The first 100 people to use the link in the description will receive free unlimited access for one week, plus 25% off a full membership.

前 100 名使用說明中鏈接的用戶將獲得為期一週的免費無限訪問權，以及正式會員資格七五折優惠。

Carl sat on his couch, looking back and forth between his phone and the ceiling, trying to figure out whether he was about to move 10,000 miles away to Australia, leaving his home, girlfriend, family, friends, job, and whole life behind, or not.

卡爾坐在沙發上，來回看著手機和天花板，試圖搞清楚自己是否即將搬到萬里之外的澳洲，離開自己的家、女朋友、家人、朋友、工作和整個生活。

The opportunity to move had suddenly come up when his best friend, Novak, decided he would be moving to Australia with his girlfriend.

當他最好的朋友諾瓦克決定和女友一起搬到澳洲時，搬家的機會突然出現了。

At age 27, Novak was facing a sort of quarter-life crisis and wanted to try and start something new and venture out into the world, while he still felt new himself.

27 歲時，諾瓦克正面臨著四分之一生命的危機，他想嘗試著開始一些新的東西，在自己還感到嶄新的時候，到外面的世界去闖一闖。

Moving to Australia had been both Novak and Carl's dream ever since they were children and their family's vacation there.

諾瓦克和卡爾從小就夢想著去澳洲度假。

They both felt a weird, natural connection with the colors, architecture, people, and feeling of the country.

他們都覺得自己與這個國家的色彩、建築、人民和感覺有一種奇怪而自然的聯繫。

They visited again several times after throughout their teens and early 20s.

在他們十幾歲和二十出頭的時候，他們又去了好幾次。

On one of their trips, when they were 15, Carl and Novak agreed that they would move there when they were older, that and they would start a business together.

在他們 15 歲時的一次旅行中，卡爾和諾瓦克商定，等他們長大了就搬到那裡去住，然後一起創業。

This would remain their dream ever since.

從那時起，這一直是他們的夢想。

As they grew older, though, like most dreams, it began to take a backseat to reality.

但隨著年齡的增長，就像大多數夢想一樣，這些夢想開始被現實所取代。

Carl went to college for accounting in his hometown of Boston and got a job through a professor right after school that he couldn't turn down.

卡爾在家鄉波士頓上的大學，學的是會計專業，畢業後通過一位教授找到了一份他無法拒絕的工作。

Novak had a family member in a tech startup company in Boston, and as a result, he was given an opportunity to work for the company.

諾瓦克有一位家人在波士頓的一家科技創業公司工作，是以，他獲得了為這家公司工作的機會。

However, after four years of Novak working for the company, it was suddenly acquired and he was out of a job.

然而，諾瓦克為公司工作四年後，公司突然被收購，他也是以失業。

As part of the layoff, he was provided with a nice-sized severance package.

作為裁員的一部分，他獲得了一筆數目可觀的遣散費。

And now, with some new extra money and nothing else stopping him, he decided he wanted to start a business and take a major leap of faith in his life.

現在，他有了一些新的外快，而且沒有任何事情能阻止他，他決定要開始創業，實現人生的一次重大飛躍。

His girlfriend, somewhat of a free spirit, was on board with him.

他的女朋友是個自由主義者，也支持他的想法。

Novak came up with the idea of moving to Australia and creating an eco-friendly agri-tech company that utilized Australia's farming industry and its demand for local, farmed-fresh organic food.

諾瓦克萌生了移居澳洲並創建一家生態友好型農業科技公司的想法，該公司將利用澳洲的農業產業及其對當地新鮮有機食品的需求。

One month later, Novak told Carl that he and his girlfriend were moving to Australia within the next couple months.

一個月後，諾瓦克告訴卡爾，他和女友將在接下來的幾個月內搬到澳洲。

He told him about the business idea that he and his girlfriend worked on together and showed him the beta website and app he created.

他向他講述了自己和女友一起研究的創業想法，並向他展示了自己創建的測試版網站和應用程序。

It looked and sounded great and well thought out.

它看起來和聽起來都很棒，而且經過深思熟慮。

Novak's girlfriend had experience working in logistics and Novak understood the business and technology side.

諾瓦克的女友有物流方面的工作經驗，諾瓦克則瞭解業務和技術方面的情況。

They were the perfect duo.

他們是完美的二人組。

When Carl didn't fully understand, Novak explained to him that he wanted him to be a partner in the business and that he should move to Australia with them.

卡爾不完全理解，諾瓦克就向他解釋說，他希望他成為公司的合夥人，他應該和他們一起搬到澳洲。

He told Carl it would be perfect and he could initially be in charge of sales, marketing, outreach, budgeting, and all the finances.

