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:
两条人生之路【读者文摘】--junzi版
除夕夜，一位垂垂老者伫立窗前，满眼悲伤，仰望深蓝的夜空，点点繁星犹如漂浮在清澈宁静湖面的白色百合。随后，他把哀伤的双眼投向大地，这里人们正一步步走向他们既定的归宿——坟墓——但像他这么绝望的没几个。在通往人生终点的路途上，他已走过了六十个春秋。这段人生之旅，除了错误和悔恨，他一无所获。如今的他疾病缠身，精神空虚，内心伤痛，就连暮年也少有安慰。
少年时光恍然如梦，他忆起父亲将他领到两条人生之路入口处的关键时刻——一条通向宁静平和的阳光乐土，那里到处都是鲜花和水果，有轻柔甜美的歌声相伴；一条通往幽深黑暗的无底洞，四处毒液流淌，恶魔出没，毒蛇吱吱爬行。
他仰望天空，痛苦哭喊：“哦，青春，回来吧！哦，父亲，带我重回人生之路的路口吧，我会选择那条更好的路！”然而，他的父亲和他的年少岁月都已一去不返。
他如同一盏在黑暗中渐渐暗下去的灯，那是他虚度的光阴；他看着一颗星星在夜空中陨落、消失，就像看到了自己的人生。他的悔恨，犹如一支利箭，深深地刺入他的心。随后，他想到那些和他一同踏上人生之旅的儿时玩伴，但是他们都走上了成功之路，在这个除夕之夜享受着成功的荣耀与欢乐。
教堂塔顶的钟声响起，他想起父母早年的关爱。他们曾对他谆谆教诲，为他向上帝祷告。然而，他却选择踏上歧途。怀着满心的羞愧和悔恨，他再不敢对父亲所在的天堂有所奢望。他双目黯淡，饱噙泪水，所有的绝望化成一句狂呼：“回来啊，我的青春！回来啊！”
结果，他的青春真的回来了，因为所有的一切只是他在除夕夜做的一个梦。他依然年轻，虽然确实犯下不少过错，幸而未坠深渊，仍可自由地走上那条通往平和宁静的阳光乐土的光明之路。
那些仍然徘徊于人生路口，在光明之路前踟蹰的年轻人呀，请记住：当青春逝去，你却身陷黑暗的山林举步维艰之时，你将痛心疾首地哭喊：“哦，青春，回来吧！哦，把我的青春还给我吧！”但是，真到那时，已然是为时晚矣。