我能辨认出一英里外

I can make out a rigging of a schooner a mile off;

纵帆船上的绳缆；我能清点

I can countthe new cones on the spruce.

云杉上新生的球果。苍蓝港湾

It is so stillthe pale bay wears a milky skin,

如此宁谧，披着乳色肌肤，空中

the skyno clouds,

无云，除了一条绵长的、篦好的马尾。

except for one long, carded horse’s-tail.

群岛自上个夏天起就不曾漂移，

The islands haven’t shifted since last summer,

即使我愿意假装它们已移位

even if I like to pretend they have–drifting,

——凫游着，如梦似幻，

in a dreamy sort of way,

向北一点儿，向南一点儿或微微偏向

a little north, a little south or sidewise,

并且在海湾的蓝色界限中是自由的。

and that they’re free within the blue frontiers of bay.

这个月，我们钟爱的一座岛上鲜花盛开：

This month, our favorite one is full of flowers:

毛莨、朝颜剪秋罗、深紫碗豆花，

Buttercups, Red Clover, Purple Vetch,

山柳菊仍在灼烧，雏菊斑斓，小米草，

Hawkweed still burning, Daisies pied, Eyebright,

馥郁的蓬子菜那白热的星辰，

the Fragrant Bedstraw’s incandescent stars,

还有更多花朵重返，将草甸涂抹得欢快。

and more, returned, to paint the meadows with delight.

金翅雀归来，或其他类似的飞禽，

The Goldfinches are back, or others like them,

白喉雀五个音节的歌谣，

and the White-Throated Sparrow’s five-note song,

如泣如诉，把眼泪带入眼中。

pleading and pleading, brings tears to the eyes

大自然重复自身，或几乎是这样：

Nature repeats herself, or almost does:

重复、重复、重复；修改、修改、修改。

repeat, repeat, repeat; revise, revise,revise.

多年以前，你告诉我是在此地

Years ago, you told me it was here

(1932年？) 你第一次“发现了姑娘们”

(in 1932?) you first “discovered girls”

学会驾驶帆船，学会亲吻。

and learned to sail, and learned to kiss.

你说你享受了“这般乐趣”，在那经典夏日。

You had “such fun”, you said, that classic summer.

(“乐趣”——它似乎总让你茫然失措……)

(“Fun”—it always seemed to leave you at loss…)

你离开北海芬，沉锚于它的礁石，

You left North Haven, anchored in its rock,

漂浮在神秘的蓝色之上……现在你——你已

afloat in mystic blue… And now—

永远离开。你不能再次打乱或重新安排

you’ve leftfor good.

你的诗篇。(鸟雀们却可以重谱它们的歌。)

You can’t derange, or re-arrange,your poems again.

词语不会再变。悲伤的朋友，你不能再改。

(But the Sparrows can their song.)

The words won’t change again. Sad friend, you cannot change.