There are gains for all our losses，

There are balms1) for all our pain.

But when youth， the dream， departs，

It takes something from our hearts，

And it never comes again.

We are stronger， and are better，

Under manhood's sterner2) reign.

Still we feel that something sweet

Followed youth， with flying feet，

And will never come again.

Something beautiful is vanished3)，

And we sigh for it in vain.

We behold4) it everywhere，

On the earth， and in the air，

But it never comes again.

Richard Henry Stoddard (理查德·亨利·斯托達(dá)德，1825~1903)，美國(guó)詩(shī)人，其詩(shī)歌作品以寧?kù)o、誠(chéng)懇、細(xì)膩著稱，被譽(yù)為“抒情詩(shī)人”。

在這首《青春的飛逝》(The Flight of Youth)中，斯托達(dá)德將青春比喻成夢(mèng)境，夢(mèng)醒時(shí)分一切就會(huì)消逝無(wú)蹤，徒留無(wú)限悵惘。整首詩(shī)充滿了對(duì)青春的留戀，對(duì)青春易逝的感嘆。其字里行間滿溢作者的無(wú)限惆悵。讀罷掩卷，正值青春年華的我們有何感想?與其回憶和懷念美麗的青春過(guò)往，不如珍惜現(xiàn)在，享受當(dāng)下。在青春逝去之時(shí)，我們才能毫無(wú)遺憾地與其微笑揮別。

Vocabulary

1.balm [bB:m] n. (治療或鎮(zhèn)痛用的)香樹(shù)脂;香膏，鎮(zhèn)痛軟膏

2.stern [stE:n] adj. 嚴(yán)峻的，嚴(yán)酷的

3.vanish [5vAnIF] vt. 使不見(jiàn);使消失

4.behold [bI5hEuld] vt. 看;看見(jiàn)