評論
打印
The two roads
兩條路
It was New Year's Night. An aged man was standing at a window.
除夕之夜，一位老人佇立窗前。
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.
他滿眼哀傷，仰望著深藍色的天空，那兒，星星如清澈平靜的湖面上的朵朵白蓮在漂移著；
Then he cast them on the earth, where a few more hopeless people than himself now moved towards their certain goal—the tomb.
后來，他將目光投向地面，幾個比他更加絕望的人正在走向人生的終點——墳墓。
He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse.
在通往人生終點的道路上，他已走過了60多個驛站，除了過失和悔恨，他一無所獲。
Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.
現在，他健康欠佳，精神空虛，心情憂郁，缺少晚年應有的舒適和安逸。
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:
青春的歲月如夢幻般浮現在他眼前，他回想起父親將他放在人生岔路口上的關鍵時刻，當時，他面前有兩條路：
one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs;
一條通向和平寧靜、陽光燦爛的地方，那里到處是花果，到處回蕩著柔和甜美的歌聲；
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.
另一條則通向黑暗無底的深淵，那里流淌著毒液而不是清水，惡魔肆虐，毒蛇嘶嘶爬動。
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，你回來吧！哦，爸爸，請把我重新放到人生的路口上吧，我會做出更好的選擇。
But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.
然而他的父親和他的青春年華皆離他遠去。
He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness.
他看見燈消逝在黑暗中，那便是他虛度的時光；
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.
他看見一顆星星從空中隕落、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，深深地刺進他的心。
Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life together with him.
接著，他想起童年時代的朋友，他們曾與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.
現已獲得成功，受到人們的尊敬，此刻正在幸福中歡度除夕。
The clock in the high church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents'early love for him.
教堂塔頂的鐘聲響了，使他回憶起父母早年對他的愛，
They had taught him and prayed to God for his good.
他們曾給予他諄諄教誨，曾為他的幸福祈禱上帝。
But he chose the wrong way.
可他偏偏選擇人生的歧途。
With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven where his father lives.
羞愧和憂傷使他再也不敢正視他父親所在的天堂。
His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: Come back, my early days! Come back!
他雙眼黯然無光，飽噙著淚水，在絕望中，他拼力高喊：回來吧，我那逝去的年華！回來吧！
And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year's Night.
青春真的回來了，因為以上所發生的一切只是他在除夕所做的一場夢。
He was still young though his faults were real;
他仍舊年輕，當然他真的犯有過失；
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.
但還未墮入深淵；他仍然可以自由地走上通向寧靜和光明的道路。
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:
在人生路口徘徊，不知該不該選擇光明大道的年輕人啊，你們千萬要記?。寒斈闱啻阂咽?，雙足在黑暗的群山中舉步維艱，跌跌撞撞之時，你才痛心疾首地呼喚：
O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!
哦，回來吧、青春！哦，把我的美好年華還給我！，這只會是徒勞無益的。
