今早下雨了

The rain this morning falls

落在残雪上

on the last of the snow

雪将被洗刷一空。我又重新闻到

and will wash it away. I can smell

青草的气息，被撕破的草叶

the grass again, and the torn leaves

柔顺地倒在淤泥里。

being eased down into the mud.

我爱的，又被允许拥有的不多的人们

The few loves I’ve been allowed

正在西海岸安静地睡眠。

to keep are still sleeping

现在我在弗吉尼亚

on the West Coast. Here in Virginia

穿过旷野

I walk across the fields with only

相伴的只有几头年轻的母牛。

a few young cows for company.

大骨架又害羞，

Big-boned and shy,

它们就像我记忆中的女孩们

they are like girls I remember

我初中开始认识她们，她们从不说话

from junior high, who never

总是低垂着头

spoke, who kept their heads

双臂交叉在刚长出的乳房上。

lowered and their arms crossed against

这些女孩

their new breasts. Those girls

现在已经接近四十岁，就像我，

are nearly forty now. Like me,

她们肯定有时会在深夜

they must sometimes stand

站在窗边，

at a window late at night, looking out

看着静寂的后院里面

on a silent backyard, at one

生锈的躺椅，和别人家的

rusting lawn chair and the sheer walls

高耸的墙壁。

of other people’s houses.

她们肯定会在一些下午

They must lie down some afternoons

躺在床上痛哭

and cry hard for whoever used

只为那些曾经给她们带来无上幸福的人们，

to make them happiest,

并且迷惑于为什么人生

and wonder how their lives

一路带她们走了那么远

have carried them

却一次也没有

this far without ever once

解释过任何事情。我不知道

explaining anything. I don’t know

为什么我在这里行走

why I’m walking out here

让我的外套变黑

with my coat darkening

让我的靴子陷进泥里，

and my boots sinking in, coming up

拔出来时伴着轻微的吸吮声

with a mild sucking sound

我喜欢听这种声音。我不在乎

I like to hear. I don’t care

那些女孩现在在哪儿。

where those girls are now.

她们活出什么样子，都是理所当然。

Whatever they’ve made of it

今天我并不想

they can have. Today I want

解决任何事情。

to resolve nothing.

我只想行走

I only want to walk

再多走一段路

a little longer in the cold

在这冷雨的祝福中，

blessing of the rain,

同时抬起我的脸，面对它。

and lift my face to it.