中英文本

In spite of the title，this article will really be on how not to grow old，which，at my time of life，is a much more important subject.
尽管有这样一个题目，这篇文章其实将主要讨论怎样才能不老。这，在我这个年龄段，是一个更为重要的话题。
My first advice would be to choose your ancestors carefully.
我的第一个建议是—仔细选择自己的先人。

Although both my parents died young，I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors.
尽管我的父母都较早辞世，但考虑到我的其他前辈，在这方面我还是做得不错的。
My maternal grandfather，it is true，was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of sixty-seven，but my other three grandparents all lived to be over eighty.
的确，我的外祖父在他六十七岁那样的如花盛年就丢了脑袋，然而我的另外三位祖辈却都活过了八十岁。
Of remote ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age，and he died of a disease which is now rare，namely，having his head cut off.
在我的祖先中，我只发现一位未能得享高龄，而且他死于一种今天已极为罕见的病症—他让自己被砍了脑袋。
A great-grandmother of mine，who was a friend of Gibbon，lived to the age of ninety-two，and to her last day remained a terror to all her descendants.
我的一位曾祖母，她是吉布的朋友，她活到九十二岁，直到最后一天，她一直是她所有子孙们害怕的人。
My maternal grandmother，after having nine children who survived，one who died in infancy，and many miscarriages，as soon as she became a widow devoted herself to women's higher education.
我的外祖母，有九个孩子长大成人，一个幼年夭折，曾经多次流产，在成为寡妇后立即献身于女子高等教育。
She was one of the founders of Girton College，and worked hard at opening the medical profession to women.
她作为格腾学院的创始人之一，为开设女子医学专业付出过艰苦卓绝的努力。
She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad.
她曾给我们讲述她在意大利遇见一位神情悲哀的老年绅士的情形。
She inquired the cause of his melancholy and he said that he had just parted from his two grandchildren.
她询问忧郁的原因，他说他刚与他的两个孙儿诀别。
Good gracious，she exclaimed，I have seventy-two grandchildren，and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them，I should have a dismal existence！Madre snaturale，he replied.
感谢恩典吧，她大声说，我有七十二个孙辈，如果我每送走一个就悲哀一次，我将活得多么凄凉？多自然的一位老妈妈！他答道。
But speaking as one of the seventy-two，I prefer her recipe.
然而作为她的七十二个孙辈之一，我更喜欢她的处方。
作者介绍

罗素即伯特兰罗素
伯特兰罗素（Bertrand Russell，1872—1970）是二十世纪英国哲学家、数学家、逻辑学家、历史学家，无神论或者不可知论者，也是上世纪西方最著名、影响最大的学者和和平主义社会活动家之一，罗素也被认为是与弗雷格、维特根斯坦和怀特海一同创建了分析哲学。他与怀特海合著的《数学原理》对逻辑学、数学、集合论、语言学和分析哲学有着巨大影响。1950年，罗素获得诺贝尔文学奖，以表彰其“多样且重要的作品，持续不断的追求人道主义理想和思想自由”。

词语解释

1.terror 恐怖

Our nation will not be undone by terror.
我们的国家不会被恐怖行动毁掉。

But in germany the feeling was laced with terror.
而在德国，这种感觉更是被镶嵌上恐惧的花边。

2.dismal a.阴沉的，惨淡的，凄凉的

Other countries face this dismal prospect too.
其他许多国家同样面临这一惨淡前景。

Niesr spots at least three risks to this already dismal outlook.
对于眼下已经极为黯淡的前景，niesr指出至少3个风险。

3.undue a.过度的，过分的；不适当的

As minsky warned, undue faith in unregulated markets proved a snare.
正如明斯基所警告的那样，过度信任没有监管的市场是一个陷阱。

The eu has warned retreating banks to "avoid undue pressure on credit extension in host countries."
欧盟已警告各银行，在撤出资金时要“避免在东道国造成过度的授信压力”。

4.cheat v.欺骗，诈骗

Then she presented them with an opportunity to cheat.
然后她向他们提供了一个可以搞欺骗机会。

Farmers can cheat, as australians have found.
农民可以作弊，澳大利亚人已经发现作弊方式。