On the Feeling of Immortality in Youth

有感于青春常在

Willam Hazlitt/威廉·赫兹里特

No young man believes he shall ever die.It was a saying of my brother‘s，and a fine one.There is a feeling of eternity in youth，which makes us amend for everything.To be young is to be as one of the immortal Gods.One half of time indeed is flown--the other half remains in store for us with all its countless treasures；for there is no line drawn，and we see no limit to our hopes and wishes，we make the coming age our own--年轻人不相信自己会死。这是我哥哥的话，可算是一句妙语。青春有一种永生之感，它能弥补一切。人在青年时代好像一尊永生的神明。诚然，生命的一半已经消逝，但蕴藏着不尽财富的另一半还等着我们，我们对它也抱着无穷的希望和幻想。未来的时代完全属于我们——Death，old age，is words without a meaning，which pass by us like the idle air which we regard not.Others may have undergone，or may still be liable to them-we “bear a charmed life”，which laughs to scorn all such sickly fancies.As in setting out on delightful journey，we strain our eager gaze forward --the vast，the un-bounded prospect lies before us.

The vast，the unbounded prospect lies before us.

死亡，衰老，不过是空话，毫无意义；我们听了，只当耳边风，全不放在心上。这些事，别人也许经历，或者可能要承受，但是我们自己，“在灵符护佑下度日”，对于诸如此类脆弱的念头，统统付之轻蔑的一笑。像是刚刚走上愉快的旅程，极目远眺——无限辽阔的远景在我们前面展现。（未完待续）