Near the dry river’s water-mark we found

在那条枯河的水标附近，我们发现了

      Your brother Minnegan,

　你的兄弟米尼根，

Flopped like a fish against the muddy ground.

他在泥泞的河底像一条鱼一样扑腾着。

Beany, the kid whose yellow hair turns green,

比尼，那满头黄发变成绿色的孩子，

Told me to find you, even in the rain,

让我去找你，下雨了也要找到你，

      And tell you he was drowned.

　让我告诉你，他淹死了。

I hid behind the chassis on the bank,

我躲在岸上的汽车底盘后面，

      The wreck of someone’s Ford:

　谁的福特汽车的残骸。

I was afraid to come and wake you drunk:

我不敢过来叫醒喝醉的你，

You told me once the waking up was hard,

你曾对我说过，被弄醒很难受，

The daylight beating at you like a board.

日光像一块木板一样砸着你。

      Blood in my stomach sank.

　我胃部的血液一沉。

Beside, you told him never to go out

何况，你跟他说过绝对不要出门，

      Along the river-side

　不要沿着河边走，

Drinking and singing, clattering about.

不要边喝酒边唱歌，四处喧哗。

You might have thrown a rock at me and cried

你估计要抱一块大石头砸我，并哭喊着

I was to blame, I let him fall in the road

说我真该死，让他在路上摔倒，

      And pitch down on his side.

　还栽到了旁边的河里。

Well, I’ll get hell enough when I get home

啊，我到家后一定会挨上一顿臭骂，

      For coming up this far,

　因为我这样冒冒失失地出现，

Leaving the note, and running as I came.

留下纸条后就跟来时一样迅速跑开了。

I’ll go and tell my father where you are.

我要去告诉我爸爸你在哪里。

You’d better go find Minnegan before

你最好在警察知道消息赶到之前，

      Policemen hear and come.

　去找米尼根。

Beany went home, and I got sick and ran,

比尼回家了，我跑着，都快吐了，

      You old son of a bitch.

　你这老不死的狗东西。

You better hurry down to Minnegan;

你最好快点去下边找米尼根。

He’s drunk or dying now, I don’t know which,

他喝醉了，可能快死了，我不知道那些

Rolled in the roots and garbage like a fish,

在草根和垃圾堆里像鱼一样打滚的哪个是他，

      The poor old man.

　这可怜的老家伙。