When I was a boy I dreamed of my future.
當我還是個小男孩的時候，我總夢想著未來的生活
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I was going to be a cowboy .
我想到自己長大當一個牛仔
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I loved all the old westerns on television.
因為我喜歡所有電視里老舊的西部片

Then I dreamed of being a sailor
后來我又夢想自己會成為水手

and a soldier and fighting epic battles.
或者一個士兵，在戰(zhàn)場上一戰(zhàn)封神

After that I dreamed of being a fire fighter
之后我又夢想自己成為了消防員?

and rescuing people from burning buildings.
從熊熊燃燒的高樓里拯救人們的生命

?I just couldn't wait to grow up and be an adult.
我簡直等不及要快快長大，做一個成年人了

Then I went to college and those dreams changed.
之后我進了大學，那些夢想都改變了

?I thought I would be a psychologist,
我想我會成為一位心理學家
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then I switched to being a teacher,
接著我又轉為想要成為教師

and I also wanted to be a best selling author.
同時我還想成為一名暢銷書作者
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When I married and had children my dreams of the future changed again.
當我結婚成家，生兒育女，我對未來的夢想又改變了

Now it wasn't so much a certain career that I dreamed of
現在，我所夢想的不再單單是某種職業(yè)

?but a time when I could be settled and secure
而是夢想著什么時候，我才能穩(wěn)定下來，生活有保障

?and my family and I would finally be problem free.
我和家人終于能夠不再有任何煩惱

That dream, of course, didn't happen.
那個夢，顯然，也沒有實現
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In fact, none of those dreams ever came to life.
事實上，那些夢想中沒有一個實現過
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It took me many years as well to realize that
其實我也花了許多年才明白

living in a dream future was living in an illusion
活在夢想中的未來時，就是活在幻想里
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and that each moment I spent there was taking a moment away from the precious Now.
我在這幻想之中多沉迷一刻，我在珍貴的“當下”所擁有的時間就會少一刻
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I saw that there could be no perfect, problem free future
我終于明白，世間并不存在完美而毫無瑕疵的未來時

because problems are a part of life.
因為問題是生活的一部分

And I realized that I was wasting my days wishing for some dream to come true
我意識到，期盼著某個愿望實現，這只是在浪費我的時間

when I could be fully living and loving each day I am given.
那些時間，我本應去好好生活，去熱愛我被賜予的每個日子

It is only in the Now that we can truly live.
只有在當下，我們才能真正活著
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It is only in the Now that we can truly love.
只有在當下，我們才能真正去愛
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Our dreams for the future are just that: dreams.
我們對未來的夢想只是夢想

Whether they come true or not isn't as important as how we live each day here.
無論這夢想實現與否，更重要的是，我們如何度過當下的每一天
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A hug shared today can never be replaced.
今天，去擁抱彼此吧，這個擁抱將無可替代
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An act of kindness not given now is lost forever.
今天沒有付出的善舉，將永遠無法補救
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A moment of love missed can never be made up again.
如果錯過表達愛意的機會，也將于事無補?

Each second of the Now is precious and priceless.
當下的每一刻都萬分珍貴，千金難求

Don't waste a one of them.
別浪費當下的一分一秒

Embrace them.
擁抱它們
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Live them.
喚醒它們

Love them all.
熱愛這其中的每一分一秒

Always live in the Now with a heart full of love, a soul full of joy, and a life full of kindness.
永遠活在當下，帶著一顆充滿愛的心，一副充滿喜悅的靈魂，一股充滿友善的生命力。

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翻譯：小木