The Best Time of My Life
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 wasn't 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 Nicholas's 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."
一生中最美好的時(shí)光
那天是6月15日，再過(guò)兩天我就要30歲了。要進(jìn)入生命中又一個(gè)新的十年，我對(duì)此感到忐忑不安，擔(dān)心自己最美好的歲月已經(jīng)離我遠(yuǎn)去了。
我每日上班前都去體育館鍛煉一陣。每天早上我都會(huì)在體育館見(jiàn)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(shí)，他注意到我不象往常那樣充滿活力，便問(wèn)我有什么不對(duì)勁。我告訴他自己就要30歲了，心里很擔(dān)憂。不知道我要是到了尼古拉斯的歲數(shù)會(huì)怎么回顧自己的一生，于是我問(wèn)他：“你一生中最美好的時(shí)光是在什么時(shí)候？”
尼古拉斯毫不遲疑地答道：“好吧，喬，以下就是我對(duì)于你那富有哲理的問(wèn)題所作出的富有哲理的回答。”
“小時(shí)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(zhǎng)，那是我一生中最美好的時(shí)光。
上學(xué)的時(shí)候我學(xué)著至今都不忘記的知識(shí)，那是我一生中最美好的時(shí)光。
當(dāng)我找到第一份工作，承擔(dān)了工作中的職責(zé)并且為自己的努力獲得報(bào)酬時(shí)，那是我一生中最美好的時(shí)光。
當(dāng)我遇到我的妻子并墜入愛(ài)河時(shí)，那是我一生中最美好的時(shí)光。
二次大戰(zhàn)來(lái)臨，妻子和我為活命不得不逃離奧地利。當(dāng)我們一起安安全全地坐上駛往北美洲的輪船時(shí)，那是我一生中最美好的時(shí)光。
當(dāng)我們來(lái)到加拿大建立了家庭時(shí)，那是一生中最美好的時(shí)光。
當(dāng)我成了一位年輕的父親，看著自己的孩子一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)地長(zhǎng)大時(shí)，那是我一生中最美好的時(shí)光。
而現(xiàn)在，喬，我79歲了。我身體健康，感覺(jué)很好，而且還和初次相遇時(shí)一樣愛(ài)我的妻子。這是我一生中最美好的時(shí)光。”
