When we are old, what will life be like?
当我们年迈时，生活会是什么样的呢？
As we journey through the stages of life, there comes a time when we start to contemplate what our golden years will look like. Aging is a natural part of life, and it brings with it a certain wisdom and perspective that only time can bestow. So, when we envision our life in old age, what can we expect?
随着我们走过人生的各个阶段，总会有一个时刻，我们开始思考自己的晚年将会是什么样子。老去是生命的自然过程，它带来的智慧和洞察力只有时间才能给予。那么，当我们想象自己的晚年生活时，我们能期待些什么呢？
First and foremost, it is important to note that old age does not equate to a decline in happiness or fulfillment. On the contrary, this phase of life presents an opportunity for self-reflection, personal growth, and deepening connections with loved ones. It is a time when we can indulge in the simple pleasures of life, free from the pressures and demands of career and societal expectations.
首先，重要的是要明确一点，年迈并不意味着幸福或满足感的减少。相反，这个阶段为自我反思、个人成长以及与亲人深入联系提供了机会。这是一个我们可以尽情享受生活简单乐趣的时光，摆脱了职业和社会期望所带来的压力和要求。
In our old age, we may find solace in the beauty of nature. Taking leisurely walks in the park, feeling the warmth of the sun on our faces, and witnessing the changing seasons can bring a sense of tranquility and appreciation for the world around us. As the pace of life slows down, we have the opportunity to truly savor these moments and reconnect with the wonders of the natural world.
在晚年，我们可能会从自然美中找到慰藉。在公园里悠闲地散步，感受阳光洒在面庞上的温暖，观赏四季的变化，会给我们带来宁静和对周围世界的赞赏之情。随着生活节奏的放缓，我们有机会真正品味这些时刻，并重新与自然世界的奇妙相连。
Furthermore, old age can be a time of continued learning and personal enrichment. With more free time on our hands, we can delve into subjects that have always intrigued us, pursue hobbies we may have neglected, or even embark on new adventures. Whether it's learning a musical instrument, painting, writing, or traveling, there are endless opportunities for growth and self-expression in our later years.
此外，老年可以是继续学习和个人成长的时光。有更多的自由时间，我们可以深入研究一直让我们感兴趣的主题，追求我们可能曾经忽视的爱好，甚至展开新的冒险。无论是学习乐器、绘画、写作还是旅行，晚年给予了我们无尽的机会去成长和自我表达。
Most importantly, old age is a stage where the bonds with our loved ones can grow stronger and deeper. Family gatherings, shared meals, and moments of laughter become cherished treasures. As we age, we realize the value of these connections and the profound impact they have on our well-being. It is a time to embrace and nurture those relationships, creating lasting memories that will be treasured by generations to come.
最重要的是，晚年是我们与所爱之人的纽带可以变得更加牢固和深厚的阶段。家庭聚会、共进美食和欢笑时刻成为珍贵的财富。随着年龄的增长，我们意识到这些联系的价值以及它们对我们幸福的深远影响。这是一个拥抱和培养那些关系的时光，创造持久的回忆，这些回忆将被未来的世代所珍视。
So, when we imagine our life in old age, let us not envision a time of decline or limitations. Instead, let us see it as a period of inner fulfillment, gentle joys, and profound connections. With a positive outlook, a thirst for knowledge, and the love of those around us, our golden years can truly be a time of contentment and serenity.
因此，当我们想象自己的晚年生活时，不要设想它是一个衰败或受限制的时期。相反，让我们将其视为内心满足、温和的喜悦和深远的联系的时光。以积极的态度、对知识的渴望以及身边人的爱，我们的晚年可以真正成为一个感到满足和宁静的时光。
Remember, life is a journey, and each stage has its own unique beauty. Embrace the process of aging with grace and gratitude, and you will discover that even in old age, life can be filled with wonder and joy.
记住，生活是一段旅程，每个阶段都有其独特的美丽。以优雅和感激之心拥抱老去的过程，你会发现即使在晚年，生活依然可以充满奇迹和快乐。
What is it like to be old in the United States? What will our own lives be like when we are old? Americans find it difficult to think about old age until they are propelled into the midst of it by their own aging and that of relatives and friends. Aging is the neglected stepchild of the human life cycle. Though we have begun to examine the socially taboo subjects of dying and death, we have leaped over that long period of time preceding death known as old age. In truth, it is easier to manage the problem of death than the problem of living as an old person. Death is a dramatic, one-time crisis while old age is a day-by-day and year-by-year confrontation with powerful external forces, a bittersweet coming to terms with one's own personality and one's life.
