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 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 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 to 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!"
在新年之夜，一位上了年纪的人伫立在窗前。他抬起充满哀伤的眼睛，仰望着深蓝色的天空，星星在那里游移着，如同朵朵百合散落在清澈而平静的湖面上。接着他把目光投向地面，看到几个比他更加绝望的人正走向他们的终点——坟墓。在通往人生终点的道路上，他已经走过了六十个驿站，除了过失和悔恨，他一无所获。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。
年轻的时光如梦幻般浮现在他眼前，他回想起父亲将他放在人生道路入口处时那个关键的时刻。当时，摆在他面前的有两条道路：一条通向和平宁静、阳光灿烂的地方，那里满是花果，回荡着柔和甜美的歌声；另一条则通向黑暗无底的深渊，那里流淌着毒汁而非清水，恶魔肆虐，毒蛇横行。
他仰望着天空，痛苦地叫喊：“啊，青春，请回来吧！啊，父亲，请把我重新放到人生道路的起点上吧，我将会作出更好的选择。”然而，父亲和他的青春都已离他远去。
他看着灯光被黑暗吞没，那就是他虚度的时光；他看见一颗星星从空中陨落、消逝，那正是他自身的写照。悔恨如同利箭深深地刺进他的心脏。然后，他回想起儿时的朋友，他们曾与他一同踏上人生的旅程，现在已走在成功的道路上，受到人们的尊敬，此时正沉浸在欢度新年的幸福中。
教堂高塔上的钟声敲响了，这让他回忆起父母早年对他的爱。他们曾给予他谆谆教诲，曾为他的幸福向上帝祈祷。但他偏偏选择了人生的歧途。羞愧和忧伤使他再也不敢正视父亲所在的天堂。他双目黯然，饱含着泪水。在绝望中，他奋力高喊：“回来吧，我那逝去的岁月！回来吧！”
他的青春真的回来了，因为上面所发生的一切只不过是他在新年之夜所做的一场梦。他依然年轻，当然，他也曾真的犯过错误，但还不至于堕入黑暗的深渊，他仍然可以自由地走在通向宁静和光明的道路上。
正在人生路口徘徊，正在犹豫是否要选择光明大道的年轻人啊，你们一定要记住：当你青春已逝，在黑暗的群山中举步维艰、跌跌撞撞时，你才会痛心疾首、徒劳无功地呼喊：“啊，回来吧，青春！啊，把我美好的年华还给我吧！”
人生的痛苦不在于失去什么，而在于拥有的时候不懂得珍惜。生命的不可逆转性，使那些青春已逝却两手空空的老人徒然叹息，悔不当初，却又无可奈何。聪明的我们难道还要重蹈前人的覆辙吗？
mournful ['m:nfl] adj. 哀痛的；令人伤心的
He took a mournful view on human affairs.
他对人生持悲观的态度。
remorse [ri'm:s] n. 懊悔；悔恨；自责
His remorse is just an artifice to gain sympathy.
他的悔恨只是一种骗局，是为了博取同情。
resounding [ri'zandi] adj. 鸣响的；回响的；回荡的；响亮的
His resounding voice continued to resound in my ears long after he was out of sight.
他人走远了， 但他响亮的声音仍在我的耳际回荡。
hesitate ['heziteit] v. 犹豫；踌躇；迟疑不决
The local government will not hesitate to take the severest
measures to against criminals.
当地政府将毫不犹豫地采取最严厉的措施对付犯罪分子。
他抬起充满哀伤的眼睛，仰望着深蓝色的天空，星星在那里游移着，如同朵朵百合散落在清澈而平静的湖面上。
悔恨如同利箭深深地刺进他的心脏。
他们曾给予他谆谆教诲，曾为他的幸福向上帝祈祷。
But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.
pass away：去世；过世
He burst out a cry, "Come back, my early days! Come back!"
burst out：突然（哭、笑、叫）起来
警惕你的弱点正在毒害你
Guard Your Weak Point
奥里森·马登 / Orison Marden
"I' ll sign it after a while," a drunkard would reply, when repeatedly urged by his wife to sign the pledge; " but I don' t like to break off at once, the best way is to get used to a thing. " "Very well, old man," said his wife, " see if you don' t fall into a hole one of these days, with no one to help you out. "
Not long after, when intoxicated, he did fall into a shallow well, but his shouts for help were fortunately heard by his wife. "Didn' t I tell you so?" she asked. "It' s lucky I was in hearing or you might have drowned." He took hold of the bucket and she tugged at the windlass; but when he was near the top her grasp slipped and down he went into the water again. This was repeated until he screamed: "Look here, you' re doing that on purpose, I know you are." " Well, now, I am. " admitted the wife. "Don' t you remember telling me it' s best to get used to a thing by degrees? I' m afraid if I bring you up sudden, you would not find it wholesome." Finding that his case was becoming desperate, he promised to sign the pledge at once. His wife raised him out immediately, but warned him that if ever he became intoxicated and fell into the well again, she would leave him there.
