Translation of Some of 杨绛《一百岁感言》

    I am 100 this year, near the end of life. I don't know how
    much further to go, it's not up to me, but I am quite sure
    that homecoming is at hand.

    I would like to flush away the dust gathered over the
    century before I go. At this point, I don't feel smug
    like Confucius looking down from Mount Tai but simply
    live quietly in my own little world. When I think of this,
    I feel peaceful. I shall peacefully welcome each new
    day and get ready.

    In this material world, life is indeed hard. If you try to flee
    from fights, you get bullied still. If you are good at anything
    you rouse resentment and jealousy. Want peace with the
    world? First learn to deal with people. You choose humiliation?
    You get war (Churchill). Even if you are tough, be ready to
    face defeat any time.

    When I was small, I just wanted to play. When young, I
    was lost in love.  Growing up, I worked hard to make a
    living and a name. Getting old, I had to convince myself
    I was doing OK.

    Life fleets. Much ore yields little iron. But one is rewarded
    for the amount of his struggle; punished his sin.

    God does not pour all blessings to one. One may gain
    love but lose wealth, money but happiness, happiness but
    health, and yet health is not everything either.

    To stay grateful is the best way to achieve wisdom and
    purify one's spirit. All true happiness is spiritual. It turns
    suffering into pleasure, a triumph of the spirit over the
    material. This is philosophy.

    Going through different struggles, one collects different
    levels of wisdom and goodness. It's like spices: more
    grinding brings about more flavor. We once craved great
    big things out of life, but in the end found that the most
    beautiful experience was the peace in our hearts. We once
    covetted recognition from the outside, but at last discovered
    that we owned our world from day one and it has nothing
    to do with others.

The Original:

    来自: 柒(你是我时空中永不灭的花朵) 2013-07-05 14:30:43

    我今年一百岁，已经走到了人生的边缘，我无法确知自己还能走多远，
    寿命是不由自主的，但我很清楚我快“回家”了。

    我得洗净这一百年沾染的污秽回家。 我没有“登泰山而小天下”之感，
    只在自己的小天地里过平静的生活。细想至此，我心静如水，
    我该平和地迎接每一天，准备回家。

    在这物欲横流的人世间，人生一世实在是够苦。
    你存心做一个与世无争的老实人吧，人家就利用你欺侮你。
    你稍有才德品貌，人家就嫉妒你排挤你。 你大度退让，
    人家就侵犯你损害你。你要不与人争，就得与世无求，
    同时还要维持实力准备斗争。你要和别人和平共处，
    就先得和他们周旋，还得准备随时吃亏。

    少年贪玩，青年迷恋爱情，壮年汲汲于成名成家，暮年自安于自欺欺人。

    人寿几何，顽铁能炼成的精金，能有多少？但不同程度的锻炼，
    必有不同程度的成绩；不同程度的纵欲放肆，必积下不同程度的顽劣。

    上苍不会让所有幸福集中到某个人身上，得到爱情未必拥有金钱；
    拥有金钱未必得到快乐；得到快乐未必拥有健康；
    拥有健康未必一切都会如愿以偿。

    保持知足常乐的心态才是淬炼心智，净化心灵的最佳途径。
    一切快乐的享受都属于精神，这种快乐把忍受变为享受，
    是精神对于物质的胜利，这便是人生哲学。

    一个人经过不同程度的锻炼，就获得不同程度的修养、不同程度的效益。
    好比香料，捣得愈碎，磨得愈细，香得愈浓烈。我们曾如此渴望命运的波澜，
    到最后才发现：人生最曼妙的风景，竟是内心的淡定与从容……
    我们曾如此期盼外界的认可，到最后才知道：世界是自己的，与他人毫无关系。

[暖冬cool夏]

上班时间不干活，花了一下午翻了翻。刚刚post到我的博客，欢迎指正。刚刚读了你的，你的显然比我好,尤其是中间部分，我太stick to字母意思了。i have a long way to go. Will edit a bit later one.thank you！

[7grizzly]

回复 '暖冬cool夏' 的评论 :
Great and looking forward to reading your version. Some say the original article was not from Yang but I don't care.

[暖冬cool夏]

等哪一天有空，我也来尝试翻一翻，故暂不看你的。

[7grizzly]

钱钟书夫人杨绛先生去世 享年105岁

[7grizzly]

回复 'mzl9876' 的评论 :
Don't know much about either ... sweating ;-)
But Yang's revelation above hit the spot for me ;-)))

[mzl9876]

我一直感觉杨的才远大于其夫君。