我工作终日，夜里喝的半醉。
I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.
醒来在四点，我凝望着无声的黑暗。
Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.
窗帘的边缘迟早将会泛亮。
In time the curtain-edges will grow light.
直到那时，我才明白，究竟是什么总在那儿：
Till then I see what's really always there:
躁动的死亡，现在又更近了一整天，
Unresting death, a whole day nearer now,
它使思考变得全无可能，除了我该怎样，
Making all thought impossible but how
在何地，何时，让自己去死。
And where and when I shall myself die.
枯竭的问号： 然而，对死亡
Arid interrogation: yet the dread
的恐惧，和死亡的事实，
Of dying, and being dead,
再一次闪耀，去攫住，去恐吓。
Flashes afresh to hold and horrify.
头脑在闪耀中一片空白。不会懊恼
The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse
--没做过的善，没给予的爱，不曾利用的时间
- The good not done, the love not given, time
白白溜掉--也不觉得悲哀，因为
Torn off unused - nor wretchedly because
在仅有的一次生命中，想超越它错误的起点
An only life can take so long to climb
就足够艰险，而且也许从无可能：
Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never;
但是，在彻头彻尾的永恒空虚中，
But at the total emptiness for ever,
我们行进中的，那个确定的灭亡，
The sure extinction that we travel to
肯定会被错过。不在这里，
And shall be lost in always. Not to be here,
不在任何地点，
Not to be anywhere,
很快；没事比这更可怕，没事比这更真实。
And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true.
这是一种感受恐怖的特别方式
This is a special way of being afraid
花招不可能加以解决。宗教曾经一试身手，
No trick dispels. Religion used to try,
那面积宏大，被虫蛀过，声音悦耳的大锦锻
That vast, moth-eaten musical brocade
被制造来装饰一种假象，我们永不死亡，
Created to pretend we never die,
华而不实的废话，在说，合理的存在
And specious stuff that says No rational being
不会害怕一种感受不到的事物，殊不知
Can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing
这正是我们所害怕的-无形，无声，
That this is what we fear - no sight, no sound,
无法触及，品尝或嗅出，无事可想，
No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with,
无物可以去爱或相互联结，
Nothing to love or link with,
麻醉药品，无人能够从中苏醒。
The anasthetic from which none come round.
因此它只是停留在视野的边缘，
And so it stays just on the edge of vision,
一个微小散漫的污点，一个始终存在的寒噤
A small, unfocused blur, a standing chill
它致使每一次冲动，都延缓成优柔寡断
That slows each impulse down to indecision.
大部分的事情也许永不会发生：这一件却会，
Most things may never happen: this one will,
当我们被捕获时（既非被人类
And realisation of it rages out
也非被酒类），既成事实的它，
In furnace-fear when we are caught without
在火炉般的恐怖中熊熊燃烧。勇气不是美德：
People or drink. Courage is no good:
它意味着别去惊吓他人。行动勇敢
It means not scaring others. Being brave
不会将任何人拉离坟墓。
Lets no one off the grave.
无论是哀泣还是抵抗，死亡并无不同。
Death is no different whined at than withstood.
渐渐地光线在增强，房间的形状已呈现。
Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape.
它清晰地站立着如同一个衣柜，正如我们所知，
It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know,
我们始终知道，知道不可能逃避
Have always known, know that we can't escape,
也不能够承担。必须选择一个立场。
Yet can't accept. One side will have to go.
其间电话蜷缩着，随时准备响起
Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring
在上了锁的办公室里，一整个满不在乎
In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring
错综复杂，专供出租用的世界开始振奋。
Intricate rented world begins to rouse.
天空白得象陶土，没有太阳。
The sky is white as clay, with no sun.
工作是必须做的。
Work has to be done.
邮递员如同医生，穿行在屋舍与屋舍之间。
Postmen like doctors go from house to house.