is where the Elk River falls

就是在这里，麋鹿河

from a rocky and considerable height,

从一处岩石嶙峋的高处坠落，

turning pale with trepidation at the lip

在崖边因恐惧而脸色苍白

(it seemed from where I stood below)

（从我站立的下方望去似乎如此）

before it unbuckles from itself

然后它解开了自己，

and plummets, shredded, through the air

碎裂着，从空中倾泻而下

into the shadows of a frigid pool,

坠入一处幽冷水潭的阴影里，

so calm around the edges, a place

潭水在边缘处异常平静，是那种

for water to recover from the shock

水从散裂又重聚的震惊中

of falling apart and coming back together

恢复过来的地方，

before it picks up its song again,

它重新拾起自己的歌声，

goes sliding around some massive rocks

绕过几块巨大的岩石，

and past some islands overgrown with weeds

滑过几处长满杂草的沙洲，

then flattens out, slips around a bend,

铺展开来，绕过一道弯，

and continues on its winding course,

继续它蜿蜒的旅程，

according to this camper’s guide,

根据这本露营者指南，

then joins the Clearwater at its northern fork

它会在北边的分叉处汇入克利尔沃特河

which leads it all to the distant sea

然后被一路带向遥远的大海，

where this and every other stream

在那里，这条河流和所有其他河流

mistakes the monster for itself,

把那片浩渺误认作自己，

sings its name one final time

最后一次唱出自己的名字，

then feels the sudden sting of salt.

然后感到盐分突然的刺痛。