I was about to shave this morning

今天早上，我正准备刮胡子的时候

when I caught my reflection in the mirror.

忽然注意到镜子里自己的影像

There was no doubt about it.

再也没有任何疑问

My body was growing older.

我的身体在慢慢变老

My formerly¹ thick hair

从前浓密的头发

which used to be brown with a touch of gray

曾经是棕色，其中掺杂着一点灰色

was now gray with a touch of brown.

如今已经全然灰白，只剩下一点棕色

It was hard to see on top too

看到自己的发顶，心情更加难过

with so little of it left there.

那里如今只剩下一点点头发

My forehead wrinkles²

我的抬头纹

had become permanent

已经深深的印刻到了皮肤里

and when I smiled

微笑的时候

a hundred more curled up around my eyes and mouth.

眼角和嘴角又多了百条皱纹

I thought about letting my beard grow for a second有一瞬间，我想了想要不要把胡子蓄起来

but didn’t really want to look like Santa Claus.

但我不希望自己看起来像圣诞老人

When I stepped back

我从镜子前转身

I could see

我可以觉察到

I had gotten chunkier as well

自己的身材也更圆润了

Because

因为

while my metabolism³ had slowed

我的新陈代谢减慢了

my eating hadn’t.

饮食习惯却还保持原状

My muscles also tended to be achier

我的肌肉酸痛加剧了

and my body creakier.

身体越发脆弱不堪

And the file clerk in my mind

我脑海中的档案管理员

seemed to be misplacing things a lot more often.

把资料放错位置的次数更多了

I was even thinking of

我甚至想着

writing stuff down more

多写些小字条

so I could remember

这样我就可以记起

what I came into a room for.

自己来到房间里是为了什么

In spite⁴ of it all,

尽管如此

though,

不过

when I looked in the mirror again

当我再看向镜子里的自己

I caught a sparkle⁵ in my eyes.

我看到了自己眼中的闪光

I smiled

我露出微笑

and felt a joy in my heart.

感到内心的喜悦

I knew that

我知道

no matter what my reflection looked like,

无论我镜中的又影像看上去如何

my soul was forever young.

我的灵魂永远年轻

The truth is

事实上

while I have been steadily⁶ growing older on the outside当我外在的躯壳平和的变老

I have for a while now

最近一段时间，其实

been growing younger on the inside.

我的内心一直在变得更加年轻

I can remember

我还记得

how serious, stressed, and worried I was

自己曾多么严阵以待，压力重重，忧心劳神

in my twenties and thirties.

在我二十至三十岁的时候

I often felt like

我时常感觉到

the weight of the world was on my shoulders.

仿佛整个世界都压在我的双肩

Now at fifty three

如今，我已经五十三岁了

my heart feels lighter⁷

我的心却更加轻盈

and my days look brighter.

我的生活也更加明亮了

I feel like a true “Child” of nature

我感觉自己是大自然的孩子

free to laugh,

可以恣意欢笑

to sing, to dance

歌唱，舞蹈

to love, and to help others do the same.

去爱，去帮助别人成为和我一样的人

I worry less

我的烦恼变少了

and smile more.

笑容增多了

I have a lot more faith

我对生活的信心大大增多了

and a lot less fear.

恐惧却大大减少了

I let my love lead me

我让爱引导着自己

and face the pains and problems of this world直面这个世界的苦痛和难题

with the loving-kindness of the next.

用彼岸的爱和善意为武器

In the end

最终

all of our bodies will wear out and die,

我们都会死去，身体腐朽

but WE won’t.

但我们内在的自己不会

Our young souls will go on forever.

我们年轻的灵魂将长存下去

Spend your days growing younger then.

所以，用你的时间让自己变得年轻吧

Let the child within you live and love.

让你内心的小孩快乐的活着，让他去爱