This is a word we use to plug

这是一个我们用来插在孔里的

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

词。它的大小正适合那些温暖的

blanks in speech, for those red heart-

言语的空白，适合那些纸页上

shaped vacancies on the page that look nothing

看起来与真心一点不像的

like real hearts. Add lace

红心形的空缺。加上花边

and you can sell

你可以把它

it. We insert it also in the one empty

卖掉。我们也用印刷体

space on the printed form

把它插在一个空虚的空间

that comes with no instructions. There are whole

没有任何说明。有些杂志

magazines with not much in them

整本除了爱这个词

but the word love, you can

没有多少词语，你可以

rub it all over your body and you

把它擦遍你的全身，你可以

can cook with it too. How do we know

用它来烹调。我们怎么知道

it isn't what goes on at the cool

那不是潮湿纸板下面

debaucheries of slugs under damp

鼻涕虫凉爽的放荡？而草芽

pieces of cardboard? As for the weed-

把它们坚硬的鼻子

seedlings nosing their tough snouts up

从莴苣中间拱起，它们喊出它。

among the lettuces, they shout it.

爱！爱！士兵们唱着，

Love! Love! sing the soldiers, raising

端起亮闪闪的刺刀致敬。

their glittering knives in salute.

随后就有了我们

两。这个词

Then there's the two

对于我们太短了，它只有

of us. This word

四个字母，少得

is far too short for us, it has only

填不满星星之间

four letters, too sparse

那些深深赤裸的

to fill those deep bare

以失聪压迫我们的真空。

vacuums between the stars

它不是爱，我们不希望

that press on us with their deafness.

坠入其中，它是恐惧。

It's not love we don't wish

这个词不够，可它

to fall into, but that fear.

不得不如此。

this word is not enough but it will

在这金属的寂静中

have to do. It's a single

它是惟一的元音

vowel in this metallic

一张在惊奇和痛苦中

silence, a mouth that says

反复说着“哦”的嘴，

O again and again in wonder

一次呼吸，一根手指

and pain, a breath, a finger

抓住峭壁的边缘。你

grip on a cliffside. You can

或是坚持，或是撒手。

hold on or let go.