我們曾如此期盼外界的認可，到最後才知道：世界是自己的，與他人毫無關係。

你也許不認識她。

她，就是著名的作家、翻譯家、外國文學研究家，文學大家錢鐘書先生的妻子——楊絳。

年前，她發表了一篇名位《一百歲感言》的文章。她，把在人間活了百年的感覺，簡單的用數百字呈現出來。楊絳說：「人生最曼妙的風景，竟是內心的淡定與從容……我們曾如此期盼外界的認可，到最後才知道：世界是自己的，與他人毫無關係。」

我們大部份人都在活在步伐急速的都市裡，每天都被大量外來的人和事所包圍，很容易便迷失方向，甚至失去了自己。 請不要等到一百歲時才審視自己的一生。由這一刻開始，請勇敢的走自己的路。

(全文来自网络)

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〔文章轉載〕楊絳《一百歲感言》（2011）

我今年一百歲，已經走到了人生的邊緣，我無法確知自己還能走多遠，壽命是不由自主的，但我很清楚我快「回家」了。

我得洗凈這一百年沾染的污穢回家。 我沒有「登泰山而小天下」之感，只在自己的小天地裏過平靜的生活。細想至此，我心靜如水，我該平和地迎接每一天，準備回家。

在這物欲橫流的人世間，人生一世實在是夠苦。你存心做一個與世無爭的老實人吧，人家就利用你欺侮你。你稍有才德品貌，人家就嫉妒你排擠你。 你大度退讓，人家就侵犯你損害你。你要不與人爭，就得與世無求，同時還要維持實力準備鬥爭。你要和別人和平共處，就先得和他們週旋，還得準備隨時吃虧。

少年貪玩，青年迷戀愛情，壯年汲汲於成名成家，暮年自安於自欺欺人。 人壽幾何，頑鐵能煉成的精金，能有多少？但不同程度的鍛鍊，必有不同程度的成績；不同程度的縱欲放肆，必積下不同程度的頑劣。

上蒼不會讓所有幸福集中到某個人身上，得到愛情未必擁有金錢；擁有金錢未必得到快樂；得到快樂未必擁有健康；擁有健康未必一切都會如願以償。 保持知足常樂的心態才是淬煉心智，凈化心靈的最佳途徑。一切快樂的享受都屬於精神，這種快樂把忍受變為享受，是精神對於物質的勝利，這便是人生哲學。

一個人經過不同程度的鍛鍊，就獲得不同程度的修養、不同程度的效益。好比香料，搗得愈碎，磨得愈細，香得愈濃烈。

我們曾如此渴望命運的波瀾，到最後才發現：人生最曼妙的風景，竟是內心的淡定與從容……我們曾如此期盼外界的認可，到最後才知道：世界是自己的，與他人毫無關係。

Twists and turns...

Life is always full of twists and turns, as often one door closed might open up another wider door, whereas a seemingly less desirable event could possibly lead to something interesting especially if one keeps searching and adjusts one’s perspective in order to make the best out of the new circumstance.

I arrived in Ljubljana on Friday evening with no plan nor expectation, hoping to just spend a relax weekends strolling in the city and get myself lost in small alleys and perhaps surprised by simple but unique things that the locals have to offer. In the hotel lobby I picked up a few brochures and noticed there are few interesting places which could be visited with a half day tour, one of them is Lake Bled. Unfortunately after several attempts to book a local tour at last minutes, I was told all tour groups were fully booked for the next day and apparently the only option was a private tour which cost 5-6 times of the standard price. When I was about to give up, a visit to the local tourism office reviewed that it is in fact possible to visit Lake Bled with local bus which cost less than half of the standard tour price.

