人生在于選擇

When he was still young， everything was possible， for the world was just before him.

One morning， God came to him， \"What wish do you have? Tell me and I can make it come true for you， for you're my pet. But remember， you can only tell one.\"

\"However，\" he said unwillingly. \"I have a lot of wishes.\"

God slowly shook his head， \"There're too many beautiful things in the world， but life is limited， so no one can possess all. Once you make a choice， you will give up others. Come on， choose carefully， with no regrets.\"

Surprised， he asked， \"Will I regret?\"

God said， \"Who knows. Choose love and you will have to put up with the emotional torment; to choose wisdom means pains and loneliness; choose money and you will have the trouble it brings along. There're too many people who regret that they should virtually take another way after they've gone one way. Think about it carefully， what do you really want in your lifetime?\"

He thought and thought， all desires pouring in and fluttering around him. Which one was the one he couldn't give up? Finally， he said to God， \"Let me think， let me think.\"

God said， \"But you should be quick， my son.\"

Since then， his life was filled with the constant comparisons and balances. He used half the time of his life to make lists and the other halfto tear them up because he always found himself to leave out something.

Day after day， year after year， he was no longer young. God came to him again， \"My child， haven't you decided your wish yet? But you only have five minutes left.\"

\"What?\" he exclaimed， \"Over the years， I haven't enjoyed the joy of love， I haven't accumulated wealth and haven't received wisdom; I haven't gotten all I want. My God， how can you take away my life at this time?\"

Five minutes later， no matter how painfully he pleaded， God took him away helplessly.

Life is like this: everywhere is alive with choices. Since it is impossible to have everything， you should learn to make a choice; if you're greedy for everything， perhaps you can only achieve nothing in the end.

那時他還年輕，凡事都有可能，世界就在他面前。

一個清晨，上帝來到他身邊:“你有什么心愿嗎?說出來，我都可以為你實現，你是我的寵兒。但你記住，你只能說一個。”

“可是，”他不甘心地說。“我有許多的心愿啊。”

上帝緩緩地搖頭:“這世間的美好實在太多，但生命有限，沒有人可以擁有全部，有選擇，就有放棄。來吧，慎重選擇，永不后悔。”

他驚訝地問:“我會后悔嗎?”

上帝說:“誰知道呢。選擇愛情就要忍受情感的煎熬;選擇智慧就意味著痛苦和寂寞;選擇錢財就有錢財帶來的麻煩。這世上有太多的人走了一條路后，懊悔自己其實該走另一條路。仔細想一想，你這一生真正要什么?”

他想了又想，所有的渴望都紛至沓來，在他周圍飛舞。哪一件是他不能舍棄的呢?最后，他對上帝說:“讓我想想，讓我再想想。”

上帝說:“但要快一點啊，我的孩子。”

從此，他的生活就是不斷比較和權衡。他用生命中一半的時間來列表，用另一半的時間來撕毀這張表，因為他總發現自己有所遺漏。

一天又一天，一年又一年，他不再年輕。上帝又來到他面前:“我的孩子，你還沒有決定自己的心愿嗎?可你的生命只剩下5分鐘了。”

“什么?”他驚叫道，“這么多年來，我沒有享受過愛情的快樂，沒有積累過財富，沒有得到過智慧，我想要的一切都沒有得到。上帝啊，你怎能在這個時候帶走我的生命呢?”

5分鐘后，無論他怎么痛苦求情，上帝還是無奈地帶走了他。

人生就是這樣，無處不是在選擇。既然無法擁有一切，那就學會有所取舍:如要貪全，恐怕最后只能是一無所得。

注釋

①come true 實現，達到

②come on 快點，趕快

③torment n.痛苦

④virtually adv.事實上，實質上

⑤flutter vi. 飄動;煩擾

⑥comparison n.比較，對照

⑦leave out 省去;遺漏;不考慮

⑧accumulate vt. 積聚;堆積

⑨plead vt. 為……辯護;祈求;懇求