精神会枯萎，但

	The spirit killeth, 

	这封信赋予生机

	but the letter giveth life.

一周被分发出去，像

The week is dealt out like a hand 

孩子一张张捡起的一手牌。

That children pick up card by card. 

你一直得到同一手牌。

One keeps getting the same hand. 

你一直得到同一张牌。

One keeps getting the same card.

但一天两次——除了周六——

But twice a day -- except on Saturday --

但每一天——除了周日——

The wheel stops, there is a crack in Time: 

轮子停下，时间有一道裂缝:

With a hiss of soles, a rattle of tin,

随鞋底嘶的一声，一声锡响，

My own gray Daemon pauses on the stair,

我自己的灰色守护神，停立于楼梯上，

My own bald Fortune lifts me by the hair.

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 

    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。

One keeps getting the same dream 

人一直做同一个梦 

Delayed, marked “Payment Due,” 

其已迟到，标着邮资不足， 

The bill that one has paid

账单已付 

Delayed, marked “Payment Due” --

而又迟到，标着到期应付——

一天两次，在一个腐烂的邮箱里，

Twice a day, in rotting mailbox, 

白蛆是新生的:

The white grubs are new:

而信仰，再一次，忠实地

And Faith, once more, is mine 

属于我，但慈爱

Faithfully, but Charity

充满希望地写到有一个

Writes hopefully about a new

新救济院——但希望完好如新。

Asylum -- but Hope is as good as new.

    我真倒霉！我真倒霉！在愚人的邮箱

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

    那片明信片，希望仍笑着：

    Still laughs the postcard, Hope:

    你在澳大利亚的叔叔

    Your uncle in Australia

    死了，你是教皇了。

	Has died and you are Pope,

    因为很多灵魂不知不觉

	For many a soul has entertained 

    款待了一位邮差——

    A mailman unawares --

    而当你叫喊，不可能，

	And as you cry, Impossible,

    一个脚步踏在楼梯上。

	A step is on the stairs.