在你长期的缺席中，你允许我

In your extended absence, you permit me

使用土地，期望

use of earth, anticipating

投资得到收益。我必须汇报

some return on investment. I must report

我执行任务的失败之处，主要是

failure in my assignment, principally

关于番茄种植。

regarding the tomato plants.

我觉得我不应该被鼓励

I think I should not be encouraged to grow

去种番茄。或者，如果我被鼓励，你就应该

tomatoes. Or, if I am, you should withhold

停止暴雨、寒夜，它们如此

the heavy rains, the cold nights that come

频频光临这里，而其他地区却得到了

so often here, while other regions get

十二个周的夏日。这一切

twelve weeks of summer. All this

都属于你：另一方面，

belongs to you: on the other hand,

我播下种子，我观察初芽

I planted the seeds, I watched the first shoots

像羽翼撕开泥土，而我的心

like wings tearing the soil, and it was my heart

因为枯萎病 而破碎，当小黑点如此迅速地

broken by the blight, the black spot so quickly

在田垄上蔓延。我怀疑

multiplying in the rows. I doubt

你的慈悲，按我们对于这个词的

you have a heart, in our understanding of

理解。你并不区别

that term. You who do not discriminate

死者与生者，你因此，

between the dead and the living, who are, in consequence,

无动于衷，你可能不知道

immune to foreshadowing, you may not know

我们承受了多大的恐惧，那布满黑点的叶子，

how much terror we bear, the spotted leaf,

那枯黄的红叶，飘落

the red leaves of the maple falling

甚至在八月，在最初的黑暗中：我要负起

even in August, in early darkness: I am responsible

对这些作物的责任。

for these vines.