一個青年去尋訪住在深山里的智者，想向他請教一些人生問題。
A young man went to visit a sage living deep in the mountain for the wisdom of life.

　　“請問大師，在人的一生中哪一天最重要？是生日還是死日？是初戀開始的那一天，還是事業成功的那一天？”青年問。
“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.

　　“為什么？”青年甚為好奇，“今天發生了什么驚天動地的大事嗎？”
“Why?” The young man felt more than surprised. “Is it because there is some sensational event taking place today?”

　　“今天什么事也沒有發生。”
“Nope. Nothing has happened today.”

　　“那今天重要是不是因為我的來訪？”
“So is it because of our visit?”

　　“即使今天沒有任何來訪者，今天仍然很重要，因為今天是我們擁有的惟一財富。昨天不論多么值得回憶和懷念，它都像沉船一樣沉入海底了；明天不論多么輝煌，它都還沒有到來；而今天不論多么平常、多么暗淡，它都在我們手里，由我們支配。”
“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.”

　　青年還想問，智者收住了話頭說：“在談論今天的重要性時，我們已經浪費了我們的‘今天’，我們擁有的‘今天’已經減少了許多。
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.”

　　青年若有所思地點點頭，然后下山了。
Enlightened, the young man nodded and then went down the mountain.

　　確實，對我們每個人來說，今天都是我們惟一的資本，也是我們惟一的機會。那么，現在我們最應該做的就是：忘記昨天，忘記明天，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: 選自<<小故事網>> 譯者: 愛爾蘭都柏林大學 賴小琪)