牧羊少年奇幻之旅

保羅·科埃略（Paulo Coelho）1947年出生于里約熱內盧市一個中產階級家庭，少年時期便立志成為一名職業作家。受到《一千零一夜》中一個故事的啟發，保羅·科埃略創作出版了寓言故事《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》（又譯《煉金術士》）。這本書是保羅最成功的作品，為他贏得了無數獎項。

《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》講述的是人生的尋夢歷程：西班牙牧羊少年圣地亞哥做了兩次同樣的夢，夢見他能在埃及金字塔附近找到一批埋藏的珍寶。他跨海來到非洲，穿越一望無際的撒哈拉大沙漠，一路奇遇迭起，最后他終于看到了金字塔，并悟出了珍寶的藏身之地?！赌裂蛏倌昶婊弥谩肥且徊筷P于追求夢想、完善人生的寓言故事，充滿神秘色彩而又不脫離實際。少年雖然得到神的啟發和幫助，但一路上仍然要經歷無數劫難和誘惑才最終找到寶藏。這部富有強烈象征色彩的作品在世界各地受到盛贊，也是惟一一本譯本語種超過《圣經》的書。對寓言故事的解讀，從來就沒有統一的答案，但似乎許多讀過這本書的人都會被震撼、感動或從中獲得啟發，在實現夢想的道路上重新獲得勇氣，這也正是這本書成為傳世經典、被無數人推崇的原因吧。

文章節選自第二章，少年因向往游歷各地而當了一名牧羊人，他兩次做夢看到自己在金字塔下找到寶藏，但他對此感到懷疑，沒有動搖要當一個自由快樂的牧羊人的決心。他正準備到一個商人家賣羊毛，這時，撒冷之王出現了……

When you want something， all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

“What was going on？ Are you really the King of Salem？” the boy asked， awed and embarrassed. “Why would a king be talking with a shepherd？”

“For several reasons. But let us say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your destiny.”

The boy didnt know what a persons“destiny” was.

“Its what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone， when they are young， knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives， everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream， and to 1）yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But， as time passes， a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny. Its a force that appears to be negative， but actually shows you how to realize your destiny. It prepares your spirit and your will， because there is one great truth on this planet： whoever you are， or whatever it is that you do， when you really want something， its because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. Its your mission on earth.”

“Even when all you want to do is travel？ Or marry the daughter of a textile merchant？”

“Yes， or even search for treasure. The soul of the world is nourished by peoples happiness and also by unhappiness， envy， and jealousy. To realize ones destiny is a persons only real obligation. All things are one. And， when you want something， all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

“Why do you tend a flock of sheep？” he asked.

“Because I like to travel.”

The old man pointed to a baker standing in his shop window at one corner of the plaza. “When he was a child， that man wanted to travel， too. But he decided first to buy his bakery and put some money aside. ”

“He should have decided to become a shepherd，” the boy said.

“Well， he thought about that，” the old man said. “But bakers are more important people than shepherds. Bakers have homes， while shepherds sleep out in the open. Parents would rather see their children marry bakers than shepherds.”

The boy felt a pang in his heart， thinking about the merchants daughter. There was surely a baker in her town.

The old man continued， “In the long run， what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own destinies.”

The old man 2）leafed through the book， and fell to reading a page he came to. The boy waited， and then interrupted the old man just as he himself had been interrupted， “Why are you telling me all this？”

“Because you are trying to realize your destiny. And you are at the point where youre about to give it all up.”

“And thats when you always appear on the scene？”

“Not always in this way， but I always appear in one form or another. Sometimes I appear in the form of a solution， or a good idea. At other times， at a crucial moment， I make it easier for things to happen. There are other things I do， too， but most of the time people dont realize Ive done them.”

The boy reminded the old man that he had said something about hidden treasure.

“Treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water， and it is buried by the same currents，” said the old man. “If you want to learn about your own treasure， you will have to give me one-tenth of your flock.”

“What about one-tenth of my treasure？”

The old man looked disappointed. “If you start out by promising what you dont even have yet， youll lose your desire to work toward getting it.”

“怎么回事，你真的是撒冷之王嗎？”男孩問，帶著敬畏和羞慚?！盀槭裁匆晃粐鯐砀粋€牧羊人說話？”

“有幾個原因。不過最重要的是你已經發現了自己的天命?！?/p>

男孩不懂一個人的“天命”是什么。

“天命就是你一直想去做的事。每個人在他們年輕的時候，都知道自己的天命。那時，每件事都很清晰，一切皆有可能。他們敢于夢想，也不畏懼去渴求生命中任何他們想要得到的事物。然而，隨著歲月流逝，一股神秘的力量將會說服人們，讓他們相信他們根本不可能完成自己的天命。這股力量看似消極，實則它是在引導你去完成你的天命。它能淬練你的精神、磨礪你的意志，因為世上有一個不朽的真理：不管你是誰，不管你是做什么的，要是你非?？释硞€事物，那是由于這個渴望源于天地之心。那就是你在世上的使命?！?/p>

“即使你所渴望的只不過是去旅行？或者是娶一位布料商人的女兒？”

“是的，或者甚至是去尋寶。天地之心依賴人們的幸福，或者不幸、嫉妒和猜忌而滋長。完成自己的天命，是每個人一生惟一的職責。萬物都是一個聯系的整體。而當你真心懷有某種渴望，整個宇宙都會聯手幫助你實現愿望?！?/p>

“你為什么會想要當個牧羊人？”撒冷之王問。

“因為我想要旅行?！?/p>

廣場一角有一家面包店，櫥窗邊站著一位面包師，老人指著他說，“在他年輕時，他也渴望去旅行，但他決定先買間面包店，攢些錢?！?/p>

“他實在應該去當牧羊人的，”男孩說。

“嗯，他曾經想過，”老人說，“不過，面包師傅的地位比牧羊人要高。面包師傅有自己的房屋，而牧羊人卻只能露宿野外。每個父母都比較希望看到自己的孩子嫁給面包師傅，而不是牧羊人?！?/p>

男孩的心咚地跳了一下，想起了商人的女兒。在她鎮上當然有個面包師了。

老人繼續說道：“從長遠看，別人對牧羊人和面包師的看法就會變得比自己的天命重要?！?/p>

老人翻閱著書本，準備讀讀翻到的那一頁。男孩就在那兒等著，突然，他打斷老人，就像老人當時突然跟他說話那樣：“你為什么要跟我說這些？”

“因為你想要完成自己的天命，而你正好處在一個想要放棄它的時刻?！?/p>

“你總會在這種時刻出現嗎？”

“不一定是以這種方式，但我總會出現，時而以這一種樣子，時而又是另一種樣子。有時我甚至是以一個難題的解決辦法、一個好靈感的形式出現在人們面前;而在另外一些重要時刻，我會讓事情變得簡單一點。我還做過許多其他的事，不過大多數時候，人們并不知道我為他們做了那樣的事情?！?/p>

男孩提醒老人他說過關于隱藏的寶藏的事情。

“寶藏要靠流水的力量沖刷才能現露出來，但也正是水流的力量把寶藏埋在地下?！崩先苏f，“你如果想要知道你的寶藏的事情，就必須給我十分之一的羊?！?/p>

“我給你十分之一的寶藏行嗎？”

老人露出失望的表情，“如果一開始就去許諾你根本還沒擁有的東西，你就會失去獲得它的欲望?！?/p>