I had the strangest dream last night.

昨晚我做了一个非常奇怪的梦。

I was walking down a dirt road with snowy woods on either side of me.

我梦到自己走在一条泥泞的小路上，两旁的树枝上堆满了积雪。

I was all alone. The road seemed to go on forever.

我孤身一人。小路似乎长得没有尽头。

I couldn’t see another person anywhere.

我环顾四周，没看到任何人。

All at once, however, I saw someone walking towards me in the distance.

突然，我看到远处有人向我走来。

As this person got closer and closer I realized that it was me.

当这个人越走越近，我意识到这就是我自己。

It was me from many years ago, fresh faced and young.

那是多年前的我，年轻而青涩。

I could see in his mind all the dreams and hopes that he had too.

我几乎能看到他脑子里的那些梦想和愿景，我知道他有着那样的梦想和愿景。

They had, after all, once been my own.

毕竟，那也曾经是我的梦想和愿景。

I was overjoyed. I had so many things I wanted to say to this younger me.

我大喜过望。我肚子有太多话，想要对过去的我说。

I wanted to spare him the trials¹ I had gone through, the pain I had suffered, and the mistakes I had made.

我想告诉他我经历过的挫折，我感受过的痛苦，我犯过的错误。

I wanted to share with him all that I had learned² over the long years of my life.

我想告诉他这些年的生活教会我的一切。

I wanted to show him how his life would turn out so much differently than what he had thought and hoped it would, but that it would be so much better and happier than the path he was now on.

我想告诉他，多年后的生活与他曾经想象和希望的多么不同，但这样的生活比他曾经寻求的要美好的多，幸福的多。

I wanted him not to waste so many years on the things his ego³ thought were so vital⁴ but instead to realize that love was the most important thing in this life.

我希望他不要浪费多年的时间，去追求他自认为极其重要的东西，而是要意识到，爱才是生活中最重要的东西。

I opened my mouth to say all of these things but couldn’t.

我张嘴想要说出这一切，却无法开口。

I realized at that moment that even if I told him he wouldn’t believe me.

那一刻我意识到，就算我告诉他，他也不会相信我。

He would have to walk the road I had walked, learn the things I had learned, and go through all I had gone through.

他将不得不走上我走过的路，学习我曾学过的东西，经历我曾经历过的事情。

I let him walk on by and watched as he disappeared in the distance.

我让他继续走他的路，他从我旁边擦身而过，消失在远方。

Then I turned to continue on my own way and woke up.

然后我接着走自己的路，接着我从梦中醒来。

In this life there are no shortcuts⁵.

生活中没有捷径。

We all have to walk the road.

我们都要一步一步走下去。

We all have to travel through sorrow⁶ as well as joy.

我们要经历忧伤和欢乐。

We all have to learn to love.

我们都要学着去爱。

We all have to grow into who we were meant to be.

我们都要长成命中注定的样子。

It takes our whole lives.

这可能要花费我们一生的时间。

Yet, it is a journey worth making.

但这趟旅程值得你走完。