他俩走在海边的树林中

They are walking in the woods along the coast

和荒芜的草地上，碰见

and in a grassy meadow, wasting, they come upon

两棵苍老得被遗忘的苹果树。

two old neglected apple trees. Moss thickened

苔藓增厚枝桠，树干看似腐烂

every bough and the wood of the limbs looked rotten

却繁花怒放，小小新叶的绿色火焰，

but the trees were wild with blossom and a green fire

闪烁在哪怕最无生机的枝条上。

of small new leaves flickered even on the deadest branches.

Blue-eyes, poppies, a scattering of lupine

蓝眼睛，罂粟花，散落的羽扇豆

flecked the meadow, and an intricate, leopard-spotted

遍布于草地，还有一种错综如豹纹的

leaf-green flower whose name they didn’t know.

绿叶花，他俩不知其名。

Trout lily, he said; she said, adder’s-tongue.

他说是狗牙红莲；她说是山慈菇。

She is shaken by the raw, white, backlit flaring

她颤栗于那苹果花的原始、洁白，

of the apple blossoms. He is exultant,

逆光的火焰，他狂喜雀跃，

as if some thing he felt were verified,

仿佛他感觉到的东西被证实，

and looks to her to mirror his response.

并指望她有同样的反应。

If it is afternoon, a thin moon of my own dismay

fades like a scar in the sky to the east of them.

要是在午后，令我失望的一弯瘦月

He could be knocking wildly at a closed door

像一块伤疤在天空逐渐消逝，朝着他俩的东边。

in a dream. She thinks, meanwhile, that moss

在梦中，他可能会疯狂地敲击着

resembles seaweed drying lightly on a dock.

一扇关闭的门。同时，她想，那苔藓

Torn flesh, it was the repetitive torn flesh

似船坞上轻微晾干的海藻。

of appetite in the cold white blossoms

撕裂肉体，冷白的花朵里

that had startled her. Now they seem tender

反复撕裂的肉体之欲

and where she was repelled she takes the measure

令她震惊。此刻它们显得温柔，

of the trees and lets them in. But he no longer

在令她厌恶的地方，她打量树

has the apple trees. This is as sad or happy

并让它们进入内心。但他已不再

as the tide, going out or coming in, at sunset.

拥有苹果树了。如此悲伤或快乐，

The light catching in the spray that spumes up

正如潮水，在日落时潮涨潮落。

on the reef is the color of the lesser finch

they notice now flashing dull gold in the light

光芒被困于暗礁上喷起的水雾，

above the field. They admire the bird together,

跟他俩注意到的田野上空

it draws them closer, and they start to walk again.

光芒中的小金翅雀一样，闪烁着

A small boy wanders corridors of a hotel that way.

暗淡的金色。他们一同赞赏鸟儿，

Behind one door, a maid. Behind another one, a man

这使他俩靠近，他俩又开始步行。

in striped pajamas shaving. He holds the number

一个小男孩游荡在旅馆走廊。

of his room close to the center of his mind

一道门后，一位女仆。另一道门后，

gravely and delicately, as if it were the key,

穿条纹睡衣的一个男子刮着脸。

and then he wanders among strangers all he wants.

他在头脑里严肃而细致地

记住他的房号，就像它是钥匙，

然后在陌生人中随心所欲地漫游。