The spirit killeth, 

	精神会枯萎，但

	but the letter giveth life.

	这封信赋予生机

The week is dealt out like a hand 

一周被分发出去，像

That children pick up card by card. 

孩子一张张捡起的一手牌。

One keeps getting the same hand. 

你一直得到同一手牌。

One keeps getting the same card.

你一直得到同一张牌。

But twice a day -- except on Saturday --

但一天两次——除了周六——

The wheel stops, there is a crack in Time: 

但每一天——除了周日——

With a hiss of soles, a rattle of tin,

轮子停下，时间有一道裂缝:

My own gray Daemon pauses on the stair,

随鞋底嘶的一声，一声锡响，

My own bald Fortune lifts me by the hair.

我自己的灰色守护神，停立于楼梯上，

我自己的秃顶命运，攫住我的头发提起我。

	Woe's me! woe's me! In Folly's mailbox 

	Still laughs the postcard, Hope:

    我真倒霉！我真倒霉！在愚人的邮箱

	Your uncle in Australia

    那片明信片，希望仍笑着：

	Has died and you are Pope,

    你在澳大利亚的叔叔

	For many a soul has entertained 

    死了，你是教皇了。

	A Mailman unawares --

    因为很多灵魂不知不觉

	And as you cry, Impossible,

    款待了一位邮差——

	A step is on the stairs.

    而当你叫喊，不可能，

    一个脚步踏在楼梯上。

One keeps getting the same dream 

Delayed, marked “Payment Due,” 

人一直做同一个梦 

The bill that one has paid

其已迟到，标着邮资不足， 

Delayed, marked “Payment Due” --

账单已付 

而又迟到，标着到期应付——

Twice a day, in rotting mailbox, 

一天两次，在一个腐烂的邮箱里，

The white grubs are new:

白蛆是新生的:

And Faith, once more, is mine 

而信仰，再一次，忠实地

Faithfully, but Charity

属于我，但慈爱

Writes hopefully about a new

充满希望地写到有一个

Asylum -- but Hope is as good as new.

新救济院——但希望完好如新。

	Woe's me! woe's me! In Folly's mailbox 

    我真倒霉！我真倒霉！在愚人的邮箱

    Still laughs the postcard, Hope:

    那片明信片，希望仍笑着：

    Your uncle in Australia

    你在澳大利亚的叔叔

	Has died and you are Pope,

    死了，你是教皇了。

	For many a soul has entertained 

    因为很多灵魂不知不觉

    A mailman unawares --

    款待了一位邮差——

	And as you cry, Impossible,

    而当你叫喊，不可能，

	A step is on the stairs.

    一个脚步踏在楼梯上。