Land lies in water; it is shadowed green.

陆块躺在水里，抹上一层阴翳的绿

Shadows, or are they shallows, at its edges

影子，是影子吗？在陆块的边缘

showing the line of long sea-weeded ledges

意味着长长的潮间带有海草漂流浮悬

where weeds hang to the simple blue from green.

漂向纯净的青蓝，从郁郁的葱绿。

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

能说陆块倚下身来从腋窝把海举起来，

把未受惊扰的海拉起来环抱自己吗？

drawing it unperturbed around itself?

沿着布满细沙的浅土色大陆架边涯

Along the fine tan sandy shelf

陆块是否从下方探入海柔软的躯怀？

is the land tugging at the sea from under?

The shadow of Newfoundland lies flat and still.

纽芬兰的影子静静平躺着。

Labrador's yellow, where the moony Eskimo

拉普列陀一片黄，许是恍惚终日的爱斯基摩人

has oiled it. We can stroke these lovely bays,

为它涂上了颜彩。这里的海湾婀娜可以抚摸，

under a glass as if they were expected to blossom,

隔着一层玻璃仿佛随人欢喜就要绽开如花，

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

又仿佛替隐而不见的鱼族提供了一口澄净的水箱。

The names of seashore towns run out to sea,

靠海的小镇一个个名字奔蹿到海里去，

the names of cities cross the neighboring mountains

城市的名字则越过了邻近的山巅

——the printer here experiencing the same excitement

——印制这张地图的人在此经历到了同样的悸动

as when emotion too far exceeds its cause.

涌溢的情感远远超过激起情感的缘由。

These peninsulas take the water between thumb and finger

这里的半岛把水捏在拇指和食指间揉搓

like women feeling for the smoothness of yard-goods.

像女人触感着一匹匹布料要辨觉它细不细软。

Mapped waters are more quiet than the land is,

地图上的水域比陆块沉敛儒雅，

lending the land their waves' own conformation:

默默地把自己起浪的形态熨帖地付予陆块：

and Norway's hare runs south in agitation,

挪威这头野兔子向南疾奔如受惊骇，

profiles investigate the sea, where land is.

侧身探索着大海，在水陆交接之涯。

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

——什么颜色最适合家乡的水域，最能彰显它的特色？

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

是编派的，还是每个国家可以挑选自己的颜彩？

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

制舆学从不偏私；北方和西方等近无差。

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

比历史学家更细腻的是制舆者的设色。