陆块躺在水里，抹上一层阴翳的绿

Land lies in water; it is shadowed green.

影子，是影子吗？在陆块的边缘

Shadows, or are they shallows, at its edges

意味着长长的潮间带有海草漂流浮悬

showing the line of long sea-weeded ledges

漂向纯净的青蓝，从郁郁的葱绿。

where weeds hang to the simple blue from green.

能说陆块倚下身来从腋窝把海举起来，

Or does the land lean down to lift the sea from under,

把未受惊扰的海拉起来环抱自己吗？

沿着布满细沙的浅土色大陆架边涯

drawing it unperturbed around itself?

陆块是否从下方探入海柔软的躯怀？

Along the fine tan sandy shelf

is the land tugging at the sea from under?

纽芬兰的影子静静平躺着。

The shadow of Newfoundland lies flat and still.

拉普列陀一片黄，许是恍惚终日的爱斯基摩人

Labrador's yellow, where the moony Eskimo

为它涂上了颜彩。这里的海湾婀娜可以抚摸，

has oiled it. We can stroke these lovely bays,

隔着一层玻璃仿佛随人欢喜就要绽开如花，

under a glass as if they were expected to blossom,

又仿佛替隐而不见的鱼族提供了一口澄净的水箱。

or as if to provide a clean cage for invisible fish.

靠海的小镇一个个名字奔蹿到海里去，

The names of seashore towns run out to sea,

城市的名字则越过了邻近的山巅

the names of cities cross the neighboring mountains

——印制这张地图的人在此经历到了同样的悸动

——the printer here experiencing the same excitement

涌溢的情感远远超过激起情感的缘由。

as when emotion too far exceeds its cause.

这里的半岛把水捏在拇指和食指间揉搓

These peninsulas take the water between thumb and finger

像女人触感着一匹匹布料要辨觉它细不细软。

like women feeling for the smoothness of yard-goods.

地图上的水域比陆块沉敛儒雅，

Mapped waters are more quiet than the land is,

默默地把自己起浪的形态熨帖地付予陆块：

lending the land their waves' own conformation:

挪威这头野兔子向南疾奔如受惊骇，

and Norway's hare runs south in agitation,

侧身探索着大海，在水陆交接之涯。

profiles investigate the sea, where land is.

——什么颜色最适合家乡的水域，最能彰显它的特色？

Are they assigned, or can the countries pick their colors?

是编派的，还是每个国家可以挑选自己的颜彩？

--What suits the character or the native waters best.

制舆学从不偏私；北方和西方等近无差。

Topography displays no favorites; North's as near as West.

比历史学家更细腻的是制舆者的设色。

More delicate than the historians' are the map-makers' colors.