活到老真好--王鼎鈞
                                                     Translated by Retiredbum

能活到老，真好。

Its so good that  I could  survive long  till I am  old enough. 

想想那些我喜歡的作家，

Think of those writers Ive been admiring for:

曹植活了四十歲，

Cao Zhi lived to the age of 40,

李商隱活了四十五歲，

Li Shangyin, 45,

李賀不過二十七歲，

Li He, only 27,

徐志摩三十五歲

Xu Zhimo, 35,

，曹雪芹據說四十八歲。

Cao Xueqin, reputedly 48.

倘若舉行民意測驗，可以發覺人人嫌他們死得早，

If we carry out a poll, we may find  an unanimous result: all of them died a young death. 

連曾國藩這樣的人也不過只活六十歲。

Even people like Zeng Guofan only lived to the age of 60.

我們的文章比曹雪芹壞，壽命比他長，

No doubt we are all inferior to Cao Xueqin in writing, but we all shall live longer than he did.

有時間多看幾遍《紅樓夢》，多些體會，

So we would have time to read his "Dream of Red Chamber" again and again, and to appreciate more and more from that great work,

有機會多看到有關的考證和發現，

and we would also have time to see more relevant textual research and findings about his book,

長些見識，這就是人生的福分。

as to enhance our scope of knowledge, and that is a blessing of life.

值得看的景象越來越多，人所共喻。

Everyone knows it that more and more sights and scenes are worth of watching nowadays.

今天的電影拍得比當年精彩，

More colorful accounts are given to the movies of today than to the ones of the past,

今天的花也開得比當年燦爛，

More brilliantly the flowers blossomed today than those of the past

今天的年輕人比我們那一代青年漂亮，

and the youth of new generation are prettier than the ones of ours,

有照片為證。

Well, telltale photos can explain everything.

大概和營養、教育、風尚都有關係，

Chances are that has something to do with todays nutrition, education and fashion;  

說不定還加上遺傳，這是寫研究論文的題目。

 probably genetic engineering also matters, and that can be served as a topic for academic theses 

諸如此類，觀之下足。

and there are too many similiar examples to be raised.

六十曰老。七十曰耆。八十曰耋。九十曰耄。

We call  a sexagenarian "Lao"; a  septuagenarian, "Qi"; an  octogenarian, "Die"; a nonagenarian, "Mao"

活到耄耋之年，最怕有長年臥床的疾病，

People  in their  years of Mao and Die  had better  avoid bedridden diseases;

自己苦，家人也苦，

otherwise, not only you are  afflicted, but also your family members are suffering,

連醫生護士也跟著受罪。

even will be doctors and nurses. 

這是老年的大問題。

This is one of the biggest problems for the aged.

有幾個中年人談論“你願意怎麼個死法”，

Several middle-aged persons  were discussing the topic of "How would you like to die?",

一位女士說，

A lady said that

她希望在七十歲那年被爭風吃醋的男人從背後開槍打死。

she wishes when  in her seventy she could be shot from her back by a jealous admirer.

女人到了七十歲還能使男人嫉妒得要死，

Wow, a woman who is still able make a man jealous to death so as to  kill her,

這是何等抱負！

what a remarkable ambition it is!

被人從背後開槍打死，

Being shot to death from  her back

死前無恐懼，死時無痛苦 (痛苦十分短暫)，又是何等設計！

she should have no fear in advance and no pain(at least shortly) aferwards.  What a perfect prearrangement it is!

所以這個答案得了第一——可望不可即。

Therefore, the answer won the first prize--- seeable but inattainable.

可是也別太老，

But dont be too old,

別真的成了滿臉皺紋、一把鬍子的初生嬰兒。

lest we should  become a wrinkled and bearded new-born baby boy.

老了要能“舍”，

We should learn to give up when we are old.

能像佛家那樣，

Like a genuine Buddhist,

歡歡喜喜地舍，該舍就舍，包括生命。

giving up what we should, including our lives, joyfully

在以後的老年福利法裡，

I hereby suggest we should add another article  to Senior Citizens Law

應該有一條“安樂死”。

Euthanasia