never understood this about females.
顺便想问问:你们每天出门或晚上出去玩之前会花多长时间做头发、化妆?这些时间花得真的值得吗?关于女生的这一点,我从来都想不通。
❻
“为生活而工作,而不是为了工作而生活”
Get up early sometimes and listen to the birds while you watch the beautiful colours the sun makes as it rises.
有时候早起一点,听听鸟鸣,看看晨光美丽的颜色。
Listen to music. Really listen. Music is therapy. Old is best.
听音乐,用心听。音乐可以治愈我们,老歌是最好的。
Cuddle your dog. Farout, I will miss that.
抱抱你的狗,我会怀念这个感觉的。
Talk to your friends. Put down your phone. Are they doing okay?
多和朋友谈谈天。少刷手机。问问他们最近过得好吗?
Travel, if it's your desire, don't if it's not.
去旅行,如果那是你真的想做的事,如果不是,就别去。
Work to live, don't live to work.
为生活而工作,而不是为了工作而生活。
Seriously, do what makes your heart feel happy.
说真的,要做会让你由衷感到开心的事儿。
Eat the cake. Zero guilt.
大口吃蛋糕,不需要感到愧疚。
Say no to things you really don't want to do.
对于自己真的不想的事情要会说“不”。
Don't feel pressured to do what other people might think is a fulfilling life. You might want a mediocre life and that is so okay.
不要因为压力去过他人觉得有意义的生活。你可能只想过平淡的生活,这完全没有问题。
Tell your loved ones you love them every time you get the chance and love them with everything you have.
有机会就告诉你爱的人,你每时每刻都爱着他们,倾尽一切地爱着他们。
Also, remember if something is making you miserable, you do have the power to change it — in work or love or whatever it may be. Have the guts to change. You don't know how much time you've got on this earth so don't waste it being miserable. I know that is said all the time but it couldn't be more true.
同时,记住,如果有什么事让你感到痛苦,你是有权去改变的,无论是在工作上,还是爱情里,或者其他任何事情。要有勇气去改变。你不知道你这辈子能活多久,所以不要让自己在痛苦中消磨生命。我知道这些话是老生常谈,但道理是真的。
Anyway, that's just this one young gal's life advice. Take it or leave it, I don't mind!
不管怎么样,这些只是一个年轻女孩的生活建议。接不接受,我都不介意!
Oh and one last thing, if you can, do a good deed for humanity (and myself) and start regularly donating blood. It will make you feel good with the added bonus of saving lives. I feel like it is something that is so overlooked considering every donation can save three lives! That is a massive impact each person can have and the process really is so simple.
哦,还有最后一件事,如果你能,请为他人(也是为了自己)做一件好事:开始定期献血。你会因为多拯救了一条生命,而感觉很棒。每一次捐血都能挽救3个人的生命,这一点我们都忽略了!这是每一个人都可以产生的巨大影响,而做起来却如此简单。
Blood donation (more bags than I could keep up with counting) helped keep me alive for an extra year — a year I will be forever grateful that I got to spend it here on Earth with my family, friends and dog. A year I had some of the greatest times of my life.
是他人的献血(多得我已经记不清有多少了)让我多拥有了一年的生命,我会对这一年永远充满感激,这一年我与家人、朋友和狗狗共度了生命中最美好的时光。
'Til we meet again.
再见了。
Hol
Xoxo
霍莉
抱抱
许多网友读了这封信被霍莉感动了:
“当我在上班的路上抱怨生活,抱怨不想上班时,我读到了这封信。泪水模糊了我的双眼,我感到活着是如此美好,我感谢生命中的一切。”
读完这封信,最触动我的是这句话:“我才27岁,还不想走”。让人心碎。
“人是最重要的,其他都无关紧要,要充满善意。永远如此。”
“作为一个临终关怀护工,我的生活观念完全转变了,我所认为重要的也不再是以前的那些事情了。我亲眼看过了太多家庭的生死离别,知道她说得很对。生活中的琐事都不会再让我烦恼了。”
今年1月4日,经受了各种痛苦和不舍后,霍莉去世了,道别了她爱的这个世界。
正如《寻梦环游记》(Coco)所说的,死亡并不是真正的别离,而被遗忘才是真正的死亡。
在这个世界上,还有爱霍莉的家人和朋友,还有被她诚挚的书信所打动的我们,那么这个爱生活的姑娘就没有真正的离开我们。
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