I

1

By the road to the contagious hospital

在通往传染病院的路旁

under the surge of the blue

蓝色斑驳的云朵

mottled clouds driven from the

汹涌而来

northeast-a cold wind. Beyond, the

被东北的寒风驱逐。远处

waste of broad, muddy fields

宽阔泥泞的荒野

brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen

野草枯黄，有立有伏

patches of standing water

一滩滩的积水

the scattering of tall trees

几棵高树

All along the road the reddish

沿路尽是泛红的

purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy

发紫的，分叉儿的，挺立的，纤瘦的

stuff of bushes and small trees

灌木和小树

with dead, brown leaves under them

下面是枯黄的落叶

leafless vines—

藤蔓光秃秃—

Lifeless in appearance, sluggish

看去毫无生机，疲惫

dazed spring approaches—

昏沉沉春天将至—

They enter the new world naked,

它们赤条条地来

cold, uncertain of all

全身冰凉，一片懵懂

save that they enter. All about them

只想要进入这新世界。周围

the cold, familiar wind—

寒风依旧—

Now the grass, tomorrow

今儿一片草，明儿

the stiff curl of wildcarrot leaf

野胡萝卜坚挺的卷缨儿

一样样儿被描摹着—

One by one objects are defined—

越来越快：叶子的轮廓，清清楚楚

It quickens: clarity, outline of leaf

此刻带着倔强的尊严

But now the stark dignity of

进入春天，毕竟深层的变化

entrance— Still, the profound change

已经凸显：它们扎根土壤

has come upon them: rooted, they

开始醒来

grip down and begin to awaken