And that is best，to smile not in scorn，but in all for bearance，without too much self-compassion.After all，that dreadful aspect of the thingnever really took hold of me；I could put it by without much effort.Life is done—and what matter？Whether it has been，in sum，painful or enjoyable，even now I cannot say—a fact which in itself should prevent me from taking the loss too seriously.What does it matter？Destiny with the hidden face decreed that I should come into being，play my little part，and pass again into silence；is it mine either to approve or to rebel？Let me be grateful that I have suffered no intolerable wrong，no terrible woe of flesh or spirit，such as others—Alas！Alas！—have found in their lot.Is it not much to have accomplished so large a part of the mortal journey with so much ease？If I find myself astonished at its brevity and small significance，why，that is my own fault；the voices of those gone before had sufficiently warned me.Better to see the truth now，and accept it，than to fall into dread surprise on some day of weakness，and foolishly to cry against fate.I will be glad rather than sorry，and think of the thing no more.
人生苦短。每一個清晨，當你發現你還活著，這就是福氣，就該珍惜。
參考譯文（王偉明）
不管怎麼樣，我的人生結束了。生命是多麼渺小的一件事情！我知道哲學家總是這樣說。我曾反複揣摩他們所說的，關於人生苦短的每一個字，但時至今日我才了解其中的含義。這就是人生的全部嗎？一個人的生命怎麼可以如此的短暫、如此的沒有意義？我試著自我安慰，其實真正意義上來講，生活才剛剛開始。那些夾雜著辛苦、恐懼的日子並不是真正的生活。我想生命是否有意義還是取決於我自己。也許這是種自我安慰，但是它絲毫不能掩蓋一個事實，那就是我永遠也看不到在我眼前的無限可能和承諾。我已經退休了，對於我，確切地說，對於這樣一個退休的商人來說，人生結束了。我回顧整個過程才發現生命是如此渺小。我忍不住想笑。但我控製住自己，隻是微笑了一下。
對此最好的方式就是一笑而過，沒有蔑視、隻有忍受，更沒有過多的自憐。畢竟我還沒有深陷人生最糟的境地，還可以不太費力地避開它。人生已經結束了，不管是痛苦的亦或是愉悅的，我也始終不能得出結論，但這又有什麼關係呢？也許生命本來就是這般患得患失，可這又有什麼關係呢？不露真容的命運隻會注定我出生，演好我的小角色，管好自己的部分就夠了，然後再一次陷入死寂。它是已經默許，還是反對我這麼做呢？讓我心存感激吧！畢竟我沒有像別人那樣遭受無法忍受的冤屈，受到精神上或肉體上可怕、痛苦的折磨。哎！哎！這難道不足以讓人輕鬆地麵對一生的旅程嗎？就算我哀歎生命的短暫和無聊，可這些卻都是我一手造成的啊。那些逝者的聲音已經給了我深深的警示。最好的辦法就是認清事實，勇敢的接受它，而不是被自己的脆弱擊垮，並且愚蠢的哭泣抗拒命運。我會開心的去生活而不是遺憾的度過，並且也將不再胡思亂想。
Opportunity 機遇
Anonymous 佚名
The air we breathe is so freely available that we take it for granted.Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes.For the most part，the same air is available to everyone，and everyone needs it.Some people use the air to sustain them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves.Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent life for themselves.