So beautiful- God himself quailed

太漂亮了——当她走近时

at her approach: the long body curved

上帝自己也吓了一跳：那修长的身体

like the horizon. Why had he made

像弯曲的地平线。他为什么

her so? How would it be, she said,

把她造成这样？“这样如何”，她说着

leaning towards him, if instead of

向他靠过来，“假如我们

quarreling over it, we divided it

不要为此争吵，将它在我们两人间分享，

between us? You can have all the credit

为对它的创造，你拥有全部的荣耀，

for its invention, if you will leave the ordering

只要把对它的支配权给我？”

of it to me. He looked into her

他审视着，透过她的眼睛

eyes and saw far down the bones

他远远看到世代人飞行的骨头

of the generations that would navigate

它们靠那些巨大的星星引路。

by those great stars, but the pull of it

但此事诱惑力太大。“是的”，

was too much. Yes, he thought, give me their minds'

他想，“给我他们心中敬献的

tribute, and what they do with their bodies

赞美，至于他们用自己的身体做什么

is not my concern. He put his hand in his side

那不干我的事。”他伸手从身边

and drew out the thorn for the letting

抽出那根用来释放授命之血的荆棘

of the ordained blood and touched her with

拿它碰了她一下。“走吧”，他说，

it. Go, he said. They shall come to you for ever

“他们将永远奔向你，带着他们的欲望，

with their desire, and you shall bleed for them in return.

而作为回报，你将为他们流血。”