The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both.

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden back.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I ---

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

译本一

未选择的路

（美）弗罗斯

黄色的树林里分出两条路,

可惜我不能同时去涉足,

我在那路口久久伫立,

我向着一条路极目望去,

直到它消失在丛林深处.

但我却选了另外一条路,

它荒草萋萋,十分幽寂,

显得更诱人、更美丽,

虽然在这两条小路上,

都很少留下旅人的足迹,

虽然那天清晨落叶满地,

两条路都未经脚印污染.

呵,留下一条路等改日再见!

但我知道路径延绵无尽头,

恐怕我难以再回返.

也许多少年后在某个地方,

我将轻声叹息把往事回顾,

一片树林里分出两条路,

而我选了人迹更少的一条,

从此决定了我一生的道路.

译本二

没有走的路

（飞白译文）

金黄的林中有两条岔路，

可惜我作为一名过客，

不能两条都走，我久久踌躇，

极目遥望一条路的去处，

直到它在灌木丛中隐没。

我走了第二条路，它也不坏，

而且说不定更加值得，

因为它草多，缺少人踩；

不过这点也难比较出来，

两条路踩的程度相差不多。

那天早晨两条路是一样的，

都撒满落叶，还没踩下足迹。

啊，我把第一条路留待来日！

尽管我明白：路是连着路的，

我怀疑是否还能重返旧地。

此后不论岁月流逝多少，

我提起此事总要伴一声叹息：

两条路在林中分了道，而我呢，

我选择了较少人走的一条，

此后的一切都相差千里。

笔者赏析（仅供参考）：

"The road not chosen" is a philosophical lyric poem, which is plain on the surface, but actually contains profound philosophy; It may seem like telling personal experience, but actually it expresses people's common feelings. In this poem, frost grasps the specific image of the forked road in the forest, and USES metaphor to arouse people's rich and vivid association, so as to highlight the philosophical symbolism of the forked road in life. The poet chooses the forest-fork road, which is quite common among people, to illustrate the philosophy of how to choose one's life path.

Apparently, the first version of translation is more beautiful. It is also the most popular version in books of all around. In the first translation, the translator used the simple and natural language and rhythm to express his thinking about life. This unadorned style makes this poem as soft as the wind in summer night, full of fresh and natural taste, giving the readers a refreshing feeling.