When I was at the local bus station, the ticket officer convinced me to buy a combo package which includes return tickets, an entrance ticket to a castle which I have no clue how it looks like and where it actually located, and few other benefits. Only when I arrived at the lake side I was “shocked” by the height of the castle which is located on top of a hill. I was walking along the lakeside, occasionally thinking how silly I was without doing some simple research before purchase the combo ticket and now going to waste the money because I was in no appetite to walk up the hill just for a castle which I have already seen just too many. After couple of hours when I was about to catch the next bus returning to Ljubljana, I walked pass the entrance of the walking path lead to the castle and in split second I decided to give it a try anyhow. The walk up to the hill was not as tough as I have expected, within about 20-30 minutes I was already on the top and the view was simply splendid. The visit to the castle turns out to be the highlight of my short trip to Lake Bled, which I most probably would have never done if I didn’t have already purchased the ticket in Ljubljana bus station.

So that’s life, full of twists and turns and you never know what’s waiting for your at the next corner, so just keeps an open mind and get ready to be surprised…

My life, your life, his/her life…

My trip from Linz to Ljubljana (capital city of Slovenia) by train on last Friday afternoon had a small hiccup but nevertheless an interesting experience worth mentioning. When the train was near Austria border we were told part of the railway track got technical problem so all passengers have to get off the train on Villach city (Austria) train station, take a bus to cross the Austria - Slovenia border and then board a local Slovenian train in Jesenice (Slovenia) town train station to Ljubljana. The lady train conductor knew I don't speak a word of German nor Slovenian hence asked me to just follow a few Slovenian guys inside my wagon. The “transits” went smoothly, in fact one old Slovenian man occasionally check and nod at me to make sure I am “still around” and not lost in Austria - Ljubljana border...

Due to this unexpected episode, I got a chance to have a quick “free city tour” in Villach, and enjoyed slightly different scenery along the bus route. Inside the bus sitting next to me was a young and friendly Serbian engineer. When we were about to enter the Karawanks tunnel crossing the Alpine Karawanks mountain, he explained to me that the tunnel is 8km long and on the other side is Slovenia’s territory. After that we started to chat a bit, and he told me he is working in silicon industry and was on a business trip in Austria and now on his way to Ljubljana airport in order to catch a flight back to Belgrade (capital city of Serbia). I started to ask him about life in Serbia, and he joked about Yugoslavia (both Slovenia and Serbia were part of Yugoslavia before the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia collapsed in 1992, one year after Soviet Union collapsed in 1991), the civil war when he was a kid, the current standard of living and etc. He was very humble about Belgrade / Serbia and explained to me in term of development Belgrade / Serbia is perhaps only 40-50% of what Slovenia (the richest ex- Yugoslavia nation) is today, moreover Serbia is not even part of European Union…

Once we reached Jesenice town train station, one can easily noticed the significant drop in infrastructure standard in comparison to Western Europe. The fact is Europe is such a huge and diverse area consists of nearly 50 nations, although most of them are on the same continent sharing border but standard of living could be significantly different especially toward the eastern region. Countries like Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia are on the rapid development track since early 1990s, whereas countries like Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo are perhaps trying hard to catch up. To some extend it is quite similar to North Asia / South East Asia, whereas you have first world nations like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and the rising stars such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine, Thailand, Vietnam, and country like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar which are still trying hard to catch up….

I have visited quite many Western Europe countries in the past 15 years and was always amazed by their rich history, beautify scenery, extremely well protected environment, near perfect infrastructure, advance economy and social system, but there is always a sense of detachment as one cannot really comprehend how all those modern nations have miraclely reached such high level of modernization. However once I have learnt more and more about the economy and society of other Eastern European nations which are perhaps equally rich in culture and history many centuries ago, but due to various historical reasons and they are now still at various different developing stages…only then I can truly appreciate the diligent and determination that set some European nations apart from the rest…This really remind us there’s no free lunch in the World and one must not take things for granted….

Ultimately human beings regardless of race and culture all share the same challenges and dream in life.

Somewhere in this World,

my life, your life, his/her life…

30 April 2016