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 lived. 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!"
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译文:
两条路【读者文摘】--Shaunna版
除夕夜。一位年过半百的老人站立窗边，抬起哀伤的眼望向深蓝的天空，满天繁星犹如漂浮在清澈平静湖面上的纯白色的百合。凝视大地，许多比他更绝望的人们都逐步走上他们既定的命运－坟墓。他已年过花甲，离那时也不远了，除了错误和悔恨，什么都没留下。他现在的健康状况很差，思想空泛，悲伤跟随，临老也不曾有舒服的日子。
年少时光犹如梦一场，他忆起他父亲将两条路摆在他面前时的严肃时刻――一条路通往安宁，阳光明媚的乐园，到处充满了鲜花，水果以及轻柔甜蜜的歌声。另一条路则通往幽深黑暗的洞穴，没有止境，看不到尽头，到处流淌着毒液，恶魔与毒蛇嘶嘶作响，随处爬行。
他遥望着天空，发出痛苦的呻吟：“逝去的时光，请回来吧！父亲，请再给我一次机会吧，我会选择更好的！”然而，不管是他的父亲还是年少时光，都已逝去。
他曾是黑暗中迷失的灯。那是他曾经虚度的光阴；他看见一颗星星从空中陨落，然后消失，那便是他自己。悔恨犹如一支尖锐的箭，狠狠地戳进他的心。于是他想起儿时的朋友，那些与他一同长大的朋友。可是他们都已经取得成功，受人敬仰，正开开心心地过除夕。
教堂高楼的钟声响起，那声音令他回想起父母对他的爱。父母曾教导他，为他祈祷。但他还是选错了路。满怀着羞愧和悲痛，他竟不敢再期待会去父亲所在的天堂。黯淡的眼睛充满泪水，悲痛欲绝，突然大哭起来：“回来吧，逝去的光阴！回来吧！”
逝去的时光是回来了，尽管那只是他在除夕夜的一个梦。梦里，他年轻得足以有机会弥补犯下的过错；他不曾走进那幽深黑暗的洞穴，而且还能自由自在地走在通往安宁灿烂乐土的路上。
那些徘徊在人生路口犹豫着要选择一条光明之路的人们，请记住：当时光逝去，而你被牵绊在黑暗的山中，你会悲痛大哭，但却很徒劳：“光阴，回来吧！把光阴还给我！”
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