0704翻译：理想（流沙河）
Translation: Ideal (Liu Shahe)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)

理想是石，敲出星星之火；
Ideal is rock, and it sparks fire at being struck.　　
理想是火，点燃熄灭的灯；
Ideal is fire, and it lights extinguished lamp.　　
理想是灯，照亮夜行的路；
Ideal is lamp, and it brightens road for night travelers.　　
理想是路，引你走到黎明。
Ideal is road, and it leads you towards dawn.　　
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饥寒的年代里，理想是温饱；
In an era of hunger and cold, ideal is warmth and sufficient food.　　
温饱的年代里，理想是文明。
In an era with warmth and sufficient food, ideal is civilization.　　
离乱的年代里，理想是安定；
In an era of separation and chaos, ideal is stability.　　
安定的年代里，理想是繁荣。
In an era of stability, ideal is prosperity.　　
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理想如珍珠，一颗缀连着一颗，
Ideal is like pearl, each one is linked in adornment to the next.　　
贯古今，串未来，莹莹光无尽。
It links the past, the present and the future with glittering glow.　　
美丽的珍珠链，历史的脊梁骨，
Beautiful pearl chain is backbone of history.　　
古照今，今照来，先辈照子孙。
Past shines on present and present shines on future. Elders look after children and grandchildren. (1)　　
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理想是罗盘，给船舶导引方向；
Ideal is compass and it guides ship with direction. 　　
理想是船舶，载着你出海远行。
Ideal is ship and it carries you out to sea for long-distance travel.　　
但理想有时候又是海天相吻的弧线，
But ideal sometimes is an arc curve where ocean meets sky.　　
可望不可即，折磨着你那进取的心。
It is an unattainable sight that torments your ambitious spirits.　　
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理想使你微笑地观察着生活；
Ideal makes you observe life with a smile.　　
理想使你倔强地反抗着命运。
Ideal makes you stubbornly revolt against fate.　　
理想使你忘记鬓发早白；
Ideal makes you forget sideburns have long been grayed.　　
理想使你头白仍然天真。
Ideal makes you childlike even with a head of white hair.　　
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理想是闹钟，敲碎你的黄金梦；
Ideal is alarm clock that shatters your get-rich dream.　　
理想是肥皂，洗濯你的自私心。
Ideal is soap that cleanses your selfish mind.　　
理想既是一种获得，
Ideal, now that it is a type of obtaining,　　
理想又是一种牺牲。
and yet ideal is a type of sacrificing.　　
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理想如果给你带来荣誉，
Ideal, if it brings you honor,　　
那只不过是它的副产品，
that is only its by-product.　　
而更多的是带来被误解的寂寥，
Yet more so it brings you misguided lonesomeness,　　
寂寥里的欢笑，欢笑里的酸辛。
along with laughter in lonesomeness and miseries in laughter.　　
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理想使忠厚者常遭不幸；
Ideal makes a scrupulous person run into misfortune.　　
理想使不幸者绝处逢生。
Ideal makes misfortunate person get rescued in the nick of time.　　
平凡的人因有理想而伟大；
An ordinary person becomes great with ideal. 　　
有理想者就是一个“大写的人”。
A person with ideal is a righteous person described in bold font. 　　
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世界上总有人抛弃了理想，
In this world there are always people who turn their backs on ideal.　　
理想却从来不抛弃任何人。
But ideal never turns its back on anybody.　　
给罪人新生，理想是还魂的仙草；
In giving sinners new life, ideal is magical herb that resurrects the dead. 　　
唤浪子回头，理想是慈爱的母亲。
In calling for repentance of prodigal son (1), ideal is a doting mother. 　　
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理想被玷污了，不必怨恨，
When ideal is tarnished, do not feel bitter.　　
那是妖魔在考验你的坚贞；
That is the devil testing your faith.　　
理想被扒窃了，不必哭泣，
When ideal is stolen, do not weep. 　　
快去找回来，以后要当心！
Quickly get it back and be careful from now on.　　
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英雄失去理想，蜕作庸人，
When a hero loses ideal, he mutates into someone mundane.　　
可厌地夸耀着当年的功勋；
He loathsomely brags about his past glories.　　
庸人失去理想，碌碌终生，
When a mundane person loses ideal, he lives unspectacularly all his life,　　
可笑地诅咒着眼前的环境。
and laughably swears at his present predicament.　　
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理想开花，桃李要结甜果；
Ideal blossoms, and peach and plum trees will bear tasty fruits.　　
理想抽芽，榆杨会有浓阴。
Ideal sprouts, and elm and poplar trees will provide dense shades.　　
请乘理想之马，挥鞭从此起程，
Please ride the horse of ideal, wave the whip and start the journey from here. 　　
路上春色正好，天上太阳正晴。
Scenes of spring on the road are just right and bright sun is above in the sky.
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附注：

(1)   Sexist Language
Nowadays a writer must avoid using sexist language.
Here “子孙” could be translated as “sons and grandsons”, but then such an ex*pression could offend the female readers. Therefore “children and grandchildren” are used.
Other examples of being sexism-sensitive writing include:
using police instead of policeman, mail carrier instead of mailman;
referring nurse as “her”, corporate president as “he”.
Use of neutral gender words and passive voice are acceptable ways to deal with the issue    

In considering whether to write “prodigal person” to be gender neutral or “prodigal son” in referring to the character in the famous story, I decide to choose the latter.