1947年，保罗·柯艾略出生于里约热内卢市(Rio De Janeiro)一个中产阶级家庭，少年时期的他便立志成为一名成功的职业作家。在从事文学创作之前，他曾担任过编剧、剧场导演和记者等工作，并创作过六十余首歌词，后因沉迷于研究炼金术、魔法、吸血鬼等神秘事物，便开始周游世界，探寻人类尚未完全开发的这些领域。1986年，他从法国南部穿越比利牛斯山脉(Pyrenees)，到达西班牙加利西亚(Galicia)的圣地亚哥(Santiago)朝圣，次年他创作了《朝圣》(The Pilgrimage)，讲述其旅程中的体验以及受到的启示。此书一经推出，便备受关注，好评如潮。1988年，他出版了具有高度象征意义的寓言故事《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》(The Alchemist，原译为《炼金术士》)。该书自出版后，引起强烈反响，被译为多种语言在世界各地一版再版，其出版语种甚至超越了《圣经》，语言版本达68种而刷新了吉尼斯纪录，畅销160多个国家和地区。由于其作品的深远影响力，保罗·柯艾略于2007年被任命为联合国和平大使。
《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》讲述的是西班牙牧羊少年圣地亚哥(Santiago)的寻梦旅程。牧羊少年两次做了同样的梦，梦见他能在埃及金字塔附近找到一批埋藏的珍宝。百思不得其解的他找到一位吉普赛占卜女巫为他解梦。占卜女巫要求少年发誓以所得宝藏的十分之一作为交换，随后“指点”少年前往宝藏所在之地——埃及金字塔。少年觉得这个解释毫无意义，认定吉普赛人都是骗子，失望至极的他决定永远不再相信梦，也决定永远忘记这个梦和梦中的宝藏，继续自己的牧羊生活，不料却在这时巧遇一个主动上前与他攀谈的古怪老人。以下节选便出自牧羊少年和老人的交谈。
节选
And what do you do in Salem[1]?" he insisted.
“您在撒冷是干什么的？”他继续追问。
"What do I do in Salem?" The old man laughed. "Well, I'm the king of Salem!"
“我在撒冷是干什么的？”老人笑了。“唔，我是撒冷之王！”
People say strange things, the boy thought. Sometimes it's better to be with the sheep, who don't say anything. And better still to be alone with one's books. They tell their incredible stories at the time when you want to hear them. But when you're talking to people, they say some things that are so strange that you don't know how to continue the conversation.
人总是说些很奇怪的话，男孩心想。有时候和羊儿待在一起更舒服，因为它们不说话。或者不如独自看看书。书本只有在你想听时才会给你讲一些令人难以置信的故事。可当你和人说起话来，他们会讲些稀奇古怪的东西，你都不知道该如何继续和他们说下去。
"My name is Melchizedek[2]," said the old man. "How many sheep do you have?"
“我叫麦基洗德，”老人说。“你有多少只羊？”
"Enough," said the boy. He could see that the old man wanted to know more about his life.
“够多的。”男孩说。他看得出来，老人想更多地了解他的生活。
"Well, then, we've got a problem. I can't help you if you feel you've got enough sheep."
“哦，那样的话就麻烦了。如果你觉得你的羊已经挺多了，我就没法帮你了。”
The boy was getting irritated[3]. He wasn't asking for help. It was the old man who had asked for a drink of his wine, and had started the conversation.
男孩生气了。他并没有请求帮助。反倒是老人问他要酒喝，并且和他扯起了话头。
"Give me my book," the boy said. "I have to go and gather my sheep and get going."
“把书还给我吧，”男孩说道，“我得去赶我的羊群上路了。”
"Give me one-tenth of your sheep," said the old man, "and I'll tell you how to find the hidden treasure."
“你把十分之一的羊分送给我，”老人说，“我就教你怎样找到埋藏的珍宝。”
The boy remembered his dream, and suddenly everything was clear to him. But before the boy could say anything, the old man leaned over, picked up a stick, and began to write in the sand of the plaza. Something bright reflected from his chest with such intensity[4] that the boy was momentarily[5] blinded. With a movement that was too quick for someone his age, the man covered whatever it was with his cape. When his vision returned to normal, the boy was able to read what the old man had written in the sand.
