虽然我勉强绕过了那小小一团

Even though I managed to swerve around the lump

仰卧在路中间的土拔鼠，

of groundhog lying on its back on the road,

他却上车跟着我走了很远，

he traveled with me for miles,

一位安静的乘客

a quiet passenger

看着窗外的风景消磨时光

who passed the time looking out the window

以新的视角欣赏那片树林

enjoying this new view of the woods

在那儿他曾步履蹒跚，

he once hobbled around in,

昼伏夜出地活着，

sleeping all day and foraging at night,

时不时还用鼻尖测测风向。

rising sometimes to consult the wind with his snout.

昨夜他一定是游荡到了

Last night he must have wandered

路上，希望能悄悄溜进

onto the road, hoping to slip

有柔软蕨类掩映的一旁。

behind the curtain of soft ferns on the other side.

每天我都会在路上看见这些身形

I see these forms every day

总希望下一个

and always hope the next one ahead

不过是片碎轮胎，或是被扔掉的褐色外衣，

is a shredded tyre, a discarded brown coat,

可那里躺着的总是他们，摆着

but there they are, assuming

人所能想象的每一种姿势给死亡造像。

every imaginable pose for death’s portrait.

例如，我讲述的这一位，

This one I speak of, for example,

在我的车上跟了很久的这一位，

the one who rode with me for miles,

他的样子好像一个小小的罗马公民，

reminded me of a small Roman citizen,

挺着圆滚滚的肚子，

with his prosperous belly,

他脸上淡淡的笑，

his faint smile,

和一只直直举起的胳膊

and his one stiff forearm raised

仿佛还活着，还在向凯撒敬礼。

as if he were still alive, still hailing Caesar.