疼痛的精确性和欢乐的模糊性。我在想

The precision of pain and the blurriness of joy. I'm thinking

人们是怎样精确地在医院里向大夫描述他们的疼痛。

how precise people are when they describe their pain in a doctor's office.

即便那些还没有学会读写的人也懂得精确：

Even those who haven't learned to read and write are precise:

这种是一跳一跳的痛，这种是

"This one's a throbbing pain, that one's a wrenching pain,

扭伤的痛，这种是咬痛，这种是灼痛还有

this one gnaws, that one burns, this is a sharp pain

这种是刀割似的痛而这个

and that––a dull one. Right here. Precisely here,

是一种隐痛。在这儿。精确地说就在这儿，对，对。

yes, yes." Joy blurs everything. I've heard people say

after nights of love and feasting, "It was great,

I was in seventh heaven." Even the spaceman who floated

in outer space, tethered to a spaceship, could say only, "Great,

欢乐却把一切弄得模糊。我曾听人说过

wonderful, I have no words."

在爱情和狂欢的夜晚之后：真是太棒了，

The blurriness of joy and the precision of pain —

我都飞上七重云霄了。但即便是太空人漂浮

I want to describe, with a sharp pain's precision, happiness

在外层空间，拴在飞船上，他却只能说，真棒，

and blurry joy. I learned to speak among the pains.

真奇妙，我无法形容。

欢乐的模糊性和疼痛的精确性——

我要用那种剧痛的精确性来描述

幸福以及模糊的欢乐。我学会在各种疼痛中说话。