他告訴卡爾，這將是一個完美的選擇，他最初可以負責銷售、營銷、推廣、預算和所有財務工作。

He reminded Carl of their dream and told him how it would only get harder to move and try to create something like this.

他讓卡爾想起了他們的夢想，並告訴他，要想創造出這樣的東西，只會越來越難。

He sort of ridiculed the idea of Carl staying in Boston and working a corporate job for the rest of his life, as if that's what he really wanted.

他有點嘲笑卡爾留在波士頓做一輩子公司職員的想法，好像那才是他真正想要的。

He told Carl how this business had a real chance to help people, how they could build a business model that would provide families with food who couldn't afford it and help the planet by contributing to a more sustainable food industry.

他告訴卡爾，這個企業確實有機會幫助人們，他們可以建立一種商業模式，為買不起食物的家庭提供食物，並通過促進食品行業的可持續發展來幫助地球。

Carl agreed with Novak's points, but told him that he needed a couple days to think about it, at least.

卡爾同意諾瓦克的觀點，但告訴他至少需要幾天時間考慮。

Novak agreed and told him to let him know after he thought about it more.

諾瓦克同意了，並讓他再考慮一下再告訴他。

Over the next day, Carl thought about all the factors associated with the decision.

在接下來的一天裡，卡爾思考了與這個決定相關的所有因素。

He thought about how his mother had recently passed away just two years prior and he and his father had become extremely close ever since.

他想到，就在兩年前，他的母親剛剛去世，從那時起，他和父親的關係就變得非常親密。

His father was not taking it well, and Carl's older brother had a strained relationship with his father, and so, in a way, Carl was all his father had left.

他的父親對此並不滿意，卡爾的哥哥與父親的關係也很緊張，是以，從某種程度上說，卡爾是他父親僅有的親人。

He worried that if he left, it would break him.

他擔心，如果他離開，會讓他崩潰。

Carl also thought about his girlfriend Stephanie.

卡爾還想到了他的女朋友斯蒂芬妮。

They had only been dating a little more than a year, but he had already started imagining a future with her.

他們約會才一年多一點，但他已經開始想象與她的未來。

Things were going well, and they just seemed to click right.

事情進展順利，似乎一拍即合。

He knew that he couldn't expect her to go with him, and he knew a long-distance relationship was bound to fail, if she even agreed to it.

他知道不能指望她跟自己走，他也知道異地戀一定會失敗，如果她同意的話。

He thought about all his other friends and family.

他想到了他的其他朋友和家人。

He knew it wasn't as if they would cease to exist, but he also knew that in a way, their existence would fade a little.

他知道，他們並不會就此消失，但他也知道，在某種程度上，他們的存在會一點點地消逝。

Perhaps so much so for some, that it would almost be as if they no longer existed at all.

也許對某些人來說，他們已經不存在了。

Then he thought about his current job.

然後，他想到了自己現在的工作。

He worked for a great firm with great benefits, and he had finally started making some headway in the company.

他在一家福利很好的公司工作，他終於開始在公司裡有所建樹。

There was a lot of financial promise ahead of him, and he knew it was the more prudent career bet.

他的前途一片光明，他知道這是更穩妥的職業賭注。

But then, at the same time, he thought about how a greater risk meant a potentially greater reward.

但與此同時，他又想到，更大的風險意味著潛在的更大回報。

He didn't mind his current job, but it was fairly tedious and unexciting.

他並不介意目前的工作，但這份工作相當乏味，也不令人興奮。

He sort of just happened into it as a means of a conservative career path.

他只是偶然走上了這條保守的職業道路。

He had always dreamed of being a part of building a business and creating a more meaningful impact and legacy for himself.

他一直夢想著參與企業建設，為自己創造更有意義的影響和遺產。

Furthermore, he never particularly liked Boston.

此外，他從來沒有特別喜歡過波士頓。

He had always wanted to move to the countryside ever since he was a kid.

他從小就想搬到鄉下住。

Specifically, he always envisioned a future where he lived in Australia.

具體來說，他一直憧憬著未來能在澳洲生活。

It was just one of those things that he had convinced himself of.

這只是他說服自己的其中一件事。

And now, at 27, Carl felt an urge to leave home and forge his own life for himself while he was still young.

而現在，27 歲的卡爾有一種衝動，想趁著年輕離開家，為自己創造屬於自己的生活。

He wondered how he could turn down such an opportunity to move to his dream location with his best friend and try to build something potentially important and helpful.

