Neither mute nor shy,

一些人不愛說話

they don’t say much,

既不是啞巴，也不內向

speaking only the indispensable.

只說必要的話

Out of courtesy, perhaps,

只是禮節

they skate the surface,

只浮在說話的上面

a whole life’s tally

一生就這樣過去

summed in brief.

寥寥數語即可概括

Like epitaphs,

一些人活著就像墓誌銘

long lives with short inscriptions.

漫長但言辭簡短

Calm as gravestones

像墓碑那樣地佇立著

they look us in the face.

與我們冷靜相對