I must tell you

我必须告诉你，

this young tree

这株幼小的树

whose round and firm trunk

它滚圆坚实的树干

between the wet

在潮湿的

pavement and the gutter

人行道和阴沟之间

(where water

（那里有水

is trickling) rises

点点滴滴）升起

bodily

浑然一体

into the air with

升入空中

one undulant

弯弯扭扭地

thrust half its height—

一刺，到一半高度——

and then

然后

dividing and waning

分开、变细

sending out

向各个方向

young branches on

送出

all sides—

幼嫩的枝干——

hung with cocoons

挂满了茧

it thins

渐渐稀疏

till nothing is left of it

直到什么也不剩

but two

只有两根

eccentric knotted

长满古怪树瘤的

twigs

树枝

bending forward

向前弯曲

hornlike at the top

长在树顶，如角然