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