一个青年去寻访住在深山里的智者，想向他请教一些人生问题。
A young man went to visit a sage living deep in the mountain for the wisdom of life.

　　“请问大师，在人的一生中哪一天最重要？是生日还是死日？是初恋开始的那一天，还是事业成功的那一天？”青年问。
“Excuse me! Could you please tell me what is the most important day in our lives? It is the day we were born or the day we die? Is it the day we fall in love or the day our career takes off?” The young man asked.

　　“都不是，生命中最重要的是今天。”智者不假思索地答道。
“None. The most important day in our lives is today.” The sage replied calmly without the least hesitation.

　　“为什么？”青年甚为好奇，“今天发生了什么惊天动地的大事吗？”
“Why?” The young man felt more than surprised. “Is it because there is some sensational event taking place today?”

　　“今天什么事也没有发生。”
“Nope. Nothing has happened today.”

　　“那今天重要是不是因为我的来访？”
“So is it because of our visit?”

　　“即使今天没有任何来访者，今天仍然很重要，因为今天是我们拥有的惟一财富。昨天不论多么值得回忆和怀念，它都像沉船一样沉入海底了；明天不论多么辉煌，它都还没有到来；而今天不论多么平常、多么暗淡，它都在我们手里，由我们支配。”
“Even if nobody visited me today, today is still very important because today is the only wealth we possess. No matter how memorable yesterday is, it has gone by like a ship sinking into the sea; no matter how brilliant tomorrow may be, it is yet to come; but no matter how plain and tedious today is, it is at the mercy of our hands.”

　　青年还想问，智者收住了话头说：“在谈论今天的重要性时，我们已经浪费了我们的‘今天’，我们拥有的‘今天’已经减少了许多。
The young man still wanted to ask something, while the sage stopped him and said, “When we are talking about the significance of today, we have wasted a lot of it. That is to say, our “today” has decreased a lot.”

　　青年若有所思地点点头，然后下山了。
Enlightened, the young man nodded and then went down the mountain.

　　确实，对我们每个人来说，今天都是我们惟一的资本，也是我们惟一的机会。那么，现在我们最应该做的就是：忘记昨天，忘记明天，牢牢地把握住今天。
Actually today is the only capital and opportunity we possess. Therefore, what we should do now is to forget yesterday and tomorrow and grasp fast today!

(原文: 选自<<小故事网>> 译者: 爱尔兰都柏林大学 赖小琪)