他在想，自己怎麼能拒絕這樣一個機會，和最好的朋友一起搬到他夢想的地方，並嘗試建立一些可能很重要、很有幫助的東西。

How could he turn his back on his own vision of his future when it was right in front of him?

未來就在眼前，他怎麼能背棄自己對未來的憧憬呢？

For the following three days, Carl thought about the decision every waking second, ruminating back and forth between the potential outcomes of both choices.

在接下來的三天裡，卡爾每分每秒都在思考這個決定，在兩個選擇的潛在結果之間來回徘徊。

After four days, it seemed as if no matter how hard he tried, he made no progress in the decision.

四天後，似乎無論他如何努力，都無法在決定上取得進展。

He remained equally unsure as to what he should do on the fourth day as the first.

第四天和第一天一樣，他仍然不知道自己該做些什麼。

Both options seemed impossible to decipher.

這兩種選擇似乎都無法破解。

It wasn't an equation with numeric values or obvious reasoning.

這不是一個有數值或明顯推理的等式。

Each option was completely different, with their own entirely different set of variables and values, with no ability to know what any of it equated to.

每個選項都完全不同，都有自己完全不同的變量和數值，而且無法知道其中的任何等價物。

Carl had purposely held off sharing the situation with anyone else so to avoid getting anyone upset before he had a better sense of what he was going to do himself, but by this point, he needed someone else's opinion.

卡爾特意沒有把情況告訴其他人，以免在他自己有了更好的判斷之前讓別人不高興，但到了這一步，他需要別人的意見。

Over the next two days, Carl told his father, his girlfriend, two of his other close friends, and his aunt.

在接下來的兩天裡，卡爾告訴了他的父親、女友、另外兩個好友和姑姑。

He asked each of them what they thought he should do.

他問他們每個人認為他應該怎麼做。

Everyone gave him different answers.

每個人都給了他不同的答案。

His dad and one of his friends said he should go.

他爸爸和他的一個朋友說他應該去。

His aunt and his other friends said he should stay.

他的姨媽和其他朋友說他應該留下來。

His girlfriend didn't give him a straight answer, but her tears said everything Carl needed to know.

他的女朋友沒有直接回答他，但她的眼淚卻道出了卡爾想知道的一切。

They all had perfectly good, rational explanations for what they suggested, and yet, Carl was no better off.

他們對自己的建議都有非常好的、合理的解釋，但卡爾的情況並沒有好轉。

He wondered how each answer could sound equally reasonable, but be completely contradictory.

他想知道為什麼每個答案聽起來都同樣合理，但卻完全矛盾。

On the sixth night of indecision, Carl went on a walk around the city to try and clear his head.

在猶豫不決的第六天晚上，卡爾去城裡散步，試圖理清思緒。

He walked late into the night, all around the city and along the harbor.

他走到深夜，走遍了整個城市和港口。

Eventually, he found himself on a bench facing the water, completely secluded in a sectioned-off corner of a pathway.

最後，他發現自己坐在一張面朝水面的長椅上，完全隱蔽在小路的一個被隔開的角落裡。

He sat, and he thought.

他坐著，思考著。

He thought about how his entire future was hinged on this one decision contained inside his head, that in his brain was the power to facilitate one move that would contort his entire world forever, and yet, he couldn't even know what choice was right.

他想，他的整個未來都取決於他腦子裡的這一個決定，他的大腦有能力促成一個將永遠改變他整個世界的舉動，然而，他甚至不知道什麼樣的選擇才是正確的。

He thought about how insane this was, to be given the ability to make decisions, but not given the ability to ever know the consequences of them.

他想這是多麼瘋狂的一件事，他有能力做出決定，卻沒有能力知道決定的後果。

He felt like he was blind and being forced to drive a car.

他覺得自己像個瞎子，還被迫開車。

He wished he could just know how both options would play out.

他希望自己能知道這兩種選擇的結果。

Then he would know which one to choose.

這樣他就知道該選哪一個了。

Overwhelmed, Carl looked out at the stars and moon, glimmering against the water.

卡爾不知所措，望著水面上閃爍的星星和月亮。

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

他閉上眼睛，深深地吸了一口氣。

Suddenly, an older man walked past Carl and sat on a bench just a couple feet away.

突然，一位老人從卡爾身邊走過，坐在了幾英尺外的長椅上。

This jolted Carl to attention.

這讓卡爾恍然大悟。

He was immediately surprised by anyone being in the same secluded pathway, and was curious as to why a man who looked to be at least in his 80s would be out alone at 2 AM.

他立刻對有人出現在同一條僻靜的小道上感到驚訝，並對一個看起來至少 80 多歲的人為什麼會在凌晨 2 點獨自外出感到好奇。

Worried that the man was perhaps unwell or lost, Carl decided to ask him if he was okay.

