Chapter One Human Life Like a Poem 人生如诗

I think that, from a biological standpoint, human life almost reads like a poem.

我以为，从生物学角度看，人的一生恰如诗歌。

It has its own rhythm and beat, its internal cycles of growth and decay.

人生自有其韵律和节奏，自有内在的生成与衰亡。

No one can say that a life with childhood, manhood and old age is not a beautiful arrangement;

人生有童年、少年和老年，谁也不能否认这是一种美好的安排，

the day has its morning, noon and sunset, and the year has its seasons, and it is good

一天要有清晨、正午和日落，一年要有四季之分，如此才好。

that it is so. There is no good or bad in life, except what is good according to its own season.

人生本无好坏之分，只是各个季节有各自的好处。

And if we take this biological view of life and try to live according to the seasons, no one but a conceited fool or an impossible idealist can deny that human life can be lived like a poem.

如若我们持此种生物学的观点，并循着季节去生活，除了狂妄自大的傻瓜和无可救药的理想主义者，谁能说人生不能像诗一般度过呢。

——Lin Yutang