约翰·罗斯金·《两条路》 ~ 英语学习笔记-中英双语赏析

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The Two Roads

两条路

John Ruskin

约翰·罗斯金

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. prom dresses 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.

那是个新年之夜。一位老人伫立在窗边。他抬起双眼,把悲哀的目光投向蓝幽幽的天幕。夜空像一个清澈静谧的大湖,星星像一朵朵百合花漂在湖面。然后他把目光投向大地,此刻走向坟墓这必然终点的芸芸众生,很少有人比他更为绝望。在通往坟墓的旅途中,老人已度过了六十载春秋,而他从这漫漫旅途带向坟墓的,除了过失和悔恨,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,他偌大一把年岁却少有慰藉。

The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the wedding dress 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.

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,父亲把他领到两条路的岔口——一条路通向和平安宁、阳光明媚的世界,那里有遍地鲜花,满园果实,四处洋溢着柔和悦耳的歌声;另一条路则通向黑暗的无底深渊,那里流淌的是毒浆而不是清水,那里有张牙舞爪的恶魔和嘶嘶蹿动的毒蛇。

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.

老人又抬起目光,仰天悲叹:“青春哟,归来吧!父亲哟,请把我重新置于人生的岔路口,我会选择那条更好的道路!”可他父亲和他的青春年华都早已逝去。

He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness, and these were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall from the sky and disappear, 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.

他看见几道光亮掠过沉沉黑夜,渐渐泯没。这些光点就是他虚度的年华。他看见一颗流星划过渺渺夜空,倏然消失。这颗流星就是他生命的象征。悔恨犹如一支利箭,深深扎入他的心灵。这时他想起了儿时的伙伴,他们曾同他一道踏上人生旅程,可伙伴们都选择了那条通往成功的道路。在此新年之夜,他们正在享受荣誉和幸福。

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, my lost youth!”

高挂在教堂钟楼上的大钟鸣响,钟声使老人想起了父母早年对他的爱。他们曾给予他多少教诲,又为他做了多少祈祷!可他却选择了那条歧途歪路。怀着羞愧与悲伤,他不敢再仰望茫茫夜空,因为那是他父亲居住的天国。他黯淡的双眼充满了泪水,绝望中他奋力呼唤:“归来兮,我虚度的年华!归来兮,我逝去的青春!”

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.

他的青春果真归来了,因为刚才的一切不过是他新年之夜的一场梦。虽说他梦中所追悔的过失是真的,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与光明的道路。

Those who still linger on the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the right 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!”

你们,还在生活的起点上徘徊的你们!你们,还在道路的分岔口踌躇的你们!请记住,当年华流逝,而你们却失足于荒山野岭时,你们也会痛苦而徒然地呼唤:“归来兮,我虚度的年华!归来兮,我逝去的青春!”

 

(曹明伦 译)

未经允许不得转载:帕布莉卡 » 约翰·罗斯金·《两条路》 ~ 英语学习笔记-中英双语赏析

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