Don’t take it personal, they said;

不要针对个人，他们说；

but I did, I took it all quite personal—

我偏不，我把一切都看得相当个人——

the breeze and the river and the color of the fields;

微风、河流和田野的颜色；

the price of grapefruit and stamps,

柚子和邮票的价格，

the wet hair of women in the rain—

雨中女人们湿湿的头发——

And I cursed what hurt me

还有我诅咒过伤害我的

and I praised what gave me joy,

我赞美过给我欢乐的，

the most simple-minded of possible responses.

这可能是最头脑简单的反应。

The government reminded me of my father,

政府让我想起了我的父亲，

with its deafness and its laws,

用它的失聪和它的法律

and the weather reminded me of my mom,

而天气让我想起我的母亲

with her tropical squalls.

用她热带的强风。

Enjoy it while you can, they said of Happiness

趁早享受吧，当他们谈起“幸福”

Think first, they said of Talk

先多想想，当他们谈起“交流”

Get over it, they said

克服它，他们说

at the School of Broken Hearts

在“失恋者学校”

but I couldn’t and I didn’t and I don’t

但我做不到，我没有，我也不

believe in the clean break;

相信一刀两断；

I believe in the compound fracture

我相信的是复合性骨折

served with a sauce of dirty regret,

配上肮脏的后悔酱汁

I believe in saying it all

我相信说出一切

and taking it all back

再全部收回

and saying it again for good measure

然后为方便起见再说一遍

while the air fills up with I’m-Sorries

当空气中弥漫着“我很后悔”时

like wheeling birds

就像飞舞的鸟儿

and the trees look seasick in the wind.

树木在风中就像在晕船。

Oh life! Can you blame me

噢生活！你能怪我

for making a scene?

公然大闹吗？

You were that yellow caboose, the moon

你是那辆黄色的守车，月亮

disappearing over a ridge of cloud.

消失在云脊之上。

I was the dog, chained in some fool’s backyard;

我是那条狗，被拴在某个傻瓜的后院；

barking and barking:

狂吠接狂吠

trying to convince everything else

试图说服其他一切

to take it personal too.

把它也看成一个人。