The Two Roads
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 saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall down 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 lived. 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!”
翻译：
两条道路
约翰.罗斯金
那是一个除夕之夜，一位老人站在窗前。他悲伤地望着天空，望着深蓝色的天空，繁星像百合花一样漂浮在清澈平静的天空之湖里。他望着地面，却没有几个像他这样绝望的，奔向唯一的终点――坟墓的人。在通往生命终点的旅途中，他已经走过了六十个驿站，收获的却只有过失和悔恨。如今他的健康不佳，精神空虚，内心痛苦，晚年的生活并不舒适。
年轻的时光像梦一样在浮现在眼前，他回想起那个关键的时刻，父亲把他带到人生的岔路口，有两条路摆在他面前：一条通往一个宁静的、阳光灿烂的地方，那里满是花果，柔和甜美的歌手回响在空中；另一条却通往一个黑暗无底的洞穴，那里流淌的不是清水，而是毒汁，那里恶魔肆虐，毒蛇横行。
他仰望着天空，痛苦地哭喊道：“啊，青春，回来吧！啊，父亲，重新把我带到生命的起点吧，我会选择另一条更好的路！”可是，他的父亲连同青春，都已经离开他了。
他看到黑暗中点点光亮被吞没，那些是他虚度的日子；他看见一颗星星从天上坠落，消失了，那他的象征。悔恨，像一把锋利的剑，深深刺入他的心脏。他想起那些童年时的伙伴，那些同他一起踏上生命的旅途的人们，如今都是成功的、受人尊重的。此刻，他们都沉浸在除夕的幸福中。
教堂高塔上的钟声敲响了，这让他想起了小时父母的爱，那些谆谆教诲，那些他们为他的幸福所做的祷告。可是他选择了一条错误的路。羞愧和悲伤使他不敢再奢望父亲所居住的天堂。他昏暗的眼睛饱含了泪水，他绝望地奋力哭喊：“回来吧，我逝去的岁月！回来啊！”
不过这次他的青春真的回来了。因为所有这一切只不过是除夕夜他做的一场梦而已。他仍然年轻，尽管确实犯过错误，不过仍然没有进入那黑暗的洞穴，他仍然可以选择那条通往安宁和光明的道路。
正在人生路口徘徊，犹豫着是否选择光明之路的年轻人啊！请记住，当时光已逝，你的双脚在黑暗的山间举步维艰、跌跌撞撞的时候，你会痛苦地呼喊：“啊，青春！回来！啊，把我逝去的日子还给我吧！”可是，那一切都是没用的！
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约翰.罗斯金（1819-1900），维多利亚时期英国著名的作家和评论家。他父亲是位富商，经常带他到欧洲各地旅游，他从小就对建筑、艺术非常感兴趣，对美怀有强烈热望。他的主要作品有《现代画家》、《威尼斯的石头》等。在本文中他向人们揭示了选择正确人生道路的重要性和迫切性，引人深思。
