今天下午在草地上，我想起

In the meadow this afternoon, I fetch

好些荒唐的往事。那个

any number of crazy memories. That 

殡仪馆的人问我母亲

undertaker asking my mother did she 

要不要买一整套寿衣给我爸爸穿上下葬，

want to buy the entire suit to bury my dad in,

还是只要上衣？我不想

or just the coat? I don’t 

回答这个问题

have to provide the answer to this,

或其他任何问题。但是，嘿，

or anything else. But, hey, he went

他穿着马裤，就进了熔炉。

into the furnace wearing his britches.

今天早上我看着他的照片

This morning I looked at his picture.

大个儿，魁梧的家伙，在他生命的

Big, heavyset guy in the last year

最后一年。提着一条巨大的鲑鱼

of his life. Holding a monster salmon

站在他住过的小木屋前，

in front of the shack where he lived 

那是在加利福尼亚的弗尔图娜。我的爸爸。

in Fortuna, California. My dad.

现在他已化为乌有。只剩一抔灰烬，

He’s nothing now. Reduced to a cup of ashes,

和几根细小的骨头。无论如何

and some tiny bones. No way

这绝不是

is this any way 

一个男人结束生命的方式。

to end your life as a man.

虽然海明威曾经正确地指出

Though as Hemingway correctly pointed out,

所有故事，只要延续的时间足够长

all stories, if continued far enough,

都将终于死亡。很对。

end in death. Truly.

啊，秋天就要来了。

Lord, it’s almost fall.

一群加拿大雁飞过

A flock of Canada geese passes

高高的天空。那匹小母马

high overhead. The little mare lifts 

抬起头，打了个哆嗦，又

her head, shivers once, goes back 

埋头吃草。我想我会躺下来

to grazing. I think I will lie down

在这片芬芳的草地上。我会闭上眼

in this sweet grass. I’ll shut my eyes

听着风，和翅膀的声音。

and listen to wind, and the sound of wings.

就做那么一小时的梦，为在这里

Just dream for an hour, glad to be here

而不是在那里，而高兴。就这样。但还是挥之不去，

and not there. There’s that. But also

那可怕的念头，

the terrible understanding 

我爱过的人已经走了，

that men I loved have left

去了别的，更微不足道的地方。

for some other, lesser place.