If there were not an utter and absolute dark

如果万物的核心没有一种

of silence and sheer oblivion

纯然绝对的沉寂黑暗

at the core of everything,

与全然的湮没遗忘，

how terrible the sun would be,

太阳将会多么恐怖慑人，

how ghastly it would be to strike a match, and make a light.

而擦一根火柴点亮一盏灯也将令人畏惧。

But the very sun himself is pivoted

而太阳却正是一个中枢

upon a core of pure oblivion,

铆定于纯粹遗忘的核心，

so is a candle, even as a match.

而一支蜡烛，甚至一根火柴，也是如此。

And if there were not an absolute, utter forgetting

如果没有一种绝对的纯然忘却，

and a ceasing to know, a perfect ceasing to know

没有一种停止知晓，这完美的停止，

and a silent, sheer cessation of all awareness

没有一种沉寂的全然停滞，不再感知，

how terrible life would be!

生命将多么恐怖慑人，

how terrible it would be to think and know, to have consciousness!

必须思考必须感知具有意识将是多么恐怖慑人！

But dipped, once dipped in dark oblivion

但是浸入、一旦浸入黑暗的遗忘，

the soul has peace, inward and lovely peace.

灵魂便得到安宁，得到内在的可爱的安宁。