精美英文欣赏:两条路

The two roads

两条路

It was New Year's Night. An aged¹ man was standing² at a window.

除夕之夜，一位老人伫立窗前。

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.

他满眼哀伤，仰望着深蓝色的天空，那儿，星星如清澈平静的湖面上的朵朵白莲在漂移着；

Then he cast them on the earth, where a few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal—the tomb.

后来，他将目光投向地面，几个比他更加绝望的人正在走向人生的终点——坟墓。

He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse³.

在通往人生终点的道路上，他已走过了60多个驿站，除了过失和悔恨，他一无所获。

Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.

现在，他健康欠佳，精神空虚，心情忧郁，缺少晚年应有的舒适和安逸。

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:

青春的岁月如梦幻般浮现在他眼前，他回想起父亲将他放在人生岔路口上的关键时刻，当时，他面前有两条路：

one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding⁴ with soft, sweet songs;

一条通向和平宁静、阳光灿烂的地方，那里到处是花果，到处回荡着柔和甜美的歌声；

the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snakes hissed⁵ and crawled.

另一条则通向黑暗无底的深渊，那里流淌着毒液而不是清水，恶魔肆虐，毒蛇嘶嘶爬动。

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!

他仰望天空，痛苦地哭喊：哦，青春，你回来吧！哦，爸爸，请把我重新放到人生的路口上吧，我会做出更好的选择。

But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.

然而他的父亲和他的青春年华皆离他远去。

He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness.

他看见灯消逝在黑暗中，那便是他虚度的时光；

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.

他看见一颗星星从空中陨落、消失，那是他自身的象征。

His remorse, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart.

悔恨如同一支利箭，深深地刺进他的心。

Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together with him.

接着，他想起童年时代的朋友，他们曾与他一同踏上人生的旅程，

But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this New Year's night.

现已获得成功，受到人们的尊敬，此刻正在幸福中欢度除夕。

The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents'early love for him.

教堂塔顶的钟声响了，使他回忆起父母早年对他的爱，

They had taught him and prayed to God for his good.

他们曾给予他谆谆教诲，曾为他的幸福祈祷上帝。

But he chose the wrong way.

可他偏偏选择人生的歧途。

With shame and grief⁶ he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lives.

羞愧和忧伤使他再也不敢正视他父亲所在的天堂。

His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: Come back, my early days! Come back!

他双眼黯然无光，饱噙着泪水，在绝望中，他拼力高喊：回来吧，我那逝去的年华！回来吧！

And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's Night.

青春真的回来了，因为以上所发生的一切只是他在除夕所做的一场梦。

He was still young though his faults were real;

他仍旧年轻，当然他真的犯有过失；

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.

但还未堕入深渊；他仍然可以自由地走上通向宁静和光明的道路。

Those who still linger⁷ on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road,remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble⁸ on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly,but in vain:

在人生路口徘徊，不知该不该选择光明大道的年轻人啊，你们千万要记住：当你青春已逝，双足在黑暗的群山中举步维艰，跌跌撞撞之时，你才痛心疾首地呼唤：

O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!

哦，回来吧、青春！哦，把我的美好年华还给我！，这只会是徒劳无益的。

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 remorse   

n.痛恨，悔恨，自责

参考例句：

• She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。
• He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。

4 resounding   

adj. 响亮的

参考例句：

• The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。
• He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。

5 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

6 grief   

n.悲伤，悲痛，悲伤的事，悲痛的缘由

参考例句：

• Don't allow yourself to sink into grief,it can do no good.不要使自己陷入悲哀之中，这样一点好处也没有。
• After her mother died,she abandoned herself to grief.母亲死后，她沉浸于悲痛之中。

7 linger   

vt.消磨，无所事事；vi.逗留，消磨，徘徊，漫步

参考例句：

• Don't linger away your holidays,try to find something useful to do.不要虚度假日，尽量找些有意义的事做。
• His last words still linger in our ears.他的临终嘱咐仍萦绕在我们耳际。

8 stumble   

n.绊倒，失策；vi.绊倒，失策，踌躇，无意中发现；vt.绊倒，困惑

参考例句：

• Be grateful to those who have made you stumble,for they have strengthened your ability.感激绊倒你的人，因为他强化了你的能力。
• You never knew when you might stumble across some new talent.谁也说不准什么时候会碰上一位新的天才。