What about the people who came to my father's office
那些为了配助听器、配眼镜来我父亲
For hearing aids and glasses—chatting with him sometimes
办公室的人吗？他们有时会多逗留一会儿，
和我父亲聊天，而我在后屋打扫，
A few extra minutes while I swept up in the back,
处理包裹，清洁仪器；如果父亲忙着，
Addressed packages, cleaned the machines; if he was busy
我会帮着卖电池，或者回答他们的问题。
I might sell them batteries, or tend to their questions:
那个特别吵的高个老头以一种吊嘴角的含讽的笑
The tall overloud old man with a tilted, ironic smirk
掩盖他听不见的空缺；一个女人不停地哼唱
To cover the gaps in his hearing; a woman who hummed one
一个音符，拉得很长，我们称她为“哼唱者”——
Prolonged note constantly, we called her "the hummer"—how
她那个白胖老公（看起来像皮尔牧师）没日没夜地听，
Could her white fat husband (he looked like Rev. Peale)
怎么受得了的呢？其他人包括：一位妖媚的老太太，
Bear hearing it day and night? And others: a coquettish old lady
她戴着束发带，是个欧洲人；做难民工作，
In a bandeau, a European. She worked for refugees who ran
那些夏天时在海边木板路上开礼品店或摆摊的人；
Gift shops or booths on the boardwalk in the summer;
到了冬天，她肯定要靠社保过日子。有个男人
She must have lived in winter on Social Security. One man
总是用共济会的手势和行为标志向我父亲打招呼。
Always greeted my father in Masonic gestures and codes.
为什么我希望这个世界对他们温厚？尽管
Why do I want them to be treated tenderly by the world, now
他们肯定早已按不同方式从这个世界溜了号，
Long after they must have slipped from it one way or another,
而我当时还在学校里混日子，或者我在游车河、
While I was dawdling through school at that moment—or driving,
看闲书，与艾伦闲扯。为什么要新添这份多余的关心？
Reading, talking to Ellen. Why this new superfluous caring?
我不希望他们在可怕的痛苦中死去，没有一个朋友。
I want for them not to have died in awful pain, friendless.
虽然许多活着的人也在挨饿，但我仍然为他们祈祷，
Though many of the living are starving, I still pray for these,
为这些大多是无名的几乎没人记得的死者（除了蒙克先生、
Dead, mosdy anonymous (but Mr. Monk, Mrs. Rose Vogel)
罗丝-沃格尔夫人）：我希望他们还有一点额外的东西，
And barely remembered: that they had a litde extra, something
某种愉悦的东西，一顿好饭，一本书或一台像样的电视。
For pleasure, a good meal, a book or a decent television set.
我祈祷谁施行这种坚韧的、低端的慈善？今天，我看到
Of whom do I pray this rubbery, low-class charity? I saw
一位慈善专家，是一位修女，穿着常人的裙子和衬衫，
An expert today, a nun—wearing a regular skirt and blouse,
但她有藏青与白色相间的头巾或头饰，围起那张素净的
But the hood or headdress navy and white around her plain
可能是爱尔兰人的脸，她比我大五岁，也许十岁。
Probably Irish face, older than me by five or ten years.
邮局职员对她说破不开二十美元的票子，
The Post Office clerk told her he couldn't break a twenty
所以她去隔壁换了零钱，又回来寄送包裹。
So she got change next door and came back to send her package.
我出来时，她正开车离去——我感觉，她脸上有一股
As I came out she was driving off—with an air, it seemed to me,
恼怒的神气，但举止端庄欢快，仿佛零钱、邮件、汽车、
Of annoying, demure good cheer, as if the reasonableness
衣服等等都很合理，其本身就是一种乐趣：如我想到的
Of change, mail, cars, clothes was a pleasure in itself; veiled
那些笨笨的、带着面纱的女孩，在小学读书，
And dumb like the girls I thought enjoyed the rules too much
很享受学校的规矩。她真有可能就是一名小学老师；
In grade school. She might have been a grade school teacher;
不过她令我想起的倒不是这个，而是我自己在那里——
But she reminded me of being there, aside from that—as a name
有那么一个人或名字，一个叫玛丽或约翰的，知道
And person there, a Mary or John who learns that the janitor
清洁工是一位伍德豪斯；校长是林格文先生；办公室
秘书叫阿波斯特拉克斯夫人；校车司机叫雷伊。
Is Mr. Woodhouse; the principal is Mr. Ringleven; the secretary
In the office is Mrs. Apostolacus; the bus driver is Ray.