Old age is neither inherently miserable nor inherently sublime—like every stage of life it has problems, joys, fears and potentials. The process of aging and eventual death must ultimately be accepted as the natural progression of the life cycle, the old completing their prescribed life spans and making way for the young. Much that is unique in old age in fact derives from the reality of aging and the imminence of death. The old must clarify and find use for what they have attained in a lifetime of learning and adapting they must conserve strength and resources where necessary and adjust creatively to those changes and losses that occur as part of the aging experience. The elderly have the potential for qualities of human reflection and observation which can only come from having lived an entire life span. There is a lifetime accumulation of personality and experience which is available to be used and enjoyed.
But what are an individual's chances for a "good" old age in America, with satisfying final years and a dignified death? Unfortunately, none too good. For many elderly Americans old age is a tragedy, a period of quiet despair, deprivation, desolation and muted rage. This can be a consequence of the kind of life a person has led in younger years and the problems in his or her relationships with others. There are also inevitable personal and physical losses to be sustained, some of which can become overwhelming and unbearable. All of this is the individual factor, the existential element. But old age is frequently a tragedy even when the early years have been fulfilling and people seemingly have everything going for them, herein lies what I consider to be the genuine tragedy of old age in America—we have shaped a society which is extremely harsh to live in when one is old. The tragedy of old age is not the fact that each of us must grow old and die but that the process of doing so has been made unnecessarily and at times excruciatingly painful, humiliating, debilitating and isolating through insensitivity, ignorance and poverty. The potentials for satisfactions and even triumphs in late life are real and vastly under-explored. For the most part the elderly struggle to exist in an inhospitable world.
-Excerpt From Why Survive? Growing Old in America By Robert N. Butler
［参考译文］
老年的悲剧
罗伯特·N. 巴特勒
在美国，人老了会是什么样？当我们年迈时，生活会是什么样的呢？美国人很难考虑到老年问题，直到自己或是亲朋好友开始变老，他们才被迫面对这些问题。在人的一生中，老年就像继子一样被人忽视。虽然我们开始研究这些被社会视为禁忌的有关生老病死的话题，但我们往往跳过了那一段被称作“老年”的最终走向死亡的长长的日子。事实上，死亡问题比老年人的生活问题要容易应对得多。死亡是一次意义重大而转瞬即逝的危机，而老年却是一场日夜不息地与强大外在力量对抗的斗争，是一段苦乐参半、与自身性格和生命相妥协的过程。
老年从本质上讲既不悲惨，也不崇高——就像生命中的任何阶段一样，老年也有矛盾、欢乐、恐惧和希望。人们最终必须懂得，老年是一个渐渐老去直至死亡的过程，是生命中的自然阶段，是老人走完上帝所赐予的生命旅程并为年轻人铺平前进道路的阶段。老年之所以独特，是因为人要逐渐变老并时刻面临死亡的威胁。老年人一定要搞清楚他们经过一生的学习和适应所获得的经验知识，并将它们用到实处；老年人必须保存力量和智慧，创造性地去适应某些在老年阶段所必然发生的变化和观察，也只有当他们那走完整个人生，他们才能具备这种能力，那是一种经过一生的积累所形成的成熟经验和特有品质。
但是在美国，一个人能够满足地安享晚年并安然逝去的机会有多大呢？非常不幸，答案是微乎其微。对于许多美国人而言，老年是一场悲剧，是一个充满了默默的绝望、失落、孤独和无言的愤怒的阶段。这是他们在年轻时的生活方式和与他人交往所产生的矛盾造成的必然结果。老年人还不可避免地遭受身体和精神上的损失，其中有些损失足以令老人不堪忍受和承受。这些都是个人因素，真切存在着的因素。但是，对于一年在年轻时成就非凡、拥有一切的人们而言，老年依然是一场悲剧。因此我认为，在美国，老年人的真正悲剧在于——我们已经形成了一个老人极其难以生存的社会。老年的悲剧并不在于人们必然变老和死亡的事实，而在于老人在这个过程中由于麻木、无知和贫困而要时常遭受难以忍受的痛苦、屈辱、衰弱和孤独，因此老年阶段在人们心目中变得没有必要。晚年生活是有可能令人满足和骄傲的，只是不为人所开发而已。大多数老年人还是在一个毫不友善的世界中艰难地生存着。
［注释］
-sublime [səˈblaɪm] adj. 崇高的，卓越的 characterized by nobility; majestic
muted rage : 无言的愤怒 silent anger
-excruciatingly [ɪkˈskruːʃɪeɪŋlɪ] adv. 难以忍受地，极度痛苦地 extremely painfully
-debilitating [dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪŋ] adj. 虚弱的，衰弱的 week, fragile
-inhospitable [ɪnˈhɒspɪtəbl] adj. 不友善的，不热情的 displaying no hospitality, unfriendly