This is a word we use to plug

这个词我们用来填补

holes with. It's the right size for those warm

漏洞。很适合作为演说里

blanks in speech, for those red heart-

温暖的串联，可填写在卡片上

shaped vacancies on the page that look nothing

红色心形的空位，虽然看起来

like real hearts. Add lace

一点也不像真的心。加上丝带

and you can sell

你还可以出售它。

it. We insert it also in the one empty

我们还可以将它插入

space on the printed form

打印好的表格空白处。

that comes with no instructions. There are whole

即便没有填表说明。好多

magazines with not much in them

杂志没什么内容

but the word love, you can

除了爱这个词。你可以

rub it all over your body and you

用它来搓身，也可以

can cook with it too. How do we know

用来炒菜。我们怎知

it isn't what goes on at the cool

潮湿的纸板下

debaucheries of slugs under damp

鼻涕虫们的欢乐纵欲

pieces of cardboard? As for the weed-

不是爱？至于草苗，

seedlings nosing their tough snouts up

它们喊着爱，坚韧的叶尖小心地

among the lettuces, they shout it.

从一堆生菜堆之间拱出。

Love! Love! sing the soldiers, raising

爱！爱！战士高唱，举起

their glittering knives in salute.

他们闪亮的刺刀致敬。

Then there's the two

然后说说我们

of us. This word

两个人。爱这个词

is far too short for us, it has only

实在太短了，它只有

four letters, too sparse

四个字母，太稀疏

to fill those deep bare

我们头上的群星无法听见

vacuums between the stars

它们之间深邃的真空

that press on us with their deafness.

爱也不能填满。

It's not love we don't wish

不是我们不愿意

to fall into, but that fear.

坠入爱河，而是害怕。

this word is not enough but it will

这个词是不够的，但也

have to do. It's a single

只能接受。它是

vowel in this metallic

金属的沉默里

silence, a mouth that says

一个单音字，在惊奇和痛苦中

O again and again in wonder

不断发出啊的嘴巴,

and pain, a breath, a finger

是一口气，是紧紧抓住

grip on a cliffside. You can

悬崖边的手指。你可以

hold on or let go.

紧抓不放，也可以松手。