知乎精选：一辈子单身很难吗？（中英双语）

　　Is it hard to live as a bachelor your whole life?

　　一辈子单身很难吗?

　　获得10.7k好评的答案@Jay Bazzinotti：

　　Yes it is and sucks more and more as you get older.

　　很难，而且年纪越大，单身就越难。

　　Speaking as a single, 54 year old man who has never been married I can tell you that being alone as you get older is a scary and unpleasant proposition.

　　作为一个从没结过婚的54岁单身老男人来说，我能告诉你，当你老了还是一个人的话，这是一件既可怕又讨厌的事。

　　Now, it's relatively easy to find anyone to marry but it's not just as easy as grabbing the first available woman who will have you and tying the knot.

　　当然，现在是很容易就可以找到人结婚，但是想要吸引一个愿意和你结婚的未婚女子却没有那么容易。

　　As you get older you become more aware and sure of your values and what you want.

　　年纪越大，你对自己的价值观和自己想要的东西就越了解。

　　If you are not careful you become inflexible and unable to negotiate those values.

　　如果你不注意这些，你就会成为一个老顽固，无法同那些价值观妥协。

　　I don't regret the good times I had or the adventures or the exciting romantic rendezvous but I think all those things pale in comparison to sharing consistent, cohesive moments with someone you build a future with and plan to grow old with, and do.

　　我并不后悔在冒险或令人兴奋的浪漫约会上花费的美好时光，但是我觉得，和找到一个共度一生的人分享持久而和谐团聚的时刻相比，那些事显得太过苍白无力。

　　In addition, the silence of being alone is deafening.

　　除此之外，独自一人时的寂静太过难受。

　　You can fill your hours with activities, reading, volunteering and more but coming home to an empty house and wondering who will find you if you die alone in the middle of the night, and who will even care, is one of the most pathetic fears of an aging bachelor's life.

　　你可以用活动、阅读、当志愿者和其它事情充实自己的生活，但是回家之后，面对着空无一人的屋子，你会想，如果你在深夜孤独死去，有谁会来找你、有谁会在乎你?对于一个日渐老去的单身汉来说，这是生活中最悲哀可怕的事情之一。

　　I still live in hope that somewhere out there is the love of my life, waiting to be discovered somehow, but it's with increasing fear and doubt that that hope is threatened.

　　我仍然抱有希望，我一生的真爱就在某地，正等着我以某种方式发现她，但是在逐渐加剧的恐惧和怀疑中，这希望渐渐消散。

　　获得1.2k好评的答案@Anirudh Anupama：

　　Nope. I have an uncle who is 65 and has been divorced and single since past 35 years.

　　不难。我有一个65岁的叔叔，他从离婚开始已经单身35年了。

　　He enjoys his life to the full extent. He has been an X- Ray technician in a cancer hospital for whole of his life and is working after retirement too.

　　他完全是在享受生活。他一辈子都在一家肿瘤医院做X光技术员，在退休以后也仍在工作。

　　He earns decent amount to fund his regular visits to near by pilgrimage places.

　　他的收入相当充裕，足够他定期去附近的朝圣地转转。

　　I have asked him several times and discussed about his life as a single.

　　我也问了他几次，和他讨论了作为单身汉的生活。

　　He has told me one thing which has motivated me the most, "If you can enjoy your own company, then you need no one else to entertain you all the time."

　　他告诉我一件非常鼓舞我的事：“如果你能够享受自己一个人的生活，那么你就没必要让另一个人来一直取悦你。”

　　获得317好评的答案@Steven Clarke：

　　No. I'm 56 and have never been married. I have no children.

　　不难。我今年56岁，从没结过婚，也没有孩子。

　　I've had my ups and downs, but so have my married friends.

　　我经历了人生中的高低起伏，但是我那些已婚朋友们也同样经历了那些。

　　Being married doesn't guarantee happiness. Being single doesn't condemn one to misery.

　　结婚并不能保证幸福，单身也不意味着不幸。

　　There are many paths through life, all are complicated and most have their share of joy and misery.

　　人生之路有很多条，每一天都很复杂，都有其快乐与不幸。

　　Staring longingly at an idealized picture of someone else's path will only result in missing out on the joy and richness of experience on your own path.

　　用渴望的目光看着别人那条理想化的路途，只会让你错失了自己人生之路上的欢乐与丰富经历。