呆呆地回家来，一身煤灰，蓄意

Comes home dull with coal-dust deliberately

要把洗脸池弄脏，毛巾弄黑，

To grime the sink and foul towels and let her

要她靠板刷和搓衣板

Learn with scrubbing brush and scrubbing board

来懂得钱的顽固性格。

The stubborn character of money.

要她明白他是从什么样的尘土中

And let her learn through what kind of dust

得来他的干渴和止渴的权利，

He has earned his thirst and the right to quench it

他流了多少臭钱换来这点钱，

And what sweat he has exchanged for his money

这点血汗钱。他要她受点委屈

And the blood-weight of money. He’ll humble her

明白她有新的义务要尽。

With new light on her obligations.

木屑似的炸土豆片，放在炉子里保温了两个小时，

The fried, woody, chips, kept warm two hours in the oven,

不过是她回答的一部分。

Are only part of her answer.

他还听说了些别的，就把土豆片扔回炉子，

Hearing the rest, he slams them to the fire back

走到房子那一头去了，唱着

And is away round the house-end singing

《重归索伦托》，嗓音

‘Come back to Sorrento’ in a voice

象响亮的烂铁片，

Of resounding corrugated iron.

她的背鼓起来成了驼峰—— 一种侮辱。

Her back has bunched into a hump as an insult.

他们都想得到自己的权利

For they will have their rights.

他们的陪审员得从

Their jurors are to be assembled

小小的煤灰上召集。

From the little crumbs of soot. Their brief

他们的辩护状直接送上天，再不见下文。

Goes straight up to heaven and nothing more is heard of it.