卡爾擔心這個人可能身體不適或迷路了，於是決定問問他是否還好。

Politely, he turned and leaned over to the man and said, How's everything going tonight?

他禮貌地轉過身，俯身對那人說，今晚一切都好嗎？

The man slowly turned towards Carl and said, Good.

那人慢慢轉向卡爾，說：很好。

How about yourself?

你自己呢？

Good.

很好。

Carl responded.

卡爾迴應道。

Is everything okay?

一切都還好嗎？

Yeah, everything's great.

是的，一切都很好。

It's a beautiful night, isn't it?

夜色很美，不是嗎？

Replied the old man.

老人回答道。

Carl looked up to the sky.

卡爾仰望天空。

Yeah, it is.

是的，就是這樣。

He agreed.

他同意了。

Then they sat quietly.

然後，他們靜靜地坐著。

As Carl sort of jumped back and forth between contemplating his decision again and being distracted by the man's strange presence, the idea of asking the man his opinion occurred to Carl.

卡爾又在考慮自己的決定，又被這個人奇怪的出現所困擾，就在這兩頭來回跳動的時候，卡爾突然想到了詢問這個人的意見。

He looked over to the man and asked him if he could ask him a question.

他看了看那個人，問他是否可以問他一個問題。

Yeah, sure.

是的，當然。

Shoot.

拍攝。

The man replied.

那人回答道。

Carl then went on and described his predicament.

卡爾接著描述了他的困境。

He explained the business, his job, his girlfriend, his best friend, his father, and everything else.

他解釋了生意、工作、女朋友、最好的朋友、父親以及其他一切。

Then he asked the old man what he would do.

然後，他問老人會怎麼做。

The man laughed a little, as if he had some experience or insight about the subject that was comical to him.

那人微微一笑，似乎對這個話題有什麼經驗或見解，讓他覺得很滑稽。

So, you want to make the right choice, but you don't know what the right choice is?

所以，你想做出正確的選擇，但你不知道什麼是正確的選擇？

The old man asked.

老人問道。

Yeah, exactly.

是啊，沒錯。

Carl replied.

卡爾回答道。

I'm completely lost.

我完全糊塗了。

I wish I could just know what both would be like, you know?

我真希望我能知道這兩者會是什麼樣子，你知道嗎？

Yeah, if only, the old man said with another chuckle.

是啊，要是這樣就好了，老人又笑著說。

Wouldn't that make everything easier?

這樣不就什麼都好辦了嗎？

They sat quietly for a moment while the man thought.

他們靜靜地坐了一會兒，男人在思考。

Then he said, what if you just decide right now based on what I choose?

然後他說，如果你現在就根據我的選擇做出決定呢？

Someone who basically doesn't know you at all.

一個根本不瞭解你的人。

It'll be like flipping a coin, but the coin has a brain and understands the situation a little.

這就像擲硬幣，但硬幣是有腦子的，它能理解一些情況。

Somehow this made sense to Carl, and after thinking for a moment, he agreed.

卡爾覺得很有道理，想了一會兒，他同意了。

He just needed it to be over.

他只是需要結束。

The old man paused and then quickly said, alright, you're gone.

老人停頓了一下，然後很快說，好吧，你走了。

In a desperate clinging to reason, Carl asked the old man, what made you choose that?

卡爾在絕望中堅持理智，問老人，你為什麼會這樣選擇？

I guess you'll have to find that out, replied the old man.

老人回答說，我想你得自己去找答案。

Carl sat for a moment processing the fact that he was going to do what the man just said.

卡爾坐了一會兒，想了想，還是決定照他剛才說的做。

Then, when he got up and went to thank the man and wish him a good night, he was gone.

然後，當他起身去感謝那個人並祝願他晚安時，那個人已經走了。

Carl figured he must have just left while he was thinking and didn't hear him say goodbye.

卡爾猜想他一定是在思考的時候離開了，沒有聽到他說再見。

Five weeks later, Carl was on a plane with Novak and Novak's girlfriend headed to Australia.

五週之後，卡爾和諾瓦克以及諾瓦克的女友一起坐上了飛往澳洲的飛機。

Twenty years would go by.

一晃二十年過去了。

Carl has remained in Australia ever since he moved.

卡爾搬家後一直留在澳洲。

He now considers it home.

現在，他把這裡當成了家。

Even after twenty years, it still feels amazing to him.

即使已經過去了二十年，他仍然覺得不可思議。

A walk along the coast or into the countryside never ceases to amaze him and bring him a little peace.

