这是个正在消失的，古老的单词，

It’s an old word, fading now.

我深深地祝愿。

Dearly did I wish.

我深深地渴望。

Dearly did I long for.

我深深地爱他。

I loved him dearly.

我沿着人行道走路

I make my way along the sidewalk

由于膝盖损伤，我走得小心

mindfully, because of my wrecked knees

但我并不太在乎

about which I give less of a shit

这也许超出你的想象——

than you may imagine

因为还有别的事情，更加重要——

since there are other things, more important – 

等一会儿，你会明白的——

wait for it, you’ll see –

手上拿着半杯

bearing half a coffee

装在纸杯里的咖啡——

in a paper cup with – 

我深深地遗憾——

dearly do I regret it – 

杯盖是塑料的——

a plastic lid – 

我试着回想词语曾经的含义

trying to remember what words once meant.

深深地。

Dearly.

这个词以前怎么用？

How was it used?

深爱的人。

Dearly beloved.

深爱的人，我们相聚在一起。

Dearly beloved, we are gathered.

深爱的人，我们相聚在这里

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here

在这个我偶然看到的

in this forgotten photo album

被忘却的相册里。

I came across recently.

它正在褪色，

Fading now,

那些深褐色的，黑白的，彩色的相片，

the sepias, the black and whites, the colour prints,

每个人都曾经那么年轻。

everyone so much younger.

那些宝丽来相片。

The Polaroids.

宝丽来是什么？年幼的人问。

What is a Polaroid? asks the newborn.

十年前出生的年幼的人问。

Newborn a decade ago.

怎么解释呢？

How to explain?

你照相，相片从顶部出来。

You took the picture and then it came out the top.

什么顶部？

The top of what?

我见过很多这样的，表情困惑。

It’s that baffled look I see a lot.

很难描述那些极小的细节，关于——

So hard to describe the smallest details of how – 

这些深爱的人如何相聚一起——

all these dearly gathered together – 

关于我们曾经如何生活。

of how we used to live.

我们曾用报纸包垃圾

We wrapped up garbage

再用绳子捆扎。

in newspaper tied with string.

什么是报纸？

What is newspaper?

你明白我的意思吧。

You see what I mean.

但是绳子，我们还有。

String though, we still have string.

它把东西串在一起。

It links things together.

一串珍珠。

A string of pearls.

他们会这么说。

That’s what they would say.

如何记录岁月？

How to keep track of the days?

每个闪亮的日子，

Each one shining,

每次独处的时光，

each one alone,

每个消逝的日夜。

each one then gone.

我抽屉里存放了一些写在纸上的记录，

I’ve kept some of them in a drawer on paper,

那些岁月，正在褪色。

those days, fading now.

珠子可以用来计数。

Beads can be used for counting.

当串成念珠时。

As in rosaries.

但我不喜欢在脖子上挂宝石。

But I don’t like stones around my neck.

沿着这条街有很朵花，

Along this street there are many flowers,

花在褪色，因为八月的天气

fading now because it is August

和尘土，以及即将到来的秋季。

and dusty, and heading into fall.

不久菊花就会绽放，

Soon the chrysanthemums will bloom,

在法国，这是死亡之花。

flowers of the dead, in France.

不要以为这是一种病态。

Don’t think this is morbid.

它就是个事实。

It’s just reality.

描述花朵极小的细节如此困难。

So hard to describe the smallest details of flowers.

这是雄花蕊，与男人无关

This is a stamen, nothing to do with men.

这是雌花蕊，与手枪无关

This is a pistil, nothing to do with guns.

正是这些极小的细节拦阻了译者

It’s the smallest details that foil translators

也让我难以描述。

and myself too, trying to describe.

明白我的意思吧。

See what I mean.

你会偏离，你会迷失。

You can wander away. You can get lost.

词语做得到这点。

Words can do that.

深爱的人，相聚在这里

Dearly beloved, gathered here together

在这关闭的抽屉里，

in this closed drawer,

正在褪色中，我想念你

fading now, I miss you.

我想念那消失了的，那早先离去了的。

fading now, I miss you.

我甚至想念仍在这里的。

I miss the missing, those who left earlier.

我深深地想念你们。

I miss even those who are still here.

我深深地为你们哀恸。

I miss you all dearly.

Dearly do I sorrow for you.

哀恸：另一个

你再也不怎么听得到的词

Sorrow: that’s another word

我深深地哀恸。

you don’t hear much any more.

I sorrow dearly.