英語美文：在生命的旅途上輕裝簡行

While writing this impromptu story,
寫著這篇即興而來的文章的時候

I am lying down in bed being absolutely sick
我正躺在床上床上，病魔纏身

and just being all around negative.
滿心只有消極的想法

Suddenly, I thought of a positive story
忽然，我想到了一個積極向上的故事

that I just want to share with anyone who reads this.
我想要與讀到這篇文章的人分享

So here goes my story.
我的故事是這樣的

I was an active kid growing up,
小時候我一直是個活潑好動的孩子

one who skips classes to play 8 hours of basketball
我會逃課，去玩8小時的籃球

and still cycle few kilometers back home on a crappy bicycle
然後騎著一輛破破爛爛的自行車行駛數公里的路程回家

and repeat this everyday.
每天如此

I would even take that crappy bicycle
我甚至會騎著那輛破破爛爛的自行車

and travel long distances on it with a bunch of friends
和一群朋友一起長途旅行

without a care in the world.
心裡沒有任何煩惱

It was fun and simple times back then.
那是多麼快樂而簡單的時光啊

As the years go by,
隨著年歲漸長

I was diagnosed with a series of acute conditions
我被診斷出患有幾種嚴重的疾病

which made it difficult for me to exercise.
讓我很難鍛鍊身體

And soon, the weights started pounding up
很快我的體重就長了上來

over the years
經年累月

and my condition just kept getting worse and out of control
我的身體狀況越來越糟糕，以致難以控制

which resulted in a very fatal condition called laziness.
最終的結果是，我患上了一種致命的疾病，懶癌

I find myself dragging my feet to go for a run or a stroll ,
我發現自己打不起精神去跑步或者散步

and often find excuses to rest.
總會找藉口中途休息

The only motivation for me to go long distances now is food,
現在唯一能激勵我多走路的動力就是食物

which explains the size of my belly.
這也就是我大腹便便的原因

However, I do remember a weekend
可是，我卻記得有一個週末

when I woke up exhausted
我醒來後感到十分疲乏

after a 14 hour shift work the previous night,
因為前一晚值了14個小時的班

and felt motivated enough to go for a quick stroll in the park.
我感到自己鼓足了鬥志，想要在公園裡小小的散個步

It was a pleasant cloudy Saturday afternoon
那是一個明媚的週六下午，天空中有朵朵白雲

when I walked along the beach enjoying the breeze
我走在海邊的沙灘上，感受清風拂面

and looking at kids throwing stones into the sea.
看著孩子們把石子投入海中

I stopped, sat down
我停下腳步，坐下來

and just took in the whole view of the sea and the people on the beach.
縱然整片海域的景色，還有沙灘上的人們

Now, I want you to humor me for a minute,
現在，我想請各位為我辦一個一分鐘的小忙

close your eyes
請閉上你的眼睛

and picture yourself standing/ sitting at the beach
想象自己站或者坐在沙灘上

just looking at the sea.
靜靜的看著大海

Do you see an end of it?
你看到大海的盡頭了嗎

Some people may answer as
也許有人會回答說

"Nothing, just an endless stretch of the sea".
“沒有，我只看到了一望無垠的海平面”

We are like the pebbles or rocks on the beach that are being thrown into the sea.
我們就像海邊的鵝卵石或者礫石，被拋入海中

It represents the burdens that we are carrying
這些石塊象徵著我們揹負的負擔

when we are going towards the end of the sea.
當我們走向大海的盡頭

Some of them heavy,
有些石塊很重

while some lighter as compared to others.
有些則比較輕

The lighter the stone is,
石塊越是輕盈

the likely possibility of going further is much better than a big boulder
比起那些大塊的岩石，它們就有可能飛得更遠

The matters of the heart are complicated
人心是多麼複雜

and it definitely takes a toll on us.
心裡的負擔總會壓在我們身上

Failed relationships,
終結的戀情

Resentment, betrayal, hate, self loathing
怨懟，背叛，仇恨，還有自我厭棄

and the list goes on.
還有很多很多

And then there is the physical aspects like our appearances,
還有我們外在的各種條件，比如相貌

self esteem, medical conditions or defects etc.
自尊心，身體狀況，性格缺點等等

All these burdens adds up,
這些負擔重重累積

and you may find yourself drowning or suffering whenever you take a further step into the unknown sea.
你會發現自己沉溺下去，飽受折磨，每當你像未知的海域邁出一步

the takeaway is this.
請記住

We have the power to do many things
我們有能力做好很多事

and we are also made that way.
我們生來就有這些能力

I find that 'forgiveness' is a powerful word
我發現“原諒”是一個非常強大的字眼

and emotion when it comes to matters of the heart.
如果從心的角度來看，原諒也是一種情感

That moment when you decide to let go and say I forgive you
在你決定放手，決定說出“我原諒你”的那一刻

really pulls the weight off of you.
你會感到自己一身輕鬆

And it is especially important to learn to forgive yourself.
尤其重要的是，學會原諒自己

We are flawed and make mistakes,
我們都有缺陷，我們都會犯錯

but we can always learn to stand up,
但我們總能學會跌倒了再站起來

dust off and keep moving forward to the ever elusive end.
拍拍身上的泥灰，繼續走向未知的彼岸

The journey is never ending and grueling at times,
這旅途沒有盡頭，有時你會筋疲力盡

but it sure makes it easier when we learn to lighten the load.
如果我們知道如何輕裝前行，我們的腳步會更加輕快