In my countryside, gods sit in the poor’s

在我的乡下，神仙们坐在穷人的

family halls,  they have accepted those

堂屋里，接受了粗茶淡饭。有年冬天

simple meals. One winter when they gathered

他们围在清冷的香案上，分食着几瓣烤红薯

on the cold cheerless incense table, sharing a few

而我小脚的祖母，不管他们是否乐意

pieces of roasted sweet potatoes,

就端来一盆清水，擦洗每一张瓷质的脸

my little-footed grandma, not caring if they liked it or not,

然后，又为我揩净乌黑的唇角

brought a basin of water and washed their ceramic faces

——呃，他们像是一群比我更小

one by one. After that, she cleaned

更木讷的孩子，不懂得喊甜

the black residues from the corner of my lips

也不懂喊冷。在乡下

--Yeah, they're like children, even younger than me,

神，如此朴素

too dumb and dull to say “sweet”

or cry “cold”. In the countryside

gods are so sensible.