如此美丽——她走近时

So beautiful- God himself quailed

上帝也心生畏惧：修长的身躯

at her approach: the long body curved

弯曲如地平线。他为何将她

like the horizon. Why had he made

造得如此？“这样如何”，她说着，

her so? How would it be, she said,

倾身向他，“与其我们

leaning towards him, if instead of

为此争吵，不如将它

quarreling over it, we divided it

分而有之？发明的功劳

between us? You can have all the credit

归你，只要把它的秩序

for its invention, if you will leave the ordering

交给我安排？”他凝视她的

of it to me. He looked into her

眼睛，远远看见一代代的骨骸

eyes and saw far down the bones

凭巨大的星辰航行，但那牵引力

of the generations that would navigate

太强。“是的，”他想，“给我他们心灵的

by those great stars, but the pull of it

贡奉；至于他们如何使用身体，

was too much. Yes, he thought, give me their minds'

与我无关。”他把手伸入自己的肋侧，

tribute, and what they do with their bodies

拔出那根荆棘，让那命定的血流出来，用它

is not my concern. He put his hand in his side

触碰她。“去吧”，他说，“他们将永远带着欲望

and drew out the thorn for the letting

向你而来，作为回报，你将为他们流血。”

of the ordained blood and touched her with

it. Go, he said. They shall come to you for ever

with their desire, and you shall bleed for them in return.