男孩想起了他的梦，突然之间，一切都明朗了起来。可是还不等男孩开口说话，老人就俯下身子，拾起一根木棍，开始在广场的沙地上写了起来。他怀里有个亮亮的东西一闪，放射出非常强烈的光芒，使男孩感到一阵目眩。老人以一个他这种年纪的人很难做到的极敏捷的动作，用披肩将那个不知是什么的东西遮盖住了。等到男孩的视力恢复正常后，他看清了老人在沙地上写了些什么。
There, in the sand of the plaza of that small city, the boy read the names of his father and his mother and the name of the seminary[6] he had attended. He read the name of the merchant's daughter, which he hadn't even known, and he read things he had never told anyone.
就在那里，这个小城广场的沙地上，男孩看到了自己父亲和母亲的名字，也看到了他曾经就读的神学院的名字。他看到了那个商人的女儿的名字(编者注：少年暗恋的对象)，而这是他原先不知道的。他还读到了一些他从未告诉过任何人的事情。
"I'm the king of Salem," the old man had said.
“我是撒冷之王。”老人说。
"Why would a king be talking with a shepherd?" the boy asked, awed[7] and embarrassed[8].
“一个国王为什么要和一个牧羊人交谈呢？”男孩问，充满敬畏而且显得局促不安。
"For several reasons. But let's say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your destiny."
“有好几个原因。但我觉得，最重要的是你已经发现了你的天命。”
The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was.
男孩不懂什么是人的“天命”。
"It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is.
“天命就是你一直期望成功完成的事情。所有人刚步入青年时代时，都知道自己的天命是什么。”
"At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn[9] 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."
“在他们人生的那一时刻，一切都清清楚楚，一切都是可能的。他们敢于梦想，期待他们喜欢见到的一切发生在自己的生活之中。但是，随着时光流逝，一种神秘的力量开始试图使他们相信，他们不可能实现自己的天命。”
None of what the old man was saying made much sense to the boy. But he wanted to know what the "mysterious force" was.
对于老人所说的话，男孩并不太懂。但是他想知道什么是“神秘的力量”。
"It's 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, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth."
“它是一种看似有害的力量，但其实它会教你如何去实现自己的天命。它能锻炼你的精神，砥砺你的意志，因为在这个地球上有一个伟大的真理：无论你是谁，或者无论你在做什么事，当你真心想得到某种东西时，那是因为这种愿望来源于宇宙的灵魂。它就是你来到世间的使命。”
"Even when all you want to do is travel? Or marry the daughter of a textile merchant?"
“哪怕你想要的仅仅是外出旅行？者是与一位纺织品商人的女儿结婚？”
"Yes, or even search for treasure. The Soul of the World is nourished[10] by people's happiness. And also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy. To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation[11]. All things are one.
“是的，或者甚至是去寻找财宝。世界之魂由人们的幸福所滋养，也由人们的不幸、羡慕和嫉妒所滋养。实现自己的天命是一个人唯一的真正责任。天下万物，皆归于一。”
"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires[12] in helping you to achieve it."
“而且，当你有所渴求时，整个宇宙都会共同帮助你去实现自己的愿望。”
They were both silent for a time, observing the plaza and the townspeople. It was the old man who spoke first.
他们俩都沉默了片刻，望着广场和城里的人们。老人先开口说话了。
"Why do you tend[13] a flock of sheep?"
“你为什么要牧羊呢？”
"Because I like to travel."
“因为我喜欢旅行。”
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. When he's an old man, he's going to spend a month in Africa. He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of."
在广场的一角，有一个面包师站在自己店铺的橱窗里，老人用手指着他说：“在他小时候，也一直希望四处旅行。但他却决定要先买下属于自己的面包店，攒些钱。等他老了，再到非洲去待上一个月。他从来都不明白，不论在自己人生的何种时候，人都有能力去做自己梦想的事情。”
"He should have decided to become a shepherd," the boy said.
“他要选择当一个牧羊人就好了。”男孩说。
"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."