在海邊或鄉間漫步總能給他帶來驚喜和寧靜。

He and Stephanie broke up within the first three months of trying to maintain some form of a long-distance relationship.

他和斯蒂芬妮在試圖保持某種形式的異地戀的頭三個月就分手了。

One and a half years later, he met a woman named Natalie and fell in love almost instantly.

一年半後，他遇到了一位名叫娜塔莉的女士，幾乎一見鍾情。

They got married three years later, and they now have two healthy boys who have provided Carl's life with a great source of purpose and love.

三年後，他們結婚了，現在有了兩個健康的兒子，他們給卡爾的生活帶來了巨大的目標和愛的源泉。

Carl, Novak, and Novak's girlfriend's business ran for about six years until unforeseen industry changes, operational problems, and regulations forced them to shut it down.

卡爾、諾瓦克和諾瓦克女友的公司經營了大約六年，直到不可預見的行業變化、經營問題和法規迫使他們關閉了公司。

They had tried pivoting the business model several times before it failed, all with no luck.

在失敗之前，他們曾多次嘗試調整商業模式，但都無功而返。

During this time, however, Carl discovered a surprisingly strong passion for the farming process himself.

不過，在此期間，卡爾發現自己對農業生產過程的熱情出奇地高漲。

A year after the original business ended, Carl bought a small indoor farm facility and started his own personal farming business.

原來的生意結束一年後，卡爾買下了一個小型室內農場設施，開始了自己的個人農業經營。

The business became profitable in the first three years, but the profit ceiling is low and it brings in a fairly small amount of money each month.

企業在頭三年開始盈利，但利潤上限很低，每月帶來的收入也相當少。

His wife, who works as a freelance copywriter, doesn't bring in much money either.

他的妻子是一名自由撰稿人，收入也不高。

Because of the low income and the expenses of two children, the financial burden made Carl and Natalie horrible and bitter to one another.

由於收入不高，加上兩個孩子的開銷，經濟負擔讓卡爾和娜塔莉彼此感到可怕和痛苦。

Their personalities just never quite clicked after the early phases of the marriage.

他們的性格在婚姻的早期階段之後就沒有完全融合過。

They've stayed together for the kids, but they're miserable.

為了孩子，他們一直在一起，但他們很痛苦。

Carl and Novak have remained close during and after the business and have formed a nice little friend group with others they've met along the way.

在創業期間和創業之後，卡爾和諾瓦克一直保持著親密的關係，並與一路上遇到的其他人組成了一個不錯的朋友圈。

Even though the original plan didn't work out, Carl feels connected with his work, and contributing directly to a local sustainable food industry gives him the occasional sense of pride.

儘管最初的計劃沒有成功，但卡爾覺得自己的工作與當地的可持續食品工業息息相關，而直接為當地的可持續食品工業做出貢獻也讓他偶爾感到自豪。

However, it has come at the cost of constant financial burden, heavy stress, and minimal free time.

然而，這是以持續的經濟負擔、沉重的壓力和極少的空閒時間為代價的。

Carl isn't happy, but he isn't unhappy.

卡爾並不快樂，但他並沒有不開心。

He's a mix of both, depending on the time or day.

他是兩者的混合體，取決於時間或天氣。

As the years went by, Carl visited home less and less.

隨著時間的流逝，卡爾回家的次數越來越少。

He would go home and visit his father most Christmases and special occasions, but eventually he started missing a few years here and there.

大多數聖誕節和特殊節日，他都會回家看望父親，但最終他開始時不時地缺席幾年。

The last time he visited his father was at his funeral.

他最後一次探望父親是在父親的葬禮上。

At the service, Carl stood looking down at his father's lifeless body.

在祭奠儀式上，卡爾站在一旁看著父親失去生命的屍體。

He looked around at old friends, family members, neighbors, his brother who he hadn't seen in five years.

他環顧四周，看看老朋友、家人、鄰居，還有五年未見的弟弟。

He looked at his wife.

他看著妻子。

He immediately needed to get some fresh air.

他立即需要呼吸一些新鮮空氣。

After the service was over, he walked to the bar down the street that he would go to when he was in his 20s.

儀式結束後，他走到街邊的酒吧，那是他 20 多歲時常去的地方。

As fate would have it, he passed by Stephanie.

天意弄人，他與斯蒂芬妮擦肩而過。

They noticed each other, hugged, and talked for a little while.

他們注意到了對方，擁抱在一起，聊了一會兒。

Carl told her why he was home, and she said she was sorry.

卡爾告訴她自己回家的原因，她說她很抱歉。

It was weird.