因为大自然并不擅长

Because nature doesn't specialize

怜悯，所以这座避难所建在吉尔伯特酒吧的

in mercy, this House of Refuge built behind the dunes 

沙丘后面，

on Gilbert's Bar,

提供燃料和毯子，谷物

provisioned with fuel and blankets, cereals

和干肉，给在近海礁石上遇难船只的

and dried meat, for the survivors of ships wrecked

幸存者。在它的时代

on off-shore reefs. And in its time

胜任于它的异象。

adequate to its vision.

现在和其他人一起

Now with others

我们在孵化场后面排队参观，惊叹

we parade behind the hatchery and marvel

新生的海龟是如何在水箱底部铺鹅卵石的，

how the new-born turtles cobble the bottom of their tank,

漫步经过本地鱼的水族箱，

wander past aquariums of native fish,

我们的手指轻扣玻璃，一些小小的密码

tap our fingers against the glass, little codes

我们想让他们借此认识我们，然后沿着

we want them to know us by, then tread

木板路下到海滩

the boardwalk down to the beach

在那里，另一个时代的幸存者们

where survivors in another time

带着他们能救出的任何东西涉水上岸，

waded toward shore with whatever they could salvage,

大多是他们自己。

mostly themselves.

                            再也没有沉船

								No more shipwrecks

在这个海岸外，只有几个遇难

off this coast, only a few survivors of wrecked

或未知生活的幸存者，几个观光客

or uncharted lives, a few tourists

来寻找海滩。越过沙丘

Looking for a place to beach. Across the dunes

海燕麦在金色的泡沫中来回摇曳；

the sea oats wash back and forth in a gold froth;

海鸥和鹈鹕，矶鹬和燕鸥，

gulls and pelicans, sandpipers and terns,

避难于海堤风化的洞穴。

take sanctuary in the weathered hollows of the sea wall.

这里没有什么被骚扰，一切都被祝福。

Here nothing is molested, all blest.

对于像我们这样的旅客来说，参观一次避难所和异象，

For travelers like us, a tour of the house, a vision.

享受一次短暂的安息。

a momentary rest.