I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.

我整天工作，到了晚上便喝个半醉。

Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare.

四点钟醒来，意识到无声的黑暗，我瞪大了眼睛。

In time the curtain-edges will grow light.

窗帘的边缘迟早会变得明亮，

Till then I see what's really always there:

在那一刻之前，我看到了其实一直在那儿的东西：

Unresting death, a whole day nearer now,

不安定的死亡，一个完整的白天现在更近了，

Making all thought impossible but how

令一切的思考都变得不可能，只能想如何，

And where and when I shall myself die.

在何处，何时我自己会死去。

Arid interrogation: yet the dread

乏味的盘问：然而对垂死的

Of dying, and being dead,

恐惧，人都死了，

Flashes afresh to hold and horrify.

重新闪现，要控扼，惊怖人心。

The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse

脑子在凝视中一片空白。没有懊悔

- The good not done, the love not given, time

──未行的善，未付予的爱，虚掷的

Torn off unused - nor wretchedly because

时光──没有难过，因为

An only life can take so long to climb

仅有的生命要花这么长的时间才能

Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never;

爬离错误的起点，或许永远都不行；

But at the total emptiness for ever,

却是永远朝着完全的空无，

The sure extinction that we travel to

我们一直都走向这注定的灭绝

And shall be lost in always. Not to be here,

幷会在其中迷失。不会在这里，

Not to be anywhere,

不会在任何地方，

And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true.

而且很快；没有什么更可怕，没有什么更真实。

This is a special way of being afraid

这是害怕的一种特殊方式，

No trick dispels. Religion used to try,

没法子驱除。宗教以前试过，

That vast, moth-eaten musical brocade

那广阔的，虫蛀的，音调优美的浮华锦缎

Created to pretend we never die,

创造出来佯称我们绝不会死，

And specious stuff that says No rational being

还有似是而非的话，说凡是有理智的生物

Can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing

都不会害怕感受不到的事，却没看到

That this is what we fear - no sight, no sound,

这恰是我们所惧怕的──没有景象，没有声音，

No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with,

没有触感，或味道，或气味，无事可想，

Nothing to love or link with,

无物可爱或联系，

The anasthetic from which none come round.

无人能从中醒过来的麻醉剂。

And so it stays just on the edge of vision,

这样，它就停留在视野的边缘，

A small, unfocused blur, a standing chill

一小片失焦的朦胧，长久的寒凉

That slows each impulse down to indecision.

将每一次冲动放缓为迟疑。

Most things may never happen: this one will,

大多数的事或许从不会发生：这事会，

And realisation of it rages out

当我们被人发现没有人或没有酒，

In furnace-fear when we are caught without

此事的实现便势不可遏，就如在

People or drink. Courage is no good:

熔炉般的恐惧中。勇气是没有用的：

It means not scaring others. Being brave

它意味着没吓到别人。勇敢

Lets no one off the grave.

不会令任何人远离坟墓。

Death is no different whined at than withstood.

不论是呜咽还是承受，死亡不会有所不同。

Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape.

光线慢慢变强，房间有了形状。

It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know,

它清楚如个人全部的衣物，我们知道的事

Have always known, know that we can't escape,

一直都知道，知道我们无法逃避，

Yet can't accept. One side will have to go.

却也无法接受。其中一种立场必定会消失。

Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring

此时电话机蹲伏着，在锁好的办公室内，

In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring

准备响起，而整个冷漠丶

Intricate rented world begins to rouse.

错综丶租来的世界开始苏醒。

The sky is white as clay, with no sun.

天空白如粘土，没有太阳。

Work has to be done.

工作是一定要做的。

Postmen like doctors go from house to house.

邮差像医生一样在房舍之间逐栋走动。