They are walking in the woods along the coast

他俩走在海边的树林里

and in a grassy meadow, wasting, they come upon

和茂密的草地上，走累了，遇见

two old neglected apple trees. Moss thickened

两棵不起眼的苍老的苹果树。

every bough and the wood of the limbs looked rotten

苔藓爬满枝条，树木看似已腐烂，

but the trees were wild with blossom and a green fire

然而却花满枝头，小小的新叶

of small new leaves flickered even on the deadest branches.

如绿色火焰在垂死的树枝上闪烁。

Blue-eyes, poppies, a scattering of lupine

蓝眼草、罂粟花、大片的鲁冰花

flecked the meadow, and an intricate, leopard-spotted

洒满了草地，还有一种复杂如豹纹的

leaf-green flower whose name they didn’t know.

绿叶花，他俩不知道名字。

Trout lily, he said; she said, adder’s-tongue.

猪牙花，他说；她说，山慈菇。

She is shaken by the raw, white, backlit flaring

苹果花原始的透亮的白色火焰

of the apple blossoms. He is exultant,

令她颤抖。他很兴奋，

as if some thing he felt were verified,

仿佛某些预感之事得到证实，

and looks to her to mirror his response.

看着她，期待类似的反应。

If it is afternoon, a thin moon of my own dismay

如果是午后，我失望的薄月

fades like a scar in the sky to the east of them.

如一道伤痕向着他俩东面的天空退去。

He could be knocking wildly at a closed door

也许，他在梦里疯狂地敲打那扇

in a dream. She thinks, meanwhile, that moss

紧闭的门。同时，她想，那苔藓很像

resembles seaweed drying lightly on a dock.

码头上轻轻晒干的海草。

Torn flesh, it was the repetitive torn flesh

撕裂的血肉，是寒冷的白花里

of appetite in the cold white blossoms

不断被撕裂的血肉的欲望

that had startled her. Now they seem tender

让她心惊。此刻它们仿佛温柔了，

and where she was repelled she takes the measure

她在令她厌恶的地点丈量了树，

of the trees and lets them in. But he no longer

让它们进去。但他已不再

has the apple trees. This is as sad or happy

拥有苹果树了。这与夕阳时

as the tide, going out or coming in, at sunset.

潮起与潮落一样悲伤或快乐。

The light catching in the spray that spumes up

此刻，他俩看见一只小金翅雀

on the reef is the color of the lesser finch

在田野的光芒里，闪现黯淡的金色，

they notice now flashing dull gold in the light

与礁石上泛起的浪花间的光

above the field. They admire the bird together,

是相同的颜色。他俩一同羡慕这鸟儿，

it draws them closer, and they start to walk again.

这使他俩靠近，他俩又开始散步。

A small boy wanders corridors of a hotel that way.

一个小男孩同样地漫步于旅馆的走廊。

Behind one door, a maid. Behind another one, a man

门背后，一个女佣。另一扇门背后，

in striped pajamas shaving. He holds the number

一个穿条纹睡衣的男人在刮胡子。

of his room close to the center of his mind

他在头脑中严肃而又细致地

gravely and delicately, as if it were the key,

记下他的房间号码，仿佛那是钥匙，

and then he wanders among strangers all he wants.

然后在陌生人中间任意地游荡。