当我以为命名我的渴望是正确的，

When I thought it was right to name my desires,

我对生活的期盼，却像咩咩叫的羊群般，

what I wanted of life, they seemed to turn

不朝向我，一个

like bleating sheep, not to me, who could have been

也许笨拙，但是充满关怀的牧羊人，

a caring, if unskilled, shepherd, but to the boxed-in hills

而是朝向那最远处被框住的山丘，

beyond which the blue mountains sloped down

在它前面，蓝色的山脉缓缓倾斜，

with poppies orange as crayfish all the way to the Pacific seas

遍布着像鳌虾一样橙色的罂粟花，一直延伸到太平洋

in which the hulls of whales steered them

在那里鲸鱼扭转着巨大的头颅在海中航行，

in search of a mate for whom they bellowed

寻找伴侣，为之发出低沉的吼叫，

in a new, highly particular song

一种崭新独特的歌声，

we might call the most ardent articulation of love,

我们或许可以称之为爱情最热烈的表达，

the pin at the tip of evolution,

进化顶端的针尖，

modestly shining.

低调地闪耀着。

                                    In the middle of my life

                  在我生命的中途，

it was right to say my desires

说出我的渴望是正确的，

but they went away. I couldn’t even make them out,

但它们消失了。我甚至无法辨认它们，

not even as dots

即使远处的光点也消失不见。

now in the distance.

                   然而，我看到了山丘上

                                         Yet I see the small lights

冬日篝火的微弱灯光——

of winter campfires in the hills—

热恋中的青少年经常去那里

teenagers in love often go there

度过他们的第一个夜晚——每一束黄白色的光芒

for their first nights—and each yellow-white glow

都告诉我，我能知道，并承认我知道，

tells me what I can know and admit to knowing,

我所渴求的一切，

that all I ever wanted

就是与某人坐在火堆旁，

was to sit by a fire with someone

他们也同样渴望我，如同我渴望他们。

who wanted me in measure the same to my wanting.

希望与某人一起点燃火焰，

To want to make a fire with someone,

与你一起，

with you,

就是全部。

was all.