“唔，他曾经考虑过，”老人说，“但是面包师比牧羊人更有地位。面包师有自己的房子，而牧羊人却要露宿野外。作父母的宁可把女儿嫁给面包师也不嫁给牧羊人。”
The old man continued, "In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own destinies."
老人继续说：“说到底，对人们来说，人们对面包师和牧羊人的看法，竟比他们自己的天命还更重要。”
"Why are you telling me all this?"
“你为什么要跟我讲这些呢？”
"Because you are trying to realize your destiny. And you are at the point where you're about to give it all up."
“因为你正要努力去实现自己的天命。而就在现在这个节骨眼儿，你险些就要放弃它。”
"And that's when you always appear on the scene?"
“你总是在这种时刻出现吗？”
"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 don't realize I've done them."
“并不总以这种方式。但我总是会出现，要么以这种形式，要么以那种形式。有时我会以一个好办法或一个好主意的形式出现。有时，在关键时刻我会让事情变得更容易些。我还做了其他一些事。只不过大多数时候别人并不知道我做了。”
"People learn, early in their lives, what is their reason for being," said the old man, with a certain bitterness. "Maybe that's why they give up on it so early, too. But that's the way it is."
“人们很早就知道了他们生存于世的意义，”老人语气苦涩地说。“也许正因为如此，他们也很早就不再相信它。但其实实现人生的意义就得如此。”
The boy reminded the old man that he had said something about hidden treasure.
男孩提醒老人，他说过一些有关宝藏的事情。
"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."
“流水的力量可以使宝藏显露，同样也可以将其掩埋，”老人说。“如果你想知道有关自己宝藏的情况，就得把你的羊分十分之一给我。”
"What about one-tenth of my treasure?"
“把我的宝藏的十分之一给你行吗？”
The old man looked disappointed. "If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it."
老人露出失望的神情。“如果你把还没有到手的东西许诺出去，你就会失去努力得到它的愿望。”
The boy told him that he had already promised to give one-tenth of his treasure to the Gypsy.
男孩告诉老人，他已经答应将财宝的十分之一分给那个吉卜赛人。
"Gypsies are experts at getting people to do that," sighed the old man. "In any case, it's good that you've learned that everything in life has its price."
“吉卜赛人让别人做这种事儿是很拿手的，”老人叹息道，“无论如何，你懂得了生活中的一切都是有代价的，这是件好事。”
The old man returned the book to the boy.
老人把书还给了男孩。
"Tomorrow, at this same time, bring me a tenth of your flock. And I will tell you how to find the hidden treasure. Good afternoon."
“明天，还是这个时候，你把你十分之一的羊儿带过来。我会告诉你如何去找到那批宝藏。再见。”
And he vanished[14] around the corner of the plaza.
接着他就在广场的一个拐角消失了。
”
赏析
“
（本书中文版封面）
何为“天命”？我们降生于世，碌碌一生，最终回归大地，其意义究竟何在？
《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》以牧羊少年的人生旅程为主要场景，讲述了他的寻“梦”之旅。在此旅程中，他遇到了不同的人，逐渐学会与他们对话，学会与自己的心灵对话，从而最终领悟到了自己的天命。
