ItwasNewYear', , wherefewmorehopelesspeoplethanhimselfnowmovedtowardstheircertaingoal—, , hismindvacant, hisheartsorrowful, andhisoldageshortofcomforts.
Thedaysofhisyouthappearedlikedreamsbeforehim, andherecalledtheseriousmomentwhenhisfatherplacedhimattheentranceofthetworoads—oneleadingtoapeaceful, sunnyplace, coveredwithflowers, fruitsandresoundingwithsoft, sweetsongs; theotherleadingtoadeep, darkcave, whichwasendless, wherepoisonflowedinsteadofwaterandwheredevilsandpoisonoussnakeshissedandcrawled.
Helookedtowardstheskyandcriedpainfully, "O, youth, return! O, myfather, placemeoncemoreattheentrancetolife, andI'llchoosethebetterway!"Butbothhisfatherandthedaysofhisyouthhadpassedaway.
; hesawastarfallfromtheskyanddisappeared, , whichwaslikeasharparrow, , 'snight.
Theclockinthehighchurchtowerstruckandthesoundmadehimrememberhisparents' , andwithadespairingeffort, heburstoutacry, "Comeback, myearlydays! Comeback!"
Andhisyouthdidreturn, forallthiswasonlyadream, whichhehadonNewYear'; hehadnotyetenteredthedeep, darkcave, andhewasstillfreetowalkontheroadwhichleadstothepeacefulandsunnyland.
Thosewhostilllingerontheentranceoflife, hesitatingtochoosethebrightroad, rememberthatwhenyearsarepassedandyourfeetstumbleonthedarkmountains, youwillcrybitterly, butinvain: "O, youth, return! Oh, givemebackmyearlydays!"
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。
