我整日工作，夜里喝得半醉。
I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.
四点钟醒来，我凝望着无声的黑暗。
Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.
窗帘的边隙变亮为时尚早。
In time the curtain-edges will grow light.
是什么一直在那儿，那时才能看清：
Till then I see what's really always there:
不安的死亡，一整天此刻最近，
Unresting death, a whole day nearer now,
使所有的想法变成不可能，除了何时
Making all thought impossible but how
何地怎样我将丧命。
And where and when I shall myself die.
无趣的问讯：然而死亡的
Arid interrogation: yet the dread
恐惧，与死亡的情景，
Of dying, and being dead,
再一次掠过，将我惊骇地抑止。
Flashes afresh to hold and horrify.
凝视中头脑变得空白。不是懊悔
The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse
——未做的好事，未给予的爱，未利用的
- The good not done, the love not given, time
被撕毁的时间——也不是沮丧，因为
Torn off unused - nor wretchedly because
唯一的生命花去漫长的时间才爬到
An only life can take so long to climb
错误的起点，也许永远不能；
Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never;
只因永恒是这虚空，
But at the total emptiness for ever,
我们的旅程必将走向毁灭，
The sure extinction that we travel to
时时陷入迷蒙。不是在这儿，
And shall be lost in always. Not to be here,
不是在别处，
Not to be anywhere,
它很快来到；没有什么更可怕，没有什么更真。
And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true.
这是恐惧的一种特殊方式，
This is a special way of being afraid
没有诀窍能够驱赶。宗教曾经尝试，
No trick dispels. Religion used to try,
那庞大的被蠹虫蛀坏的音乐锦缎
That vast, moth-eaten musical brocade
制造出我们永远不死的假像，
Created to pretend we never die,
那伪善的家伙也说，理智的人
And specious stuff that says No rational being
不会害怕他感觉不到的东西，却不知道
Can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing
这正是我们的惧怕所在——无视，无声，
That this is what we fear - no sight, no sound,
无法辨嗅、品尝或感触，无所思考，
No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with,
无所爱与关联，
Nothing to love or link with,
无人从麻醉剂中醒转。
The anasthetic from which none come round.
于是它呆在视线的边缘，
And so it stays just on the edge of vision,
一片小小的未聚焦的污点，一阵持续的寒战
A small, unfocused blur, a standing chill
使每一次冲动减缓变成犹疑难断。
That slows each impulse down to indecision.
大多数的事情也许永远不会发生：这一次不同，
Most things may never happen: this one will,
它的盛怒勃然呈现，
And realisation of it rages out
在熔炉般的恐惧里当我们被攫取，没有
In furnace-fear when we are caught without
美酒与同伴。勇气一无是处：
People or drink. Courage is no good:
仅仅意味着不惊吓他人。勇敢
It means not scaring others. Being brave
不能使任何人逃离坟墓。
Lets no one off the grave.
哀诉比之抵抗，死亡无所不同。
Death is no different whined at than withstood.
慢慢地光线变强，房间显出了形状。
Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape.
它突兀地站立，像个衣柜，我们所知的，
It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know,
始终知晓，知晓我们无法逃离，
Have always known, know that we can't escape,
也不能领受。总有一条路不得不走。
Yet can't accept. One side will have to go.
此时电话蜷伏，在紧闭的办公室里
Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring
铃声正欲响起，整个漠然
In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring
纷繁的租用世界开始苏醒。
Intricate rented world begins to rouse.
天空如陶土一样苍白，没有太阳。
The sky is white as clay, with no sun.
工作还得完成。
Work has to be done.
邮差如同医生，在屋舍间穿行。
Postmen like doctors go from house to house.