If this is true it should be forgotten， and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality vitality n.活力， 生命力， 生动性 . When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives， and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young， you are likely to become a burden to them， unless they are unusually callous callous adj.无情的， 冷淡的， 硬结的 .
I do not mean that one should be without interest in them， but ones interest should be contemplative contemplative adj.沉思的， 冥想的， 祈祷的 and， if possible， philanthropic philanthropic adj.博爱的 ， but not unduly emotional. Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves， but human beings， owing to the length of infancy infancy n.幼年 ， find this difficult.
如果是这样，就应该忘记它；而如果你忘了，那么你认为是的或许就不是真的。另一件要避免的事是倚赖年轻人，期望从他们的活力中吸取力量。孩子长大后，都想按自己的方式生活。如果你还想像他们年幼时那样关心他们，你就会成为他们的负担，除非他们是异常无情的人。
我并不是说老年人不该关心子女，而是说这种关心应该是深沉的，如果可能的话，还应是博爱的，而不应该过分情绪化。动物的幼雏能够照顾自己时，大动物就不再照顾它们了。而人类由于幼年时期较长而难于做到这一点。
I think that a successful old age is easier for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful， and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grownup children not to make mistakes， both because they will not believe you， and because mistakes are an essential part of education.
But if you are one of those who are incapable incapable adj.无能力的， 不能的 of impersonal interests， you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren. In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services， such as making them an allowance allowance n.津贴， 补助， 宽容， 允许 or knotting them jumpers jumper n.跳跃者， 跳高运动员， 跳跃的动物， 妇女穿的套头外衣， 海员的上衣， 工作服 ， you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.
我认为，那些有着浓厚兴趣爱好，适当运动、并且不受个人情感影响的人们，成功地度过老年是不难的。只有在这个范围里，才会获得真正的长寿；只有在这个范围里，源于经验的智慧才能毫不被压制地得到运用。告诉长大的孩子不犯错误是没用的，因为一方面他们不会相信你，另一方面错误原本就是教育中一个不可少的要素。
但如果你是属于受个人情感支配的人，你就会觉得生活很空虚，除非你把心思都放在子女和孙子孙女身上。如果是那样的话，那么你必须清楚，虽然你还能为他们提供物质上的需要，比如给他们一笔钱或者为他们织件外套之类的，但你决不要期望他们因你的陪伴而感到快乐。
Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification justification n.认为有理， 认为正当， 理由， 辩护， 释罪 for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in a battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer.
But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows， and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do， the fear of death is somewhat abject abject adj.卑鄙的， 可怜的 and ignoble ignoble adj.不光彩的 . The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal， until bit by bit the walls of the the ego ego n.自我， 利已主义， 自负 recede， and your life becomes increasingly mergedmerge v.合并， 并入， 结合， 吞没， 融合 in the universal life.
有些老人因这种感觉而感到苦恼。对于年轻人来说，这种感觉是可以理解的。有些年轻人担心他们会在战斗中丧身。当想到生活带给他们的美好时，他们就感到痛苦。这种担心并不是没有根据的，也是情理之中的。
但对于一位经历了人间悲欢、完成个人使命的老人，害怕死亡就有些可怜且可耻了。克服这种恐惧心理最好办法是——至少我这样看——逐渐扩大你的兴趣范围并使其不受个人情感的影响，直到包围自我的围墙渐渐地退去，这样你的生活就会越来越融入到大家的生活当中。
An individual human existence should be like a river—small at first， narrowly contained within its banks， and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls waterfall n.瀑布， 瀑布似的东西 .
Gradually the river grows wider， the banks recede， the waters flow more quietly， and in the end， without any visible break， they become merged in the sea， and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who， in old age， can see his life in this way， will not suffer from the fear of death， since the things he cares for will continue. And if， with the decay of vitality， weariness weariness n.疲倦， 厌烦， 疲劳 increases， the thought of rest will not be unwelcome.
I should wish to die while still at work， knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do， and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.
每个人的存在都应该像河水一样——起初是细小的，被夹在狭窄的两岸之间，然后汹涌澎湃地冲过岩石，滑下瀑布。
河道渐渐变宽了，河岸退去了，河水流得更平缓了。最后，河水汇入了海洋，没有了明显的间断和停顿，之后也毫无痛苦地摆脱了自身的存在。能够用这种方式看待自己一生的老人，不会为死亡而感到害怕，因为他所珍爱的一切将继续下去。而且，如果随着精力的衰退，日渐疲倦，长眠的念头将是受欢迎的。
我希望自己为工作而献身，并且知道他人将继续我未竟的事业，我会为自己已尽之力而感到安慰。
生命的价值，并不会因年龄的增长而改变，更不会随着时间的逝去而消失。它是一种永恒的承载，承载你开始的希望到后来者的不断充实，也许，我们在生命这一大课题面前，都是人生的弄潮儿，我们所能做就是将人生不断完善。时间代替不了过程，在过程中，我们奋斗过，我们分享过，我们痛苦过，我们快乐过，一切都不再是那么重要，重要的是我们在生命的过程获得了，那时我们就可以对自己的人生交上满意的答卷。
