明智的代价

     莎拉·蒂斯代尔

  当我明哲保身,不再

  用翅膀抵撞蒙昧错误时,

  当我学会妥协，忍耐

  在死沉封闭的大门口时,

  当我看破红尘

  变得冷血从容时——

  生活教给我真知，

  我却失去了青春。

       Wisdom

         Sara Teasdale

    When I have ceased to break my wings
    Against the faultiness of things,
    And learned that compromises wait
    Behind each hardly opened gate,
    When I have looked Life in the eyes,
    Grown calm and very coldly wise,
    Life will have given me the Truth,
    And taken in exchange--my youth.

   第一句恨不得大胆发挥成如此这般：

      当我明哲保身,不再

      锋芒毕露鸡蛋撞石头时,