作者保罗·柯艾略写作的高明之处在于将牧羊少年的形象普适化：他的童年梦想、他的人生规划以及他对爱情的憧憬，与任何一个时代的读者的童年境遇都十分相似，令读者对牧羊少年产生认同感。书的一开篇，作者以牧羊少年的梦为切入点，构建出一种从梦境遁入现实的场景：牧羊少年对于自己梦中的宝藏百思不得其解，于是找到吉普赛占卜女巫解梦，被告知宝藏埋于埃及金字塔下，于是故事从引子正式进入正题——牧羊少年开始了寻找梦中宝藏的“奇幻之旅”。
在这个过程中，牧羊少年将要从自己美好的童年幻想中渐渐被剥离至残酷的现实世界。一方面，他不得不面对俗世的种种约束，学会改变自己，适应这个社会；另一方面，他却不愿完全屈服，因为他内心深处那些最初的梦想从未曾磨灭。
前往埃及金字塔寻找宝藏是整个故事中牧羊少年的终极目标。为了这个目标，他不断前行，跋山涉水。他曾经在阿拉伯沙漠边缘的某个水晶店工作近一年，逐渐淡忘了自己漂洋过海原本是为了寻找宝藏。这一生活化的场景比起之后寻宝过程中更多的符号化场景更深入人心，令读者感同身受：人在青少年阶段都知道自己的理想，进入社会后，日复一日年复一年，理想就被生活的压力磨灭了。渐渐地，自己原本想成为的那个人越来越远，希望和理想化为粉末消散在黑暗的虚空之中。这种时候，如果跨出走向梦想的一步，就意味着放弃稳定，走向不可知的未来。这种理想化的追求真的适合每一个人吗？
不仅仅是牧羊少年有过这样的挣扎。现实世界的变化莫测让人们对生存提出了疑问，对人生价值提出了质疑。再一次，我们自问天命为何物？天命，是我们最初的梦想。撒冷之王说：“天命就是你一直期望成功完成的事情。”只有勇于去了解自己的天命，我们才能找准人生的方向，做自己的主人。撒冷之王说：“At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie. (在我们人生的某一时刻，我们失去了对人生的控制，人生便转由命运来主宰，这就是世界上最大的谎言。)”由此可见，人生是可以由自己来掌控的。
牧羊少年最初听到“天命”一词时，还处于懵懂状态，他需要哲人的指导和人生的历练。在了解天命的过程中，他遇到了两个至关重要的角色：上文提到的撒冷之王出现在少年开始旅程之前，他如一位精神启蒙导师打开了少年的心窗。他告诉牧羊少年：天命可以通过学习“宇宙语言”以及接触“世界灵魂”而了解。“世界灵魂”是万事万物的中心，是个体对世界的一种客观理性的体验，了解“世界灵魂”则需要运用“宇宙语言”，它需要勇气、智慧、执着以及敢于经受困难和考验的勇气和毅力。之后，在牧羊少年穿越撒哈拉沙漠的过程中，他遇到了一位英国炼金术士。如果说撒冷之王是他的精神启蒙导师，那么这位炼金术士则担当了手把手教给牧羊少年实际生活经验的父辈角色。
他用实际行动让牧羊少年领悟什么是“世界灵魂”和“宇宙语言”，教牧羊少年学会倾听自己的心灵，也教他明白：与其在怀念中蹉跎剩下的美好时光，不如从现在起，重视自己内心的感受，学会与心灵对话。在他们的帮助下，牧羊少年最终找到了自己的天命，也找到了埋藏于心灵深处的“宝藏”。
《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》拨开了人们心中的迷雾，用沉稳厚实的声音敲响了天命之门。书中的对话正是一次次自我与心灵的对话。正如撒冷之王所说：“人生中总有那么一个时刻，不论以何种形式，有人会为你开启天命之路，引导你进入一段神奇的旅程。”也许，就在你开始读这个故事的时候。
”
注释
[1]. Salem [ˈseɪləm] n. 撒冷(巴勒斯坦著名古城耶路撒冷[Jerusalem]的古称) [源出《圣经》地名]
[2]. Melchizedek [mɛlˈkɪzəˌdɛk] n. 【宗】麦基冼德(为Abraham祝福之撒冷王及上帝的祭司；见《圣经·创世纪》)
[3]. irritated [ˈɪrɪteɪtɪd] adj. 被激怒的，恼怒的，生气的
[4]. intensity [ɪnˈtensəti] n. (电、热、光、声等的)强度，烈度
[5]. momentarily [ˈməʊməntrəli] adv. 立即，即刻
[6]. seminary [ˈsemɪnəri] n. 神学院
[7]. awed [ɔːd] adj. (表示)敬畏的；(表示)畏怯的；(表示)惊奇的
[8]. embarrassed [ɪmˈbærəst] adj. 窘的，尴尬的；局促不安的；为难的
[9]. yearn [jɜːn] vi. 渴望，切盼；向往
[10]. nourish [ˈnʌrɪʃ] vt. 滋养，营养
[11]. obligation [ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃn] n. (法律上或道义上的)义务，责任
[12]. conspire [kənˈspaɪə(r)] vi. 合作，协力
[13]. tend [tend] vt. 照顾，照料，照管
[14]. vanish [ˈvænɪʃ] vi. 突然不见；消失
