English Edition | C#56 兩千年後，人類仍在追求同一件事Let’s start by revisiting the last episode about Qin Shi Huang and Xu Fu’s quest for immortality. Over two thousand years ago, Qin Shi Huang, standing at the peak of power, wanted to live forever. So, he sent Xu Fu, along with a group of boys and girls, across the sea to search for the elixir of life. This time, as I reread the story of Qin Shi Huang sending Xu Fu to find the elixir, a question popped into my mind: What would humanity be like if we fast-forwarded two thousand years? On the surface, it seems like we no longer believe in immortals or magical elixirs. But if we think about it more deeply, is what we’re chasing now really all that different from back then? I think the only difference is the name. What people once called “eternal life,” we now call “medical aesthetics” or “anti-aging products.” From that perspective, Qin Shi Huang’s search for immortality doesn’t seem so strange. In fact, he might have been a lot like each of us. Think about it—he had the most power, the most resources, and access to the most information of anyone in the world. And precisely because of that, he must have understood better than anyone else: no matter how powerful you are, life has an endpoint. I often feel that what humans truly fear isn’t death itself, but the loss of control. Facing the unknown of death is scary. We’re used to controlling our lives, keeping things stable, but when we realize that life will inevitably end, that sense of unease is hard to accept. So, Qin Shi Huang wanting to extend his life actually makes a lot of sense—he just wanted to make sure his future was something he could control. Looking at Xu Fu’s journey from today’s perspective, it almost seems like an “experiment.” It’s as if he believed that with the right method and enough preparation, he could reach the immortal mountains. Xu Fu set out twice to find the elixir for Qin Shi Huang. On the first trip, they encountered a gigantic sea creature blocking the way. Before the second journey, he asked Qin Shi Huang to help remove these obstacles, then set off again—this time well-prepared with enough people and supplies. But something happened, and Xu Fu never returned. Back then, people chased “health.” Today, “staying young” has become the keyword. We don’t just want to live; we want to remain youthful, hoping that ten, twenty, or even fifty years from now, we can look the same as we do today. Imagine walking down a familiar street in ten years and running into an old friend. They look at you and exclaim, “Wow, you haven’t changed a bit!” In that moment, don’t you think you’d secretly feel a little happy inside? With technological progress, we’ve started imagining the future as something we can continuously repair. Skin can be rejuvenated, cells can regenerate, muscles can be restored…But life itself cannot be infinitely extended, and that makes many of us anxious. We worry about the fact that one day, we will die. So, clever as we are, we use technology to study how to edit our DNA, hoping, like Qin Shi Huang, to achieve immortality. Yet we forget to ask ourselves: If life had no end, would we really be ready for it? If life could go on forever, would the choices we make now even matter? If we were destined to live forever, we wouldn’t have to endure the pain of loss, or face the fear of aging. Would our bodies then just be a shell—something we could replace when it breaks? I actually feel that life’s value comes precisely from its limits. Because life is finite, and time is limited, we think about doing our best. Because we know we will eventually lose things, we learn to cherish the present. Two thousand years ago, Qin Shi Huang stood at the peak of power but couldn’t let go of his pursuit of eternity. Two thousand years later, we live in a time of rapidly advancing technology, yet we’re still asking the same question: Can I live a little longer? I often think that maybe what humans really need isn’t a longer life, but learning to let go and enjoy the life we have. And that’s why, even after two thousand years, I feel this story is still worth sharing. Phrase of the Week活在當下 (Huó zài dāngxià)Meaning: Live in the present / Seize the moment. Sample Sentences: 1. 別總是擔心明天，學會活在當下才是最重要的。
2. 旅行時，我們應該放下手機，活在當下。
３. 面對親人的離去，我學會了活在當下。
4. 活在當下，是更珍惜每一刻。
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