Did it once issue from the carver’s hand

昔日出自雕刻匠手中时，它曾经

Healthy? Even the earliest conquerors saw

健康如常？甚至最远古的征服者也有觉察：

The face of a sick ape, a bandaged paw,

病猿般的面容，缠着绷带的利爪，

A Presence in the hot invaded land.

热浪侵袭之地的一个鬼影。

The lion of a tortured stubborn star,

狮子自有一颗饱受折磨而顽强的星宿：

It does not like the young, nor love, nor learning;

它不待见年轻人，亦不钟情于爱和知识。

Time hurt it like a person; it lies, turning

时间如对待活人般磨损着它：它趴卧在地，

A vast behind on shrill America,

将硕大的臀转向了尖叫的美洲

And witnesses. The huge hurt face accuses,

和见证者。饱经风霜的巨大面庞不谴责

And pardons nothing, least of all success.

也不宽恕什么，最微不足道的成功：

The answers that it utters have no uses

对那些两手叉腰、直面它的

To those who face akimbo its distress:

哀伤的人来说，它说出的答案毫无作用：

"Do people like me?" No. The slave amuses

“人们喜欢我么？”不。奴隶逗得狮子直乐：

The lion: "Am I to suffer always?" Yes.

“我永远要受苦？”是的，从始至终。