后浪 Rising Waves - 2020_5_8 19.37

后浪 Rising Waves

翻译：许景城

那些口口声声“一代不如一代”的人，应该看着你们，像我一样，我看着你们，满怀羡慕。

Those who speculate about “humanity further doomed generation after generation” should take you into observation like I am now eyeing you, admirable:

人类积攒了几千年的财富，所有的知识、见识、智慧和艺术，像是专门为你们准备的礼物；科技繁荣、文化繁茂、城市繁华，现代文明的成果被层层打开，可以尽情享用。

All the wealth, lore, insight, wisdom and art having been mushrooming in human history for thousands of years seem to be prepared gifts for you; the booms in science, technology, culture, and urbanity, the fruits of modern civilization are being peeled off for you to relish.

自由学习一门语言、学习一门手艺、欣赏一部电影、去遥远的地方旅行。很多人，从小你们就在自由探索自己的兴趣；很多人在童年就进入了不惑之年；不惑于自己喜欢什么，不喜欢什么。

You can learn any language or any craft that suits your interest; you can savor a film or embark on a journey to somewhere remote. Many of you since childhood have been exploring your interest freely; even many of you in childhood sensed your sensitivity fade into sensibility, no longer bemused by what you like and dislike.

人与人之间的壁垒被打破，你们只凭相同的爱好，就能结交千万个值得干杯的朋友，你们拥有了，我们曾经梦寐以求的权利——选择的权利；你所热爱的就是你的生活。你们有幸遇见这样的时代，但是时代更有幸遇见这样的你们。

All barriers among humans are dismantled: Only by virtue of the same hobbies, you can befriend droves of strangers who are willing to share your sorrow and joy. What you posses is what we used to yearn for — the freedom of choice; what grasps your passion is your life. You are blessed to dwell in such an epoch, which in return is more fortunate to embrace you.

我看着你们，满怀敬意。向你们的专业态度致敬，你们正在把传统的变成现代的，把经典的变成流行的；把学术的变成大众的，把民族的变成世界的；你们把自己的热爱变成了一个和成千上万的人分享快乐的事业，向你们的自信致敬。

I'm gazing at you, respectful. My homage is vented to your adroitness, for you are turning something form traditional to modern, from classic to popular; from scholarly to public, from national to global; you are forging your own passion and aspiration into a happy enterprise that can be shared by tens of thousands of people. My homage is registered here to your confidence.

弱小的人，才习惯嘲讽与否定；内心强大的人，从不吝惜赞美与鼓励。向你们的大气致敬，小人同而不和，君子美美与共，和而不同。更年轻的身体，容得下更多元的文化、审美和价值观。

The vulnerable are wont to jeer and smear; the strong are always generous in praise and encouragement. My homage is also paid to your generosity. The wicked are always disagreeing to agree while the gentle are happy to see a diversification of differing views, agreeing to disagree. A younger soul allows for more diverse cultures, aesthetics, and values.

有一天我终于发现，不只是我们在教你们如何生活，你们也在启发我们，怎样去更好的生活。

One day, an epiphany struck me: It’s not simply that we have been teaching you how to live a better life, but also that you have been updating our ways to live a better life.

那些抱怨“一代不如一代”的人，应该看看你们，就像我一样，我看着你们满怀感激；因为你们，这个世界会更喜欢中国，因为一个国家最好看的风景，就是这个国家的年轻人。

Those who speculate about “humanity further doomed generation after generation” should take you into observation, just like I am now, viewing you, grateful; thanks to you, the world is growing fonder of China, for the best view of a country rests just upon the youth who inhabit it.

因为你们，这世上的小说、音乐、电影所表现的青春，就不再是忧伤迷茫，而是善良、勇敢、无私、无所畏惧。

Because of you, the youth represented by novels, melodies, and movies on Earth will be defined not by sadness or loss in any guise whatsoever, but by kindness, courage, selflessness, and dauntlessness withal.

是心里有火，眼里有光。不用活成我们想象中的样子，我们这一代人的想象力不足以想象你们的未来；如果你们依然需要我们的祝福，那么，奔涌吧，后浪，我们在同一条奔涌的河流。

Youth will see fire in your heart, and light in your eyes. Never should you lead a life as we’ve envisioned, for our imagination is too meager to tell what your future will look like. If you still expect best wishes from us, then we’re happy to hearten you: Please surge, rising waves. We are all in the same surging river!