在诊所里，一个被太阳漂白的石制贝壳

In the clinic, a sun-bleached shell of stone

坐落在这个城市的海滨，你进入

on the shore of the city, you enter

最后一个小房间，一个小小的壁橱*

the last small chamber, a little closet

用珍珠磨炼而成，清凉、洁白、晶莹，

chastened with pearl, cool, white, and glistening.

在阴冷的马桶凹槽上

and over the chilly well of the toilet

你把你珍贵的全部滴在一个杯子里。

you trickle your precious sum in a cup.

就这么简单。但是

It's as simple as that. But the heat

你身体熔化和倾泻出来的这黄金的热度

of this gold your body's melted and poured out

变成一种形式开始让你着迷，

into a form begins to enthrall you,

温暖你的手用你肉体的热病

warming your hand with your fesh's fevers

以一种可怕的方式。这就像托着

in a terrible way. It's like holding

一个器官——脾或肥大的胰脏，

an organ-spleen or fatty pancreas,

一瓣脑叶取自你起泡的大脑还在冒着蒸汽

a lobe from your foamy brain still steaming

与忧虑。你知道就在外面

with worry. You know that just outside

一位护士正等着把它冷却成凝胶

a nurse is waiting to cool it into a gel

切片到显微镜载玻片上

and slice it onto a microscope slide

给那位医生，他将在上面读取你的未来，

for the doctor, who in it will read your future.

绞着他的双手。你举起酒杯

wringing his hands. You lift the chalice and toast

祝镜子里你的朋友长寿，

the long life of your friend there in the mirror,

他虚弱地微笑，却不为你干杯。

who wanly smiles, but does not drink to you.