这是一个我们用来插在孔里的

This is a word we use to plug

词。它的大小正适合那些温暖的

holes with. It's the right size for those warm

言语的空白，适合那些纸页上

blanks in speech, for those red heart-

看起来与真心一点不像的

shaped vacancies on the page that look nothing

红心形的空缺。加上花边

like real hearts. Add lace

你可以把它

and you can sell

卖掉。我们也用印刷体

it. We insert it also in the one empty

把它插在一个空虚的空间

space on the printed form

没有任何说明。有些杂志

that comes with no instructions. There are whole

整本除了爱这个词

magazines with not much in them

没有多少词语，你可以

but the word love, you can

把它擦遍你的全身，你可以

rub it all over your body and you

用它来烹调。我们怎么知道

can cook with it too. How do we know

那不是潮湿纸板下面

it isn't what goes on at the cool

鼻涕虫凉爽的放荡？而草芽

debaucheries of slugs under damp

把它们坚硬的鼻子

pieces of cardboard? As for the weed-

从莴苣中间拱起，它们喊出它。

seedlings nosing their tough snouts up

爱！爱！士兵们唱着，

among the lettuces, they shout it.

端起亮闪闪的刺刀致敬。

Love! Love! sing the soldiers, raising

随后就有了我们

their glittering knives in salute.

两。这个词

对于我们太短了，它只有

Then there's the two

四个字母，少得

of us. This word

填不满星星之间

is far too short for us, it has only

那些深深赤裸的

four letters, too sparse

以失聪压迫我们的真空。

to fill those deep bare

它不是爱，我们不希望

vacuums between the stars

坠入其中，它是恐惧。

that press on us with their deafness.

这个词不够，可它

It's not love we don't wish

不得不如此。

to fall into, but that fear.

在这金属的寂静中

this word is not enough but it will

它是惟一的元音

have to do. It's a single

一张在惊奇和痛苦中

vowel in this metallic

反复说着“哦”的嘴，

silence, a mouth that says

一次呼吸，一根手指

O again and again in wonder

抓住峭壁的边缘。你

and pain, a breath, a finger

或是坚持，或是撒手。

grip on a cliffside. You can

hold on or let go.