Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with a gentleness, a vigor, and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama4) of more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, who would adopt the Epicurean5) motto of “Eat, drink, and be merry“, but most people would be chastened6) by the certainty of impending7) death.
有时我想，把每天都当作生命中的最后一天来过，也不失为一个极好的生活法则。这种态度会使人格外重视生命的价值。我们每天都应该以优雅的姿态、充沛的精力、抱着感恩之心来生活。但当时间以无休止的日、月和年在我们面前流逝时，我们却常常没有了这种感觉。当然，也有人奉行“吃、喝、享受”的享乐主义信条，但绝大多数人还是会受到即将到来的死亡的惩罚。
Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day as far in the future. It has often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do.
然而，我们中的大多数人都把生命看作是理所当然的。我们知道有一天我们必将面对死亡，但总认为那一天还在遥远的将来。我们常常注意到，那些生活在或曾经生活在死亡阴影下的人无论做什么都会感到幸福。
中译英：
1. 麻烦的是，我们不知道人类将能够把这些问题解决到什么程度。（宾从式）
The trouble is that we do not know how far we will be able to solve these problems. 2. 不管是好是坏，技术和哲学的发展已对人类历史的进程产生了巨大的影响。（C-E常式）
For better or worse, the development of technology and philosophy has greatly affected the course of human history. 3. 必须高度重视发展科技。（无主式）
High priority should be given to the development of science and technology. (Great importance should be attached to the development of science and technology.)
4. 这篇文章写道，没有党和政府的一系列正确政策，农村的经济形式就不会这么好。（虚
拟式）
This article says that without the series of correct policies of our party and government, the economic situation in rural areas would not be so good. 5. 那篇文章非常难，我读了三遍才弄懂它讲的是什么。（因果式）
That article is so difficult that I had to read it 3 times before I could understand what it was all about.
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