我非常喜欢这篇文章.

　　TwoRoads

　　JohnRuskin

　　ItwasNewYear'sNight.Anagedmanwasstandingatawindow.Heraisedhismournfuleyestowardsthedeepbluesky,wherethestarswerefloatinglikewhiteliliesonthesurfaceofaclearcalmlake.Thenhecastthemontheearth,wherefewmorehopelesspeoplethanhimselfnowmovedtowardstheircertaingoal——thetomb.Hehadalreadypassedsixtyofthestagesleadingtoit,andhehadbroughtfromhisjourneynothingbuterrorsandremorse.Nowhishealthwaspoor,hismindvacant,hisheartsorrowful,andhisoldageshortofcomforts.

　　Thedaysofhisyouthappearedlikedreamsbeforehim,andherecalledtheseriousmomentwhenhisfatherplacedhimattheentranceofthetworoads——oneleadingtoapeaceful,sunnyplace,coveredwithflowers,fruitsandresoundingwithsoft,sweetsongs;theotherleadingtoadeep,darkcave,whichwasendless,wherepoisonflowedinsteadofwaterandwheredevilsandpoisonoussnakeshissedandcrawled.

　　Helookedtowardstheskyandcriedpainfully,"Oyouth,return!Omyfather,placemeoncemoreattheentrancetolife,andI'llchoosethebetterway!"Butbothhisfatherandthedaysofhisyouthhadpassedaway.

　　Hewasthelightsflowingawayinthedarkness.Thesewerethedaysofhiswastedlife;hesawastarfallfromtheskyanddisappeared,andthiswasthesymbolofhimself.Hisremorse,whichwaslikeasharparrow,struckdeeplyintohisheart.Thenherememberedhisfriendsinhischildhood,whoenteredonlifetogetherwithhim.ButtheyhadmadetheirwaytosuccessandwerenowhonouredandhappyonthisNewYear'snight.

　　Theclockinthehighchurchtowerstruckandthesoundmadehimrememberhisparents'earlyloveforhim.TheyhadtaughthimandprayedtoGodforhisgood.Buthechosethewrongway.Withshameandgriefhedarednolongerlooktowardsthatheavenwherehisfatherlive.Hisdarkenedeyeswerefulloftears,andwithadespairingeffort,heburstoutacry:"Comeback,myearlydays!Comeback!"

　　Andhisyouthdidreturn,forallthiswasonlyadreamwhichhehadonNewYear'sNight.Hewasstillyoungthoughhisfaultswerereal;hehadnotyetenteredthedeep,darkcave,andhewasstillfreetowalkontheroadwhichleadstothepeacefulandsunnyland.

　　Thosewhostilllingerontheentranceoflife,hesitatingtochoosethebrightroad,rememberthatwhenyearsarepassedandyourfeetstumbleonthedarkmountains,youwillcrybitterly,butinvain:"Oyouth,return!Ohgivemebackmyearlydays!"

　　新年的夜晚.一位老人伫立在窗前.他悲戚地举目遥望苍天,繁星宛若玉色的百合漂浮在澄静的湖面上.老人又低头看看地面,几个比他自己更加无望的生命正走向它们的归宿——坟墓.老人在通往那块地方的路上,也巳经消磨掉六十个寒暑了.在那旅途中,他除了有过失和澳悔之外,再也没有得到任何别的东西.他老态龙钟,头脑空虚,心绪忧郁,一把年纪折磨着老人.

　　年轻时代的情景浮现在老人眼前,他回想起那庄严的时刻,父亲将他置于两条道路的入口——一条路通往阳光灿烂的升平世界,田野里丰收在望,柔和悦耳的歌声四方回荡；另一条路却将行人引入漆黑的无底深渊,从那里涌流出来的是毒液而不是泉水,蛇蟒满处蠕动,吐着舌箭.

　　老人仰望昊天,苦悸地失声喊道：“青春啊,回来!父亲哟,把我重新放回人生的入口吧,我会选择一条正路的!”可是,父亲以及他自己的黄金时代却一去不复返了.

　　他看见阴暗的沼泽地上空闪烁着幽光,那光亮游移明灭,瞬息即逝了.那是他轻抛浪掷的年华.他看见天空中一颗流星陨落下来,消失在黑暗之中.那就是它自身的象征.徒然的懊丧像一支利箭射穿了老人的心脏.他记起了早年和自己一同踏入生活的伙伴们,他们走的是高尚、勤奋的道路,在这新年的夜晚,载誉而归,无比快乐.

　　高耸的教堂钟楼鸣钟了,钟声使他回忆起儿时双亲对他这浪子的疼爱,他想起了发蒙时父母的教诲,想起了父母为他的幸福所作的祈祷.强烈的羞愧和悲伤使他不敢再多看一眼父亲居留的天堂.老人的眼睛黯然失神,泪珠儿泫然坠下,他绝望地大声呼唤：“回来,我的青春!回来呀!”

　　老人的青春真的回来了.原来,刚才那些只不过是他在新年夜晚打盹儿时做的一个梦.尽管他确实犯过一些错误,眼下却还年轻.他虔诚地感谢上天,时光仍然是属于他自己的,他还没有堕入漆黑的深渊,尽可以自由地踏上那条正路,进入福地洞天,丰硕的庄稼在那里的阳