翻译练习：采访上帝

“请进，”上帝对我说，“怎么，你想采访我么？”
"Come in," God said to me, "so, you would like to interview Me?"
　　我说：“不知您是否有时间？”
"If you have the time," I said.
　　上帝在他的胡须背后露出一个微笑：“我的时间是永恒的，做什么事情都绰绰有余。你有什么问题要问我吗？”
He smiled through His beard and said: "My time is called eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
　　“对您来说，没有什么事算得上新闻了，那么，人类还有什么让您觉得惊讶的地方么？”
"None that are new to you. What's the one thing that surprises you most about mankind?"
　　上帝答道：
　　“他们厌倦童年时光，急于长大，而后又渴望返老还童。
　　“他们牺牲自己的健康来换取金钱，而后又牺牲金钱来恢复健康。
　　“他们对未来充满忧虑，但却忘记了现在；于是他们既不生活于现在之中，也不生活于未来之中。
　　“他们活着的时候好像从不会死，他们死去的时候又好像从未活过……”
　　He answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they never had never lived..."
　　上帝握住我的手，我们沉默了。过了许久，我又问道：“我可以再问一个问题吗？”
　　他报之以一个微笑。
　　“作为一个父亲，您在新年有什么想告诉子女的？”
His hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said, "May I ask you another question?"
He replied with a smile.
"As a Father, what would you ask your children to do for the new year?"
　　“他们应该知道，不可能取悦所有人，他们所能做的只是让自己被人所爱。
"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
　　“他们应该知道，让别人信任你可能要花几年，几十年，而毁掉这样的信任只要花几秒钟。
To learn that it takes years to build trust, and a few seconds to destroy it.
　　“他们应该知道，一生中最有价值的不是拥有什么东西，而是拥有什么人。
To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
　　“他们应该知道，和他人比较是不好的，因为总有比你好的人会让你嫉妒，总有比你差的人会让你自大。
To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. There will be others better or worse than they are.
　　“他们应该知道，富有的人并不拥有最多，而是需要最少。
To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
　　“他们应该知道，一个人应该控制住自己的欲望，否则欲望就会反过来控制他自己。
To learn that they should control their attitudes, otherwise their attitudes will control them.
　　“他们应该知道，要在所爱的人身上造成深度的创伤只要几秒钟，但是治疗创伤却要化几年的时间。
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
　　“他们应该知道，学会原谅的最好方法，是想想别人怎么原谅你的。
To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.
　　“他们应该知道，有些人深深地爱着他们，但却不知道如何表达自己的感情。
To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to show their feelings.
　　“他们应该知道，金钱可以买到任何东西，但却买不到幸福。
To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
　　“他们应该知道，有些时候他们会觉得很烦恼，但这不意味着他们有权让别人和他们一样烦恼。
To learn that while at times they may be entitled to be upset, that does not give them the right to upset those around them.
　　“他们应该知道，实现伟大的梦想不需要伟大的翅膀，而需要脚踏实地的行动。
To learn that great dreams do not require great wings, but a landing gear to achieve.
　　“他们应该知道，真正的朋友比金子还稀少，找到这样一个朋友就像找到一个真正的宝藏。
To learn that true friends are scarce, he/she who has found one has found a true treasure.
　　“他们应该知道，他们是给自己制订规则的主人，也是要对自己说的话负责的奴仆。
To learn that they are masters of what they keep to themselves and slaves of what they say.
　　“他们应该知道，他们播种什么就会收获什么，播种黑暗的人不可能收获到光明的果实。
To learn that they shall reap what they plant; if they plant gossip they will harvest intrigues, if they plant love they will harvest happiness.
　　“他们应该知道，幸福不是来自盼望他们还没得到的一切，而是来自享受他们已经拥有的一切。如果他们感觉自己是幸福的，他们就是幸福的，如果他们觉得自己是不幸的，就只能在对他人的嫉妒中死去。
To learn that true happiness is not to achieve their goals but to learn to be satisfied with what they already achieved.

To learn that happiness is a decision. They decide to be happy with what they are and have, or die from envy and jealousy of what they lack.
　　“他们应该知道，两个人看同一个事物，会看出不同的东西。
To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.
　　“他们应该知道，那些诚实地对待自己、并不计较得失的人，才是能在人生路上走得最远的人。
To learn that those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences go far in life.
　　“他们应该知道，即使他们觉得自己一无所有，不能给予别人什么，但是他们每个人都可以在看到有人痛苦的时候，给他心灵的陪伴和安慰。
To learn that even though they may think they have nothing to give, when a friend cries with them, they find the strength to appease the pain.
　　“他们应该知道，试图抓住所爱的人，他们就会推开你；给所爱的人以自由，他们会永远在你的左右。
To learn that by trying to hold on to love ones, they very quickly push them away; and by letting go of those they love, they will be side by side forever.
　　“他们应该知道，尽管在很多时候我们都可以说‘爱’，但被滥用的爱就不再是真爱。
To learn that even though the word "love" has many different meanings, it loses value when it is overstated.
　　“他们应该知道，不管他们做什么稀奇古怪的事情都不能得到我的宠爱，而我爱一个人并不需要什么理由。
To learn that they can never do something extraordinary for Me to love them; I simply do.
　　“他们应该知道，他们只要相信我的存在，我就始终在他们身边。”
To learn that the shortest distance they could be from Me is the "the distance of a prayer."

（一个英语网上的小练习，不知道作者是谁，很多地方没法直译，希望大家多批评指正）