After so much time you think

过了这么久，你想

you'd have it netted

你要把它织入

in the mesh of language. But again

语言的网中。但它又一次

it reconfigures, slick as Proteus.

重构，像普罗透斯*一样善变。

You're in the kitchen talking

你在厨房里交谈

with your ex-Navy brother, his two kids

和你的前海军弟弟，他的两个孩子

snaking over his tattooed arms, as he goes on

攀着他纹过的手臂，当他继续

& on about being out of work again.

关于又一次失业的话题。

For an hour now you've listened,

你已经听了一个小时了，

his face growing dimmer in the lamplight

他的脸在灯光下变得更加暗淡

as you keep glancing at your watch

当你不停地看表的时候

until it's there again: the ghost rising

直到它又来了：幽灵浮现

as it did that first time when you,

就像第一次，当你

the oldest, left home to marry.

最年长的那个，离家结婚。

You're in the boat again, alone, and staring

你进到小船里，独自一人，注视着

at the six of them, your sisters

他们六个，你的妹妹们

& your brothers, their faces bobbing

和你的弟弟们，他们的脸上下浮动

in the water, as their fingers grapple

在水中，当他们的手指抓住

for the gunwales. The ship is going down,

船舷。大船正在沉没，

your mother with it. One oar's locked

妈妈和它在一起。一只桨卡住了

and feathered, and one oar's lost,

羽毛般漂着，另一只已经丢失

there's a slop of gurry pooling

肮脏腥臭的污水淤积

in the bottom, and your tiny boat

在底部，而你微小的小船

keeps drifting further from them.

继续缓缓移动远离他们。

Between each bitter wave you can count

在每一道苦涩的浪潮间，你都能数点

their upturned faces--white roses

他们朝上的脸——白色的玫瑰

scattered on a mash of sea, eyes fixed

散落在一片黏糊糊的海上，眼睛盯着

to see what you will do. And you?

看看你会怎么做。而你?

You their old protector, you their guardian

你是他们的保护者，你是他们的守卫者

and go-between? Each man for himself,

和中间人？各人为自己，

you remember thinking, their faces

你记得当时这样想，他们的脸

growing dimmer with each oarstroke.

每划一桨就变得更加暗淡。

【译注】

*普罗透斯Proteus，古希腊神话中的海神，能化身为各种形状。