钱是要存起来还是花出去? 这是个问题!

　　彩票中了大奖？在赌场大杀四方？股市赚得盆满钵满？

　　After almost an entire year of celibacy² from shopping and vacationing, you find the numbers reflected by your bank account meet your heart's desire.

　　在几乎一整年没有购物和度假之后，你会发现银行账户里的数字满足了你内心的渴望。

　　Now the most important question comes, what to do with the earnings³? Should you fulfill⁴ dreams of the present, invest in preserving the future or perhaps keep saving it for a rainy day?

　　现在最重要的问题来了，怎么用这些钱？是花出去实现现在的梦想、投资保护未来或者存起来以备不时之需？

　　Our elders always strive to teach us the value of money and its frailty⁵. One may be on a winning streak⁶ now, but it will not always be so.

　　我们的长辈总是努力教导我们珍惜金钱、警惕它们的脆弱性。一个人也许现在一帆风顺，但是不可能永远如此。

　　One will have days when there will be no sunshine but only rain, and their luck will hide behind those thick grey clouds.

　　人有旦夕祸福，每个人总会经历阳光不再、阴雨漫天的时候，到那时他们的好运就会被厚厚的乌云所遮盖。

　　Save for those rainy days, they say. Do not spend too much, live within a budget, refrain from credit no matter how small and save for the future.

　　人们总说要存钱以备不时之需。不要花太多钱，收支平衡，无论款多小都不要贷，存钱以备将来。

　　Since the very first time we earn our own money from a summer job or earning our first salary and filing taxes for the first time, the lessons start.

　　自从我们第一次从暑期打工中赚到钱、或者第一次拿到薪水、第一次交税的时候，这一课就开始了。

　　钱是要存起来还是花出去? 这是个问题!

　　In fact, the pocket money that we receive when we are children initiates⁷ the process of learning how to best manage one's money.

　　事实上，当我们还是孩童的时候，拿到的零花钱就已经开始了我们如何最好管理我们金钱的这一学习过程。

　　Future, future, future, that's all they talk about, but what about the present? What about our current desires, wants and needs?

　　将来、将来、将来，这就是他们一直在谈论的东西，但是现在怎么样呢？我们现在的渴望、梦想和希望呢？

　　Wasn't our present once our future? Didn't we dream about this tomorrow, which has now become our today?

　　我们的现在不也是我们曾经的“将来”吗？难道我们没有梦想过这个已经成为我们今天的“明天”吗？

　　One day when I have enough money, I will buy myself a car. One day my luck will shine. One day I will have enough money to travel the world.

　　总有一天我存够了钱给自己买一辆车。总有一天我的好运会来临。总有一天我会有足够的钱去周游世界。

　　Then, once we do earn enough money from living like misers⁸ and refraining from outings, tomorrow's plans start shadowing our present ones.

　　但是，一旦我们省吃俭用像守财奴那样来存足够的钱，我们今天的计划就被置于明天计划的阴影之中了。

　　However, is it wise to keep living for that future? Will we still enjoy or even be able to backpack in our 50s?

　　然而，为那样的未来而生活是明智的吗？等到我们50岁的时候还可以享受、甚至有力气背起背包吗？

　　Will we not have more responsibilities, less energy, a family and aging parents to take care of that causes less flexibility⁹ and less time to ensure you don't leave this earth with many regrets?

　　我们将不会有更多的责任、更少的精力、需要照顾的家庭和年迈的父母，从而导致更少的灵活性和更少的时间来保障你不带任何遗憾的离开这个世界吗？

　　What will be the use of those professional cameras when arthritis¹⁰ takes over our joints¹¹ and our mind grows dull?

　　当我们患上关节炎、大脑变得迟钝时，那些专业相机还有什么用呢？

　　Will our liver be able to cope with the meat and alcohol in our advanced age? What if our life ends abruptly¹²?

　　当我们老了的时候，我们的肝脏还能够应付肉和酒吗？如果我们突然就死了怎么办？

　　How will we ever enjoy our present if we are constantly living for the future?

　　如果我们一直生活在未来，那么我们怎么享受当下的生活呢？

　　A good question, isn't it? Should one live in the present or keep saving for the future?

　　这是个好问题，不是吗？一个人是应该活在当下还是存钱以供未来？

　　I say travel but don't let yourself run dry, indulge in the luxuries but also keep enough for your necessities, and enjoy your present but with a plan for the foreseeable future.

　　我认为应该旅行但是不要弄得自己筋疲力尽，用奢侈品宠溺自己但是也要留下足够必需品的钱，享受当下的生活但是也要为可预见的将来留有计划。

　　Beyond that, life is not in our control and we shouldn't fret¹³ about the unseen. Life is for the living, so live it sensibly.

　　除此之外，生活并不在我们自己的掌控当中，我们也不应该为看不见的东西而烦恼。活着就是为了生活，因此聪明地活着吧！

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