On the Feeling of Immortality in Youth

 

有感于青春常在

 

No young man believes he will ever die.

 

年轻人不相信自己会死。

 

It was a saying of my brother's, and a fine one.

 

这是我哥哥的话，可算得一句妙语。

 

There is a feeling of eternity in youth,

 

青春有一种永生之感

 

which makes us amend for everything.

 

它能弥补一切。

 

To be young is to be as one of the immortal Gods.

 

人在青年时代好像一尊永生的神明。

 

One half of time indeed is flown,

 

诚然，生命的一半已以消逝，

 

the other half remains in store for us with all its countless treasures,

 

但蕴藏着不尽财富的另一半还有所保留，

 

for there is no line drawn,and we see no limit to our hopes and wishes.

 

我们对它也抱着无穷的希望和幻想。

 

We make the coming age our own-the vast, the unbounded prospect lies before us.

 

未来的时代完全属于我们—无限辽阔的远景在我们面前展现。

 

Death, old age are words without a meaning that pass by us like the idle air which we regard not.

 

死亡，老年，不过是空话，毫无意义；我们听了，只耳边风，全不放在心上。

 

Others may have undergone, or may still be liable to them-we "bear a charmed life",

 

这些事，别人也许经历过，或者可能要承受，但是我们自己，“在灵符护佑下度日”，

 

which laughs to scorn all such sickly fancies.

 

对于诸如此类脆弱的念头，统统付之轻蔑的一笑。

 

As in setting out on delightful journey,

 

像是刚刚走上愉快的旅程，

 

we strain our eager gaze forward-bidding the lovely scenes at distance hail!

 

极目远眺—向远方的美景欢呼！

 

And see no end to the landscape,

 

此时，但觉好风光应接不暇，

 

new objects presenting themselves as we advance.

 

而且，前程更有美不胜收的新鲜景致。

 

So, in the commencement of life,

 

在这生活的开端，

 

we set no bounds to our inclinations,

 

我们听任自己的志趣驰骋，

 

nor to the unrestricted opportunities of gratifying them.

 

放手给它们一切满足的机会。

 

We have as yet found no obstacle, no disposition to flag;

 

到此为止，我们还没有碰上过什么障碍，也没有感觉到什么疲惫，

 

and it seems that we can go on so forever.

 

因此觉得还可以一直这样向前走去，直到永远。

 

We look round in a new world,full of life, and motion, and ceaseless progress;

 

我们看到四周一派新天地—生机盎然，变动不居，日新月异；

 

and feel in ourselves all the vigor and spirit to keep pace with it,

 

我们觉得自己活力充盈，精神饱满，可与宇宙并驾齐驱。

 

and do not foresee from any present symptoms how we shall be left behind in the natural course of things,

 

而且，眼前也无任何迹象可以证明，在大自然的发展过程中，

 

decline into old age, and drop into the grave.

 

我们自己也会落伍，衰老，进入坟墓。

 

It is the simplicity,

 

由于年轻人天真单纯，

 

and as it were abstractedness of our feelings in youth, that identifies us with nature,

 

可以说是茫然无知，因而将自己跟大自然划上等号；

 

and deludes us into a belief of being immortal like it.

 

并且，由于经验少而感情盛，误以为自己也能和大自然一样永世长存。