四个四重奏:第23期 干燥的萨尔维吉斯(4)
Where is there an end of it, the soundless wailing,
这无声的呜咽，这秋花的悄然谢去，
The silent withering of autumn flowers dropping their petals and remaining motionless;
花瓣飘落从此凝然不动，它们的终极在哪里？沉船的残骸随波漂泊，白骨在岸滩上祈求，
Where is there an end to the drifting wreckage,
那向宣布灾难临头的通告
The prayer of the bone on the beach,
发出无从祈求的祈求，
the unprayable prayer at the calamitous annunciation?
这一切的终极在哪里？
There is no end, but addition:
一切了无终极，不禁如此更有那
the trailing consequence of further days and hours,
随未来的时日而接触而来的后果，
While emotion takes to itself the emotionless years of living among the breakage
当人生的无情岁月已落入你一度以为
Of what was believed in as the most reliable —
最可信赖的事物的碎片之中——
And therefore the fittest for renunciation.
因而最恰当的对策莫如舍弃的时候，
There is the final addition,
感情却兀自沉湎于往昔。
the failing pride or resentment at failing powers,
最后还有出于对自己的气力不济
The unattached devotion which might pass for devotionless,
而产生无济于事的自豪和怨恨；
In a drifting boat with a slow leakage,
驾一叶小舟漂泊海上，任凭海水从裂隙徐徐漏入，
The silent listening to the undeniable clamour of the bell of the last annunciation.
那无所依附的眷恋可能被看作无所眷恋；还有那最后的通告的钟声发出不可争辩的呼喊时
Where is the end of them,
默默无语的谛听。
the fishermen sailing into the wind’s tail, where the fog cowers?
何处是渔夫的归宿，他们驶进风的尾势，雾霭在那里瑟瑟颤抖？
We cannot think of a time that is oceanless
我们无法想象一个没有海洋的时代
Or of an ocean not littered with wastage
或者一个不是漂满了废物的海洋，
Or of a future that is not liable like the past, to have no destination.
或者一个不可能有一个目的地的未来，像过去的岁月那样。