John Ruskin

　　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!"

　　两条路 （曹明伦 译）

　　那是一个新年之夜，一位老人伫立在窗边，他抬起双眼，把悲哀的目光投向那深蓝色的天幕。夜空像一个清澈静谧的大湖，星星想一朵朵百合花漂在湖面上。然后，他把目光投向大地，此刻走向其必然终点（坟墓）的云云众生中很少有人比他更为绝望。在通往坟墓的征途，老人已经度过了60载春秋，而他从这漫长的旅途中带向坟墓的，除了过失和忏悔，别无他物。他的健康失去了，他的头脑空虚了，他的心灵充满了悲哀，他偌大一把年纪缺少有慰藉。

　　青春时代梦幻般地浮现在他眼前。他回想起那个庄严的时刻，父亲将他领导两条路的岔口——一条通向和平安宁、阳光明媚的世界，那里遍地鲜花、满园果实，四处洋溢着柔和、甜蜜的歌声；另一条路则黑暗的无底深渊。那里流淌是毒浆而不是清水，那里有张牙舞爪的恶魔和嘶嘶蹿动。

　　老人又抬起目光，仰天悲叹：“哦，青春兮，归来！哦，仁慈的父亲，请把我重新置于生活的起点，我会选择那条通往幸福的光明大道！”

　　可是，他父亲，他青春的年华都早已远逝。

　　他看见几道光亮掠过沉沉黑夜，渐渐泯没。这些光点正是他虚度的年华；他看见一颗流星划过渺渺夜空，骤然消失了，这颗星星就是他生命的象征。悔恨犹如一只利剑，深深地穿透它的心灵。此刻，他想起了儿时的伙伴，他们和他一起踏上人生的征途，可是伙伴们都选择了那条通往成功的道路。在此新年之夜，他们正在享受他们的荣誉和幸福。

　　高挂在教堂钟楼上的大钟响了，钟声使老人想起了父母早年对他的爱他们曾经给与他多少教诲，又为他做了多少祈祷！可他却选择了那条歧途歪路。想到这些，他怀着悔恨与悲伤，不敢再仰望那茫茫夜空，因为那是他父亲居住的天国。绝望中，他暗淡的双眼充满了泪水，鼓足余力，高声呼唤：“归来兮，我虚度的年华！归来兮，我逝去的青春！”

　　他的青春果真回来了。因为刚才的一切不过是他新年之夜的一场梦。虽说他在梦中所追悔莫及的过失却是真的。但他还年轻，他还没有坠入那黑暗的深渊，他还有自由选择那条通往和平、光明的道路。

　　你们，还在生活的起点上徘徊的你们‘你们，还在两条路的分岔口踌躇的你们，请记住吧：当年华流逝，而你们却失足于深山野岭之时，你们也会痛苦而突然的呼喊：“归来兮，我虚度的年华！归来兮，我逝去的青春！”