他們將在街頭同人生的三個意向相遇

They’ll meet life’s three intentions on a streetcorner:

老人菸斗的餘火、兒童塗寫在牆上的筆跡

an old man’s tobacco pipe, still smoking, children’s graffiti smeared across a wall,

和濕漉漉的雨中行走的女人的小腿

the damp calves of women walking in the rain.

他們徘徊了一整夜

They’ve wandered the whole night

圍繞小白房子尋找標記

looking for the signboard of the small white hotel—

太陽升起來了，歸宿仍不能斷決

no luck till sunrise.

錯誤就從這時發生

Then a mistake:

沒有經過祈禱

without praying

他們就合睡到一張床上

they sleep together in one bed,

並且毫不顧忌室外光線

indifferent to the sunlight outside

在晚些時候的殘酷照射

and later its cruel rays,

因而能夠帶著動人的笑容睡去

falling asleep with a smile

像故去一樣

as touching as if dead,

竟然連再溫柔的事情

too lazy even to recall

也懶得回憶

anything tender,

就起身穿行街道

then rise and walk through the streets

一直走進那

until they come to the tall door

毫無標記的樓房大門

of an unmarked building.

他們因此而消失

So they vanish

同母親臨終前

just as mother prophesied

預言過的一模一樣

before dying.

Yet their hearts

其實在他們內心

still crave the chance

時時都在尋找

to interpose that moment from the past,

穿插那段往事的機會

their talk all the time hinting

時時都在用暗語交談

like a snowy day

就像雪天

tiptoeing in from the mist

用輕柔的步子從霧裏歸來

to peel and feed an orange to a patient.

剝餵病人橘子時的心情一樣

Those flowers in the greenhouse

那花房的花

blooming through red and purple frost

透過紫紅的霜霧

ignite the unforgettable.

肯定給他們留下難忘的印象

Let this ambience blaze.

讓他們的情調

Let them

就此熾烈起來

swoon awhile longer.

那就讓他們

—Go

再短暫地昏迷一下吧

give them the rhythm

——去

but not awareness.

給他們一個拍節

Don’t let this dim

但不要給他們以覺察

the window of their cohabitation.

不要讓他們同居的窗口

Don’t let them lose

因此變得昏暗

that stunning vision of the empty field.

不要讓他們因此失去

眺望原野的印象力量

When they stroll down the middle of the street toward dawn,

they see life. Life

當他們向黎明的街心走去

is that streetsweeper pausing

他們看到了生活。生活

to watch them pass.

就是那個停住勞動

In blue coveralls,

看著他們走近的清道夫

pipe set in his teeth, he stands upright at morning—

他穿著藍色的工作服

還叼著一支菸斗，站在早晨——