As I Walked Out One Evening | 某日黃昏外出時
As I walked out one evening, | 某日黃昏外出時，
Walking down Bristol Street, | 我走在布里斯托爾街上。
The crowds upon the pavement | 人行道上的擁擠
Were fields of harvest wheat. | 猶如一片片豐割的麥田。
And down by the brimming river | 在滿溢欲出的河畔
I heard a lover sing | 我聽到戀愛中的人在歌唱。
Under an arch of the railway: | 從鐵路拱橋的下方飄來歌聲：
"Love has no ending. | “愛是永無止盡。”
"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you | “我會愛你的，親愛的，我將愛你
Till China and Africa meet | 直到中非相遇。
And the river jumps over the mountain | 直到川逾于山，
And the salmon sing in the street. | 魚鳴于市。
"I'll love you till the ocean | “我會愛你，直到大海
Is folded and hung up to dry | 被折起來挂著風乾，
And the seven stars go squawking | 直到北斗七星啼叫著
Like geese about the sky. | 像一群大雁掠過天際。
"The years shall run like rabbits | “時光飛逝如脫兔一般，
For in my arms I hold | 只因我手中捧著
The Flower of the Ages | 長生不老之花。
And the first love of the world." | 以及舉世無雙的初愛。”
But all the clocks in the city | 但此時這座城中所有的鐘都
Began to whirr and chime: | 開始叮叮咚咚騷動不安。
"O let not Time deceive you, | “咄，別讓時間之神矇騙了你們。
You cannot conquer Time. | 你們永遠無法戰勝他。
"In the burrows of the Nightmare | “在那深入夢魘的溝穴中
Where Justice naked is, | 是赤裸的公道。
Time watches from the shadow | 時間躲在陰影裏靜觀一切，
And coughs when you would kiss. | 在你們即將接吻時輕咳一聲。
"In headaches and in worry | “在頭痛和焦慮中
Vaguely life leaks away, | 生命模糊地漏失。
And Time will have his fancy | 而時間之神將隨心所欲
To-morrow or to-day. | 不論明日或今天。
"Into many a green valley | “多少座青山綠谷中
Drifts the appalling snow; | 流淌的是那駭人的冰雪。
Time breaks the threaded dances | 時間會打破那交織如膠的對舞
And the diver's brilliant bow. | 以及跳水者那優美的弧度。
"O plunge your hands in water, | “咄，將你們的雙手沒入水中吧，
Plunge them in up to the wrist; | 讓水浸上你們的雙腕。
Stare, stare in the basin | 然後死死凝視那盆狀水底
And wonder what you've missed. | 領悟你們所錯過的一切。
"The glacier knocks in the cupboard, | “櫥櫃中有冰川在敲門，
The desert sighs in the bed, | 床中有沙漠在嘆息。
And the crack in the tea-cup opens | 茶杯上那細細的裂痕會開啓
A lane to the land of the dead. | 一條通往冥府的路徑。
"Where the beggars raffle the banknotes | “在那兒，乞丐把銀票當彩票使用，
And the Giant is enchanting to Jack, | 巨魔取媚于童子。
And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer | 白如蓮花的男孩咆哮了一聲，
And Jill goes down on her back. | 女孩失足，背心著地。
"O look, look in the mirror, | “咄，看吧，看那鏡中，
O look in your distress; | 看那傷悲；
Life remains a blessing | 生命依舊充滿了祝福
Although you cannot bless. | 但你卻祈福無果。
"O stand, stand at the window | “咄，站起來，佇立在窗邊
As the tears scald and start; | 當灼燙的淚珠溢出時，
You shall love your crooked neighbour | 你亦將用你那顆畸形的心
With your crooked heart." | 愛上你那畸形的東鄰。”、
It was late, late in the evening, | 此時日暮已深，
The lovers they were gone; | 戀人們不知去向。
The clocks had ceased their chiming | 時鐘早已停止了奏鳴
And the deep river ran on. | 河水一如既往地深深流淌。
* Written by W. H. Auden in 1937. Original translation.
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