How much death works,

死神干了多少活啊，

No one knows what a long

谁都不知道他度过了一个

Day he puts in. The little

多么漫长的白昼。娇小的

Wife always alone

妻总是独自

Ironing death’s laundry.

熨着死神的浆洗好的衣裳。

The beautiful daughters

美丽的女儿们

Setting death’s supper table.

正在布置死神的晚餐桌子。

The neighbors playing

邻居在后院

Pinochle in the backyard

玩皮纳克尔牌戏，

Or just sitting on the steps

或者只是坐在台阶上

Drinking beer. Death,

喝啤酒。这时，

Meanwhile, in a strange

死神在城市的特殊

Part of town looking for

部位寻找一个

Someone with a bad cough,

咳嗽得很厉害的人，

But the address is somehow wrong,

但是地址搞错了，

Even death can’t figure it out

连死神也不能在那些上了锁的

Among all the locked doors ...

门中间算计出它的位置……

And the rain beginning to fall.

何况又下雨了。

Long windy night ahead.

前方是狂风大作的茫茫黑夜，

Death with not even a newspaper

死神甚至没有一张报纸

To cover his head, not even

遮一下脑袋，没有

A dime to call the one pining away,

一枚小钱去叫醒那个憔悴的，

Undressing slowly, sleepily,

慢吞吞脱下衣服，昏昏欲睡，

And stretching naked

赤条条在床板的死亡一侧

On death’s side of the bed.

摊开肢体的人。