In your extended absence, you permit me

在你长久的隐没里，你允许我

use of earth, anticipating

使用土地，企盼

some return on investment. I must report

投资有所回报。我得禀告

failure in my assignment, principally

我的任务失败了，主要

regarding the tomato plants.

是关于番茄种植。

I think I should not be encouraged to grow

我想我不该被鼓励去种

tomatoes. Or, if I am, you should withhold

番茄。或者，假若如此，你该遏止

the heavy rains, the cold nights that come

这些暴雨，这些来得太过频繁的

so often here, while other regions get

冰冷的夜晚，而别的地方却得享

twelve weeks of summer. All this

十二个星期的夏天。所有这些

belongs to you: on the other hand,

都属于你：另一方面，

I planted the seeds, I watched the first shoots

我种了些种子，我看见最初的嫩芽

like wings tearing the soil, and it was my heart

像翅膀一样撕破土壤，当黑斑这么快

broken by the blight, the black spot so quickly

一排排蔓延，那是我

multiplying in the rows. I doubt

受挫碎裂的心。我怀疑

you have a heart, in our understanding of

你有没有心，照我们对这个词的

that term. You who do not discriminate

理解。你分不清

between the dead and the living, who are, in consequence,

死生，对于预兆，也因此

immune to foreshadowing, you may not know

无动于衷，你也许不知道

how much terror we bear, the spotted leaf,

我们承受了多大的恐惧，那斑痕点点的叶子，

the red leaves of the maple falling

那早在八月的薄暮里

even in August, in early darkness: I am responsible

就飘落的红色的槭树叶：对于这些植物

for these vines.

我难辞咎责。