▸ 两千年liǎng qiān nián前qián，在zài罗马luó mǎ，住zhù着zhe一位yī wèi老lǎo哲学家zhé xué jiā，他tā叫jiào塞内卡sāi nèi kǎ。

Two thousand years ago, in Rome, there lived an old philosopher named Seneca.

▸ 他tā常常cháng cháng给gěi远方yuǎn fāng一个yī ge年轻nián qīng的de朋友péng you写信xiě xìn，这是zhè shì第一dì yī封fēng信xìn。

He often wrote letters to a young friend far away. This is the first letter.

▸ 亲爱qīn ài的de朋友péng you：

Dear friend,

▸ 今天jīn tiān我wǒ想xiǎng跟gēn你nǐ谈tán一件yī jiàn最zuì重要zhòng yào的de东西dōng xi——时间shí jiān。

Today I want to talk with you about the most important thing of all — time.

▸ 昨天zuó tiān我wǒ在zài城里chéng lǐ看见了kàn jiàn le一个yī ge很hěn有钱yǒu qián的de人rén。

Yesterday in the city I saw a very rich man.

▸ 他tā坐zuò在家zài jiā门口mén kǒu，一块yī kuài一块yī kuài地de数shǔ他的tā de钱qián。

He sat at his front door, counting his money coin by coin.

▸ 数shǔ完了wán le，他tā把bǎ钱qián小心地xiǎo xīn de放fàng好hǎo，还hái让ràng人rén看着kàn zhe门mén。

When he finished, he put it away carefully and even had someone watch the door.

▸ 可是kě shì那天nà tiān下午xià wǔ，他tā什么shén me都dōu没méi做zuò，只是zhǐ shì坐着zuò zhe等děng一个yī ge朋友péng you。

But that afternoon he did nothing at all — he just sat there waiting for a friend.

▸ 朋友péng you没有méi yǒu来lái，一个yī ge下午xià wǔ就这样jiù zhè yàng过去guò qù了le。

The friend never came, and the whole afternoon slipped away.

▸ 他tā丢diū了le半天bàn tiān的de生命shēng mìng，可是kě shì他tā一点儿yī diǎnr也yě不bù难过nán guò。

He lost half a day of his life, and it didn't bother him one bit.

▸ 你nǐ看kàn，人们rén men把bǎ钱qián看kàn得很de hěn重zhòng，把bǎ时间shí jiān看kàn得很de hěn轻qīng。

You see, people treat money as precious and time as worthless.

▸ 如果rú guǒ有人yǒu rén拿走ná zǒu他们tā men的de钱qián，他们tā men会huì非常fēi cháng生气shēng qì。

If someone took their money, they would be furious.

▸ 可是kě shì别人bié ren拿走ná zǒu他们tā men的de时间shí jiān，他们tā men却què笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“没关系méi guān xi。”

But when someone takes their time, they just smile and say, "It's fine."

▸ 我的wǒ de朋友péng you，钱qián丢diū了le，可以kě yǐ再zài赚回来zhuàn huí lai。

My friend, money that is lost can be earned back.

▸ 时间shí jiān丢diū了le，就jiù永远yǒng yuǎn回huí不bù来了lái le。

Time that is lost never comes back.

▸ 我们wǒ men总是zǒng shì说shuō：“以后yǐ hòu再zài做zuò，明天míng tiān再zài开始kāi shǐ。”

We always say, "I'll do it later; I'll start tomorrow."

▸ 可是kě shì生命shēng mìng不在bù zài以后yǐ hòu，生命shēng mìng就jiù在zài今天jīn tiān。

But life is not in "later" — life is today.

▸ 每měi过guò一天yī tiān，我们wǒ men就jiù死了sǐ le一天yī tiān。

With every day that passes, we die a little.

▸ 这zhè话huà听起来tīng qi lai可怕kě pà，其实qí shí很hěn简单jiǎn dān。

That sounds frightening, but really it is simple.

▸ 死亡sǐ wáng不是bù shì在zài前面qián miàn等děng我们wǒ men，它tā每天měi tiān都dōu拿走ná zǒu我们wǒ men的de一yī小xiǎo块kuài生命shēng mìng。

Death is not waiting up ahead — every day it takes a small piece of our life.

▸ 想xiǎng清楚qīng chu了le这一点zhè yī diǎn，你nǐ就jiù不用bù yòng害怕hài pà，你nǐ会huì更gèng自由zì yóu。

Once you see this clearly, you need not be afraid — you will be freer.

▸ 所以suǒ yǐ，从cóng今天jīn tiān开始kāi shǐ，做zuò时间shí jiān的de主人zhǔ rén吧ba。

So, starting today, become the master of your time.

▸ 每天měi tiān晚上wǎn shang问wèn问wèn自己zì jǐ：今天jīn tiān的de时间shí jiān，我wǒ用yòng在哪里zài nǎ lǐ了le？

Every evening, ask yourself: where did today's time go?

▸ 抓住zhuā zhù今天jīn tiān。

Seize today.

▸ 别人bié ren可以kě yǐ拿走ná zǒu你的nǐ de钱qián，别bié让ràng他们tā men拿走ná zǒu你的nǐ de时间shí jiān。

Others can take your money — don't let them take your time.

▸ 我wǒ老了lǎo le，剩下shèng xià的de时间shí jiān不bù多duō，所以suǒ yǐ我wǒ更gèng爱ài每měi一天yī tiān。

I am old, and not much time remains, so I love each day all the more.

▸ 今天jīn tiān的de礼物lǐ wù就jiù送到sòng dào这里zhè lǐ。保重bǎo zhòng身体shēn tǐ，我的wǒ de朋友péng you。

That is today's gift. Take care of yourself, my friend.

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