What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,

那个男孩，丢了球的那个，

What, what is he to do? I saw it go

他现在能做什么？我看到那球

Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then

欢快地蹦跳着，沿街滚下，

Merrily over—there it is in the water!

然后欢快地跳过马路牙子——现在它在水里！

No use to say 'O there are other balls':

不要说“还有别的球”，没用：

An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy

一种终极的震颤的悲哀把那男孩固定住

As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down

当他僵直地站着，浑身发抖，瞪着下面。

All his young days into the harbour where

他全部的青葱岁月都倒进了那个掉进球的

His ball went. I would not intrude on him,

海港。我不会打扰他，

A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now

给一毛钱，让他再买一只球，这毫无意义。现在

He senses first responsibility

他第一次在占有财富的世界里

In a world of possessions. People will take balls,

感到了责任的存在。人们会买球，

Balls will be lost always, little boy,

而球总是会丢，小男孩，没有人会把丢的球买回来。

And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.

金钱只存在于身心之外。

He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,

在他绝望的眼睛后面，他在学会

The epistemology of loss, how to stand up

关于“失去”的认识论，如何站起身

Knowing what every man must one day know

学会每个人都必须在某一天学会的东西，

And most know many days, how to stand up

——虽然多数人都花了远不止一天——如何站直了

And gradually light returns to the street

然后逐渐放松回到街上，吹一下口哨，让那球从视野里消失。

A whistle blows, the ball is out of sight,

但是很快我的一部分会搜索那海港深沉黑暗的水底……

Soon part of me will explore the deep and dark

我在每个地方，我又在受难又在离开，我的头脑和心在离开

Floor of the harbour . . I am everywhere,

而另外的东西却在拉扯我，在水底下，

I suffer and move, my mind and my heart move

或者在口哨里，我已经不是一个小男孩。

With all that move me, under the water

Or whistling, I am not a little boy.