一、美文欣赏 1The Two Roads By John Ruskin （选辑者：聂志财） It was New Years 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（百合花） 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 was 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, Oh youth, return! Oh my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and Ill 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 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 honored and happy on this New Years 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 Years 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 at 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: Oh youth, return! Oh give me back my early days! comprehension and appreciation . words and phrases 1. mournful adj sad, sorrowful 2. remorse n deep, bitter regret 3. vacant adj empty, blank, dull 4. recall vt bring sth. or sb. back to mind 5. resound v fill a place with sound, ring or echo 6. devil n ill, cruel person 7. despairing adj losing all hopes, desperate 8. linger v stay at or near a place, wander 9. hesitate to do sth. be uncertain to do sth. for the moment10. stumble v walk or move in an unsteady way 11. in vain without the desired result, fruiltlessly. beautiful expressions 1. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies（百合花） on the surface of a clear calm lake. 思考: 在这个句子里作者用映衬的手法创造了几种意境：悲伤的眼光、深蓝色的天空、美丽的百合花样的星星和清澈平静的湖，这是为了表达什么感情呢？ 2. He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and remorse. 这个句子作者并没有简单的说成：He had already been sixty years old. 而是用了一个passed 和stages, 显然passed给了我们一种动态的意境：这个老人已经走过了人生的六十个春秋。再则，这里的stages应该含有双关意义，一方面指时间period或者旅程journey，另一方面还指舞台，因为在文学作品中常把人生比作舞台，人们在这个舞台上演出各自的人生。 3. Now his health was poor, his mind was vacant, his heart was sorrowful, and his old age was short of comforts. 这是一组排比句，分别从四个方面表达了这个老人虚度青春年华，到老后的那种悲惨状况，起到了一种强势表达的效果。在原文中后面的三个was是省略掉了的，这里为了便于学生理解，我添加上了。 4. 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. 在这个句子里有三个定语从句，请同学们注意正确理解：找出先行词和定语从句。 5. Oh youth, return! Oh my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and Ill choose the better way! 同学们读到这句话，我们是否觉得很熟悉呢？很多时候我们都会追悔莫及，发出同样的感叹：如果我能重新再来，我一定做得更好。然而，时间和机会注定是一去不返。所以，生命只有一次，让我们好好把握、好好珍惜吧！ 6. His remorse, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart. 这里有一个修辞表达：把悔恨比作利剑。如果我们把sharp和deeply去掉，显然意境逊色很多，就表达不出那种“刻骨铭心的痛苦”。 7. But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this New Years Night. 在这里有个短语需要好好体会与运用：make ones way to 意指排除艰险或克服困难到达某地。这个短语表明这个老人的朋友（实际上也对我们而言）人生不容易，只有克服艰难困苦才能获得成功。 8. remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, 在这个句子里是years are passed 而不是years have passed，主动语态表示时间自己流逝，而被动语态表示时间被