It’s an old word, fading now.

这是个正在消失的，古老的单词，

Dearly did I wish.

我深深地祝愿。

Dearly did I long for.

我深深地渴望。

I loved him dearly.

我深深地爱他。

I make my way along the sidewalk

我沿着人行道走路

mindfully, because of my wrecked knees

由于膝盖损伤，我走得小心

about which I give less of a shit

但我并不太在乎

than you may imagine

这也许超出你的想象——

since there are other things, more important – 

因为还有别的事情，更加重要——

wait for it, you’ll see –

等一会儿，你会明白的——

bearing half a coffee

手上拿着半杯

in a paper cup with – 

装在纸杯里的咖啡——

dearly do I regret it – 

我深深地遗憾——

a plastic lid – 

杯盖是塑料的——

trying to remember what words once meant.

我试着回想词语曾经的含义

Dearly.

深深地。

How was it used?

这个词以前怎么用？

Dearly beloved.

深爱的人。

Dearly beloved, we are gathered.

深爱的人，我们相聚在一起。

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here

深爱的人，我们相聚在这里

in this forgotten photo album

在这个我偶然看到的

I came across recently.

被忘却的相册里。

Fading now,

它正在褪色，

the sepias, the black and whites, the colour prints,

那些深褐色的，黑白的，彩色的相片，

everyone so much younger.

每个人都曾经那么年轻。

The Polaroids.

那些宝丽来相片。

What is a Polaroid? asks the newborn.

宝丽来是什么？年幼的人问。

Newborn a decade ago.

十年前出生的年幼的人问。

How to explain?

怎么解释呢？

You took the picture and then it came out the top.

你照相，相片从顶部出来。

The top of what?

什么顶部？

It’s that baffled look I see a lot.

我见过很多这样的，表情困惑。

So hard to describe the smallest details of how – 

很难描述那些极小的细节，关于——

all these dearly gathered together – 

这些深爱的人如何相聚一起——

of how we used to live.

关于我们曾经如何生活。

We wrapped up garbage

我们曾用报纸包垃圾

in newspaper tied with string.

再用绳子捆扎。

What is newspaper?

什么是报纸？

You see what I mean.

你明白我的意思吧。

String though, we still have string.

但是绳子，我们还有。

It links things together.

它把东西串在一起。

A string of pearls.

一串珍珠。

That’s what they would say.

他们会这么说。

How to keep track of the days?

如何记录岁月？

Each one shining,

每个闪亮的日子，

each one alone,

每次独处的时光，

each one then gone.

每个消逝的日夜。

I’ve kept some of them in a drawer on paper,

我抽屉里存放了一些写在纸上的记录，

those days, fading now.

那些岁月，正在褪色。

Beads can be used for counting.

珠子可以用来计数。

As in rosaries.

当串成念珠时。

But I don’t like stones around my neck.

但我不喜欢在脖子上挂宝石。

Along this street there are many flowers,

沿着这条街有很朵花，

fading now because it is August

花在褪色，因为八月的天气

and dusty, and heading into fall.

和尘土，以及即将到来的秋季。

Soon the chrysanthemums will bloom,

不久菊花就会绽放，

flowers of the dead, in France.

在法国，这是死亡之花。

Don’t think this is morbid.

不要以为这是一种病态。

It’s just reality.

它就是个事实。

So hard to describe the smallest details of flowers.

描述花朵极小的细节如此困难。

This is a stamen, nothing to do with men.

这是雄花蕊，与男人无关

This is a pistil, nothing to do with guns.

这是雌花蕊，与手枪无关

It’s the smallest details that foil translators

正是这些极小的细节拦阻了译者

and myself too, trying to describe.

也让我难以描述。

See what I mean.

明白我的意思吧。

You can wander away. You can get lost.

你会偏离，你会迷失。

Words can do that.

词语做得到这点。

Dearly beloved, gathered here together

深爱的人，相聚在这里

in this closed drawer,

在这关闭的抽屉里，

fading now, I miss you.

正在褪色中，我想念你

fading now, I miss you.

我想念那消失了的，那早先离去了的。

I miss the missing, those who left earlier.

我甚至想念仍在这里的。

I miss even those who are still here.

我深深地想念你们。

I miss you all dearly.

我深深地为你们哀恸。

Dearly do I sorrow for you.

哀恸：另一个

Sorrow: that’s another word

你再也不怎么听得到的词

you don’t hear much any more.

我深深地哀恸。

I sorrow dearly.