《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》 14 老人希望男孩履行天命（在线收听）

The old man pointed to a baker standing in his shop window at one corner of the plaza.

老人用手指着广场一角的那个站在橱窗前的面包店店主说：

"When he was a child, that man wanted to travel, too.

“那个面包店店主小时候也总想出去游荡，

But he decided first to buy his bakery and put some money aside.

但却选择了开一家面包店，年复一年地攒钱。

When he's an old man, he's going to spend a month in Africa.

等到年老的时候，他将去非洲待上一个月。

He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of."

他从来就不明白，人们总有条件去实现自己的梦想。”

"He should have decided to become a shepherd," the boy said.

“他应该选择当一个牧羊人。”男孩说。

"Well, he thought about that," the old man said.

“他曾经想过当牧羊人。”老者说，

"But bakers are more important people than shepherds. Bakers have homes, while shepherds sleep out in the open.

“但是，面包店店主比牧羊人有地位。面包店店主有房子住，而牧羊人只能在野外露宿。

Parents would rather see their children marry bakers than shepherds."

人们宁愿把女儿嫁给面包店店主，也不愿嫁给牧羊人。”

The boy felt a pang in his heart, thinking about the merchant's daughter.

男孩想起了那个女孩，心中一阵刺痛。

There was surely a baker in her town.

在她居住的镇上，应该也会有面包店店主。

The old man continued, "In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own personal legends."

“总而言之，人们更重视对于面包店店主和牧羊人的看法，甚至超过了对天命的重视。”

The old man leafed through the book, and fell to reading a page he came to.

老人翻看着那本书，阅读着其中一页。

The boy waited, and then interrupted the old man just as he himself had been interrupted.

男孩等了一会儿，随后便以老人先前对待他的方式，打断了老人的阅读。

"Why are you telling me all this?"

“您为什么跟我讲这些事情？”

"Because you are trying to realize your personal legend. And you are at the point where you're about to give it all up."

“因为你意欲履行自己的天命，并差一点就放弃了。”

"And that's when you always appear on the scene?"

“您总是在这种时刻出现吗？”

"Not always in this way, but I always appear in one form or another.

“一向如此，但是，不见得总以这种方式出现。

Sometimes I appear in the form of a solution, or a good idea.

有时候，我的方式是一条好出路，一个好主意。

At other times, at a crucial moment, I make it easier for things to happen.

还有的时候，我会在关键时刻让事情变得更容易。

There are other things I do, too, but most of the time people don't realize I've done them."

诸如此类。不过大部分人察觉不到这一点。”