It was New Year's Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. Then he cast them on the earth, where few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal——the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.
The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads——one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed and crawled.
He looked towards the sky and cried painfully, "O youth, return! O my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and I'll choose the better way!" But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.
He was the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His remorse, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together with him. But they had made their way to success and were now honoured and happy on this New Year's night.
The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents' early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father live. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: "Come back, my early days! Come back!"
And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.
Those who still linger on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain: "O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!"
译文:
两条路【读者文摘】--evayao版
除夕之夜。一位老人伫立在窗边，哀伤的双眸凝望着湛蓝的天空。星星如澄澈平静的湖面上的洁白百合一般静静悬浮在空中。终于，老人的目光又回到了尘世。这个世界上再没有人比他更加绝望，更加径直的走向最终的归宿--坟墓。他已年过六十，正一步步走向死亡，回首往事，往日的岁月只给他留下了无尽的错误和悔恨。现在的他身体孱弱，思绪空泛，心中充满哀伤，年老的生命里再无欢乐可言。
年轻的时光如梦一般显现，回忆起那个神圣的时刻，父亲领着他来到一个两条路的入口--一条路宁静平和，阳光灿烂，鲜花和水果遍地皆是，温柔甜美的歌声四处回荡；另一条路却通向深邃幽暗的洞穴，看不到尽头的道路上四处流淌着毒液，魔鬼和毒蛇扭动着身体，嘶嘶作响。
仰望天空，老人痛哭流涕，“哦，回来吧，青春！哦，父亲，再给我一次机会，让生命重新来过，我会选择一条更好的道路！”可是父亲和青春都已消逝不在。
荒废的生命如同流逝于黑暗的一缕微光；那划过天空又倏然消失的流星就是它最真实的写照。悔恨如同利剑，深深的扎在老人的心上。想想孩提时的伙伴，虽然是同他一起踏上旅途却早已功成名就，安享欢乐的新年。
教堂高高的塔楼上钟声响起，那声音让他回忆起双亲给与他的最初的爱。他们教导他，为他向上帝祈祷，希望他走上正确的道路。可是，他还是走错了。羞愧和哀伤让他不敢再向往父亲居住的天堂。他暗淡的眼中充满泪水，只能徒劳地的大声呼喊：“回来吧，旧日时光，回来啊！”
他的青春真的回来了。尽管错误已经铸成，但是年轻的生命还没有坠入黑暗的深渊，他依然够踏上那条通往和平和阳光的道路。可惜这一切只不过是除夕之夜的一次幻想。
徘徊在生命起点的人们啊，不要在通往光明的道路前犹豫了。否则，多年之后，你将会蹒跚于幽暗的山林，苦涩而无望的呼唤：“哦，回来吧，青春！让我回到旧日的时光。”
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